Overview
- Applicants who file Form N-400 on or after October 20 must take an oral civics exam of 20 questions drawn from a 128-question bank, requiring at least 12 correct answers to pass.
- Those who filed before the effective date may choose the 2008 version, in which officers ask up to 10 questions from a 100-question bank and six correct answers are sufficient.
- USCIS maintains reduced requirements for applicants aged 65 or older with 20 years as lawful permanent residents, who study a 20-question subset and answer 10 questions with six correct to pass, with language accommodations noted.
- The full list of 128 civics questions is published on USCIS.gov, and applicants are advised that some answers involving current officeholders can change.
- Separate October actions include electronic processing for certain H‑2A petitions starting October 2 using the new Form I-129H2A, and a $1,000 fee for approved humanitarian parole grants taking effect mid-October with collection by USCIS, CBP or ICE and limited exemptions.