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USCIS Chief Moves to Toughen Citizenship Test, Escalates 'War on Fraud'

The agency has revived neighbor interviews following a rule that expands its internal enforcement powers.

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said he's looking to ramp up the difficulty of both the civics and English halves of the test.
What’s happening to the U.S. citizenship test? Officials just dropped a major hint
An immigrant studies to take a U.S. citizenship exam on March 29, 2025 at an undisclosed location, Connecticut. She was attending a citizenship study group held at a non-profit community center. Many immigrants, including legal green card holders, have expressed extreme anxiety as the Trump administration enacts more stringent immigration policies, including mass deportations of undocumented people living in the United States. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Director Joseph Edlow said the current citizenship exam is “just too easy” and signaled a push for more rigorous, thought‑provoking questions.
  • Proposals under consideration include an essay component, a more standardized format, and restrictions on coaching, with changes subject to formal rulemaking and review.
  • Edlow said he is expanding USCIS’s investigative capacity by hiring special agents to focus on large‑scale immigration fraud and national security issues.
  • USCIS has finalized a rule broadening its internal law‑enforcement authorities and is resuming interviews with applicants’ neighbors and coworkers, a practice last used before the 1990s.
  • The current test requires six correct answers out of ten civics questions and basic English proficiency, which Edlow argues does not adequately gauge attachment to the Constitution.