US Green Card citizenship requirement BIG UPDATE: People filing for Form N-400 after Oct 20 must to go through moral character test, neighborhood check and…
For seniors aged 65 or older who have lived in the U.S. for at least 20 years, the easier version of the test still applies. They will continue to be asked 10 questions and must get at least 6 right to pass.
Starting October 20, green card holders who apply for U.S. citizenship will face tougher rules under a new policy from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The changes include a harder civics test and a deeper check into an applicant’s personal history. According to USCIS, people filing the Form N-400 after October 20, 2025, will have to take the new 2025 naturalization civics test. The test is oral and has 20 questions chosen from a pool of 128 possible questions. To pass, applicants must answer at least 12 questions correctly. If they give 9 wrong answers, they will fail immediately. The officer will stop asking questions as soon as the applicant either reaches 12 correct answers or 9 wrong ones.
Under the old system, the test had only 10 questions, and applicants needed 6 correct answers to pass. That means the new rules raise the difficulty.
For seniors aged 65 or older who have lived in the U.S. for at least 20 years, the easier version of the test still applies. They will continue to be asked 10 questions and must get at least 6 right to pass.
Good moral character test
In addition to testing knowledge of U.S. history and government, immigration officers will now also look more closely at an applicant’s “good moral character.” This means officials will focus not only on whether a person has stayed out of trouble but also on whether they are making positive contributions to their community and American society.
USCIS may even bring back “neighborhood investigations,” a practice not used since 1991. This could include contacting an applicant’s employers, coworkers, or neighbors to ask about their behavior and reputation.
The agency says these steps are meant to “restore integrity to the naturalization process.” Each applicant will get two chances to pass the civics test. If they fail both times, their citizenship application will be denied.
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