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Stricter rules for US naturalization: test reform from October 2025!
From October 2025, the US government will introduce a stricter naturalization test to increase requirements for citizens.
Stricter rules for US naturalization: test reform from October 2025!
The US government plans to introduce a stricter naturalization test from mid-October 2025. This test will increase the requirements for future citizens and is based on a version that was launched during Donald Trump's term. As reports [kleinezeitung.at] (https://www.kleinezeitung.at/service/newsticker/20110258/us- government-fuehren-strezer-lärztestwieder-ein), applicants will have to answer up to 20 questions from an extended questionnaire of 128 questions, whereby they have to give at least 12 correct answers to pass the test.
The current test includes 100 questions, of which only 10 are asked, and 6 correct answers are sufficient. This regulation was dissolved under President Biden in 2021 when he took back the previous version of the test. The new stricter test should now be effective from now on, but applications that have already been submitted may continue to be processed in accordance with the previous regulations. This maintains a flowing transition between the procedures.
Changes to the requirements
In addition to the questions of knowledge, applicants are also obliged to demonstrate sufficient English skills and a "good character". The interpretation of these requirements could change depending on the political orientation of the respective government, which has already led to different standards in the past. These new interpretations are part of the multi -stage process for revising the naturalization standards, such as [stuttgarter-nachrichten.de] (https://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten.de/inhalt.american-staatsbuergerschaft-strenererschraufstest-in-s-usa-wieder- infilant.
The USCIS has also indicated that when checking the "good character", an increased focus should be on the positive contributions to society. Tax fraud or multiple incorrect information on US citizenship is considered exclusion criteria that can significantly reduce the chances of naturalization, since applicants not only have to be criminal under criminal law, but should also be able to meet the social and moral expectations of the US society.
Review of previous regulations
The previous reforms in the naturalization procedure meant that the criteria for naturalization have been designed considerably more strictly since Trump took office. As early as 2024, over 94 percent of applicants passed the naturalization test, which indicates that despite the strict examination conditions there is still a high success rate. As t-online.de emphasizes the possibility of taking the test in another language, only in rare exceptional cases.
The challenges resulting from the new requirements will be important for many applicants in the coming year if the new provisions come into force. It remains to be seen how these changes will affect the number of naturalizations and what political discussions they could trigger again.