âť“WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow has proposed changes to the U.S. naturalization test, calling it too lenient and misaligned with congressional intent.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Joseph Edlow, USCIS adjudicators, and naturalization applicants.
đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: Announced Friday, August 1.
đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “The test needs to reflect the letter and the spirit of what Congress intended. It’s important for people to understand English, our history, our government… and the way the test is written and executed right now doesn’t meet that bar.” — Joseph Edlow
🎯IMPACT: Proposed changes could increase the difficulty of the naturalization test and tighten oversight of immigration programs.
Newly appointed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow is pushing for significant changes to the U.S. naturalization test, which he described as too lenient and not reflective of congressional expectations. Edlow contends that the test format is insufficient to ensure that those seeking naturalization know American civics sufficiently. The current test only requires applicants to answer six out of 10 civics questions correctly and complete basic English reading and writing tasks.
“The test needs to reflect the letter and the spirit of what Congress intended,” Edlow said, adding: “It’s important for people to understand English, our history, our government… and the way the test is written and executed right now doesn’t meet that bar.” He proposes deeper evaluations of English skills throughout the interview process and more comprehensive civics questions to ensure readiness.
Edlow also highlighted flaws in the H-1B visa system, citing instances where U.S. companies exploited the program to underpay foreign workers and replace American employees. “Companies are going for the highest-skilled workers but paying them at the lowest wage level,” he said, calling for tighter oversight and expanded worksite enforcement to prevent abuse.
On welfare-related immigration policies, Edlow announced plans to revisit the public charge rule, which determines whether green card applicants are likely to rely on public assistance. He noted that the rule needs careful review to ensure it aligns with longstanding principles and protects U.S. taxpayers. Additionally, he flagged the growing backlog in USCIS cases as a national security concern, blaming the Biden government’s focus on illegal border crossings for diverting resources away from legal immigration priorities.
“Backlogs that continue to grow are nothing short of a national security threat to this country,” Edlow said. While pledging to reduce adjudication times, he warned that maintaining the integrity of the system would take precedence over quick fixes. “There may be short-term pain, but we will decrease the backlog at a steady clip while protecting the integrity and security of the system,” he concluded.
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