Huge rule change for US citizenship test will check your ‘moral character’ – could you pass?

A MAJOR change to the US citizenship test has been proposed, and it could make becoming naturalized even more difficult.

Officials said that they hope the moral character quiz will mean only the best and brightest become Americans.

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Federal officials want to add an extra layer to US citizenship tests[/caption]

AFP

President Donald Trump’s administration wants to assess positive traits like community engagement when naturalizing citizens[/caption]

In a memo released Friday, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services said that applicants should face a more “holistic” assessment, according to Time.

The federal agency wants legal immigrants to have “good moral character” and asked that they be judged for their “positive attributes and not simply the absence of misconduct.”

In a statement, USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser said, “US citizenship is the gold standard of citizenship – it should only be offered to the world’s best of the best.

“USCIS is adding a new element to the naturalization process that ensures America’s newest citizens not only embrace America’s culture, history, and language but who also demonstrate Good Moral Character.”

Traditionally, the citizenship test has been used to test an applicant’s knowledge of the English language as well as American history and government.

Immigrants must prove to a USCIS officer that they can understand, speak, and write basic English.

They must also answer 100 questions about the structure of the US government and important historical facts if they want to be naturalized.

The test is normally taken by green card holders who have lived in the US legally for at least three to five years.

But in the new memo, the Trump administration signaled that it hopes to learn more from applicants than just their testing knowledge.

The title of “good moral character” used to be granted to anyone who didn’t have a record of committing violent crimes.

If the person had a history of drug offenses, aggravated felonies like murder, or multiple DWI convictions, they could be barred from citizenship.

However, now the government wants to weigh an applicant’s positive attributes instead of the absence of a criminal record.

The applicant must be able to prove that their character matches the “standards of average citizens of the community in which the alien resides.”

Sustained community involvement and contributions in the US, family caregiving and US ties, and stable and legal employment are all aspects that will be considered by officers.

Officers will also be looking at the length of lawful residence in the US and for compliance with tax laws.

Additionally, the USCIS will look into any behaviors that, though technically legal, could be “inconsistent with civic responsibility.”

These include “reckless or habitual traffic infractions or harassment or aggressive solicitation.”

IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN

Since Donald Trump stepped back into office, he has taken sweeping efforts to regulate who is entering and living in the US.

One of his first moves was seeking to effectively end birthright citizenship, which makes any child born on US soil a citizen.

He’s also sent more security to the border and struck deals with neighboring Mexican and Canadian leaders to halt illegal crossing.

The policies have sparked lawsuits from across the country, with many courts arguing that Trump is challenging the Constitution.