WASHINGTON – The authorities in the United States are changing the citizenship test and aspiring immigrants fear that the changes could hamper their dreams to become the US citizen.
The changes would be in place in the future but those with lower levels of English proficiency are at risk of losing the chance. The naturalization test is one of the final steps toward citizenship and is required for legal permanent residency.
Former president Donald Trump changed the test in 2020 and made it more difficult to pass but when President Joe Biden took office, the citizenship test was changed back to its previous version, which was last updated in 2008.
In December, U.S. authorities confirmed that the test was due for an update after 15 years and the new version is expected late next year.
As far as the changes are concerned, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services proposes that the new test adds a speaking section to assess English skills of applicants. Under the proposed changes, an officer would show photos of ordinary scenarios including daily activities, and ask the applicant to verbally describe the photos.
At present, an officer examines someone’s speaking ability during the naturalization interview by asking personal questions but it is easier as the applicant has already answered those in the paperwork, and generally, everyone knows the answers to personal questions.
Besides, another proposed change would make the civics section on U.S. history and government multiple-choice instead of the current oral short-answer format and experts say that the new test would be difficult as it would require a much sound knowledge base.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said in December that the proposed changes “reflect current best practices in test design” and would help standardize the citizenship test but clarified that it will conduct a nationwide trial of the proposed changes in 2023 with opportunities for public feedback.
It bears mentioning that over 1 million people became U.S. citizens in fiscal year 2022 which is one of the highest numbers on record since 1907.
