US Tightens Citizenship Norms — How Becoming American Citizen Just Got Tougher
The new test aims to ensure that prospective citizens meet all the requirements — from the ability to read, write, and speak English to knowledge and comprehension of US history and government.
The American dream just inched further away for immigrants as the United States has made stricter revisions to its eligibility requirements for becoming citizens. The latest changes apply to the naturalisation civics test.
For those not born in the country, the naturalization civics test is a key step to becoming American citizens. First, applicants must become lawful permanent residents (green card holders) for a specific period. After that, they can apply to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services using Form N-400, complete an interview, and then take the civics test.
In line with the USCIS' statutory requirements, the new civics exam, effective this calendar year, will now be particularly challenging as it will require people to have a tighter grasp of US history, politics and government.
The changes have been made as part of a multi-phase overhaul of the citizenship process.
The USCIS has made these revisions to not only bolster the citizenship process, but also to keep the integrity of the naturalisation process intact. The new test aims to ensure that prospective citizens meet all the requirements — from the ability to read, write, and speak English to knowledge and comprehension of US history and government.
"American citizenship is the most sacred citizenship in the world and should only be reserved for aliens who will fully embrace our values and principles as a nation," USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser told the Economic Times. He added that these crucial changes are the first of many.
Changes Underway
The assessment of an applicant's 'moral character' will now not only require them to show absence of misconduct but also provide proof of positive contributions to American society; besides, unlawful voting, unlawful voter registration and false claims to US citizenship are grounds for disqualification of the applicant.
The agency has also introduced more stringent reviews of disability exceptions to the civics and English requirements and is resuming neighbourhood investigations to verify that applicants meet statutory requirements.
