Overview
- Effective Oct. 20, the new rules apply to N-400 applications filed on or after that date, and the agency has described the package as the first of many changes.
- The 2025 civics exam will be an oral test of 20 questions drawn from a 128-question pool, with a passing score of 12 correct; questioning stops after 12 correct or 9 incorrect.
- Applicants will have two opportunities to pass the civics test before their naturalization application is denied.
- Applicants aged 65 or older with at least 20 years as lawful permanent residents will answer 10 questions and pass with six correct.
- Officers will conduct more holistic good‑moral‑character assessments that weigh positive civic contributions and may include case-by-case neighborhood inquiries, a practice rarely used since 1991.