Immigration Attorney Gabriella Walsh Said the Proposal Could 'Significantly Change' the Naturalization Process

The Trump administration is weighing new citizenship testing standards and third-party exams as part of a proposed naturalization rule, according to a federal regulatory agenda. The Department of Homeland Security said the rule would establish "a framework and a standard" for applicants to meet citizenship education requirements, seeking to "further enhance the integrity of the naturalization test. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is also considering allowing third parties to administer the exam, a change it said would provide additional flexibility.

The proposal could affect hundreds of thousands of applicants annually; USCIS naturalized 818,500 people in fiscal 2024, with an initial test pass rate of 89.7 percent, rising to 94.4 percent after reexaminations. Current law requires applicants to demonstrate basic English and knowledge of U.S. history and government, but DHS said regulations "do not provide specifics on how aliens should meet the educational requirements. Douglas S.