Once again, the Donald Trump administration is looking to shake things up in the world of U.S. immigration, this time taking aim at the process of becoming a naturalized citizen. Joseph Edlow, the person in charge of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said that the test people take to become citizens is just too easy. This could mean significant changes that make it tougher for those with green cards to call themselves Americans.
In an interview with The New York Times, Edlow stated that the current civics test is “very easily memorized” and doesn’t truly capture the essence of what the “spirit of the law” is all about. “If we’re looking at the people that are coming over, that are especially coming over to advance certain economic agendas that we have and otherwise benefit the national interest.”
He went on to say, “The test, as it’s laid out right now, it’s not very difficult,” taking a swipe at the Joe Biden administration for rolling back the 2020 test that had made it longer and harder.
Back when Donald Trump was in charge during his first term as the 45th president of the US, the test had grown to include 128 questions, and you had to get 12 out of 20 right. Next came Joe Biden’s team; however, they decided to go back to the old way, where you only need to answer 6 out of 10 correctly from a list of 100 possible questions.
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Edlow is pushing to reintroduce a system similar to what Donald Trump already had in place during 2020, which some think might make things even tougher for people trying to apply. They’re already dealing with issues such as high legal costs, not being able to easily understand English, and having to go through a confusing government process.
The USCIS hasn’t given us a specific date when these changes will kick in, but it seems they’re working on it quickly.
The head of USCIS has hinted at big changes to the H-1B visa and citizenship test, aligning with Trump’s earlier immigration stance.https://t.co/ScS9GDLM9c
— travelobiz (@travelobiz) July 26, 2025
It looks like there’s YET another tough twist in the immigration saga!
Edlow has let us know that USCIS is gearing up to shake things up with how they hand out H-1B visas. These are the golden tickets for highly skilled workers from other countries to come and work here. Right now, it’s basically a lottery system, but they’re thinking of switching to something that gives better odds to companies willing to pay a hefty wage.
Basically, if your salary isn’t in the six-digit range, you might just have to keep your fingers extra-crossed.
Edlow, under the Donald Trump administration, believes that making this shift will keep American workers safe and make sure that H-1Bs are only used to “supplement, not supplant” the U.S. workforce.
New USCIS director says the test is too easy and does not reflect the intent of the law.
Read more 👇https://t.co/fu7nUnVj7x
— The Epoch Times (@EpochTimes) July 27, 2025
However, some disagree and think this new rule might limit how many skilled workers from other countries can get jobs in the U.S., particularly in the field of STEM (aka science, technology, engineering, and math) when just beginning their careers.
It’s pretty evident that with a more challenging road to citizenship and fewer work visas up for grabs, the Donald Trump administration is really pushing its idea of immigration based on what you can bring to the table. Nowadays, it seems like you’d need a degree in U.S. history and a fat paycheck from Wall Street to stand a chance.
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