The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has unveiled the first changes to the naturalization civics test as part of a multi-step overhaul of American citizenship standards.
Naturalization is the legal process through which a non-citizen becomes a full citizen of a country.
The 2025 test is designed to better assess applicants’ knowledge of U.S. history and government, ensuring that new citizens fully understand the rights and responsibilities of American citizenship.
USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser said the changes ensure only eligible applicants who understand English and U.S. civics can naturalize
“Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services posted a Federal Register notice announcing implementation of the 2025 naturalization civics test. The 2025 test assesses an alien’s understanding of U.S. history and government in line with the statutory requirement and is one of many steps in an ongoing effort to restore integrity to the naturalization process and meet congressional intent,” they said
The U.S. had signaled potential reforms to the H-1B visa program and the naturalization civics test.
The new head of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Joseph Edlow, indicated that the H-1B system needs a fundamental overhaul to better serve the domestic labor market. He emphasized that the program should supplement, not supplant, the U.S. economy and workers.
Mr. Edlow also said the administration wanted to change the naturalization test required by prospective U.S. citizens.
As of now, immigrants study 100 civics questions and then must respond correctly to six out of 10 questions to pass that portion of the test. During the first Trump administration, the agency increased the number of questions and required applicants to respond correctly to 12 out of 20 questions.
Applicants will now face:
The agency noted that in the coming weeks and months, it will announce additional steps to enhance the integrity of the naturalization process further.
The U.S. has implemented several significant changes to its visa policies affecting Nigerian travelers. These adjustments impact visa validity, application procedures, and compliance requirements.
Employment Authorization Document (EAD) applications under specific categories now require a $550 fee for initial applications and $275 for renewals or extensions. Additionally, a $250 filing fee has been introduced for Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) cases under Form I-360. These fees are non-waivable and must be submitted with applications postmarked on or after July 22, 2025.