[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-310221-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-310221-en":131},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","citizenship-test-recommendations-citizenship-test-wg-september-17-2021","Citizenship Test Recommendations - Citizenship Test WG - September 17 2021","","Letter addressed to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services leadership outlining ongoing problems in administering the English-speaking citizenship test and requesting regular engagement. Members of the Citizenship Test Working Group describe barriers to naturalization driven by transparency gaps and continuing practices that contribute to improper denials. The letter details concerns about the 2020 civics test revision process and expands on how adjudicators have questioned applicants on complex terms in Form N-400, allegedly conflicting with statutory and policy guidance.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/","Exam",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/citizenship-test-recommendations-citizenship-test-wg-september-17-2021/310221/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/citizenship-test-recommendations-citizenship-test-wg-september-17-2021/310221.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Rowan","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-28","2026-09-20",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",13,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What is the purpose of this letter to Director Ur Jaddou?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"It requests engagement and submits recommendations regarding ongoing issues and barriers related to the citizenship test, aiming to improve access to naturalization.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What issues does the working group raise about the English-speaking citizenship test?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"It reports ongoing administration problems that lead to improper denials and reduced transparency and engagement concerning how the citizenship test is implemented.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What practice do the authors criticize regarding the Form N-400 English test?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"They criticize adjudicators for aggressively questioning applicants about defining complex terms on Form N-400 in English, stating this practice contradicts statute and USCIS policy guidance for the test.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},310221,1790024589,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,95,100,105,110,115,120,123,127],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":93,"slug":94},70,"exam",{"id":96,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":101,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":112,"show_sort_weight":113,"slug":114},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":116,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":117,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":119},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":118,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":121,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":122},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":124,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":124,"slug":126},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":128,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":129,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":130},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":132},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":133,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":134,"doc_module":4,"category_id":33,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":135,"file_id":136,"file_url":137,"file_type":138,"file_size":139,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":106,"language":140,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145,"preview_page_count":4},1099514067415,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/100002539d78ffe74a7?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1779092875211072502","September 17, 2021  \nDirector Ur Jaddou  \nU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Department of Homeland Security  \n20 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20529-2140  \nRE: ONGOING ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THE CITIZENSHIP TEST AND REQUEST FOR REGULAR ENGAGEMENT  \nDear Director Jaddou:  \nOn Citizenship Day 2021, the undersigned 9 members of the Citizenship Test Working Group, a subset of the Naturalization Working Group, respectfully request engagement and submit the following recommendations regarding barriers to naturalization within the citizenship test.  \nI. Introduction of Stakeholders and Expertise  \nThe Naturalization Working Group (NWG) is coordinated by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund and made up of national and local organizations committed to helping lawful permanent residents (LPRs) become United States citizens. The NWG strives to improve federal policies and practices related to naturalization and to educate legislators and other policymakers about the need to address barriers to naturalization. Our coalition’s expertise derives from its multiple member organizations that have significant experience in promoting naturalization and assisting newcomers with the U.S. citizenship process, including immigrants who are serving in our military. The NWG is the policy complement to the New Americans Campaign (NAC), a diverse nonpartisan national network of respected immigrant-serving organizations, legal service providers, faith-based organizations, immigrant rights groups, foundations, and community leaders. The Campaign transforms the way aspiring citizens navigate the path to becoming new Americans.  \nThe NWG has formed a Working Group of members with specialized expertise on the citizenship test. The Working Group is comprised of education and policy experts in English and civics instruction and development of citizenship test preparation curriculum as well as legal practitioners who have represented thousands of applicants before USCIS. Many of the members have decades of experience with the test and were part of the earlier test revision process that led to the 2008 test. The Working Group has worked over the past five months to create a set of starting recommendations for the Biden administration to improve access to naturalization by removing barriers within the citizenship test, asset forth below.  \nII. Background on Issues: Changes to the Citizenship Test Under the Previous Administration and Continuation Under the Biden Administration  \nWe welcome the creation of an Interagency Strategy for Promoting Naturalization announced by USCISon July 2, 2021. We also applaud the Biden Administration's decision announced on Feb. 22, 2021, to rescind the 2020 citizenship test in response to public comments and concerns. However, issues with the administration of the English-speaking test implemented under the previous administration are ongoing and of grave concern to the Working Group, as they are continuing to cause improper denials of  \neligible applicants and creating a barrier to naturalization. In addition, there is an ongoing lack of transparency and engagement regarding the citizenship test.  \nOn Nov. 13, 2020, USCIS announced the release of a new civics test for citizenship that was significantly longer and more difficult than the previous version, which had been in place since 2008.1 It was the culmination of a very rushed and non-transparent test revision process that began in December 2018, when USCIS formed an internal working group to consider changes to the test. There was no opportunity for broad or meaningful stakeholder engagement or input. In addition, USCIS provided avery short timeline for implementation of the new test on December 1, 2020, without adequate pilot testing. This created chaos for applicants, the educators preparing them for the test, and the USCIS Office of Citizenship, which was not able to update its numerous","cbCaio6sFyDHjnBZ","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaio6sFyDHjnBZ","pdf",257051,"English","# Introduction of Stakeholders and Expertise\n# Background on Issues: Changes to the Citizenship Test Under the Previous Administration and Continuation Under the Biden Administration\n# Recommendations","[{\"question\":\"What is the purpose of this letter to Director Ur Jaddou?\",\"answer\":\"It requests engagement and submits recommendations regarding ongoing issues and barriers related to the citizenship test, aiming to improve access to naturalization.\"},{\"question\":\"What issues does the working group raise about the English-speaking citizenship test?\",\"answer\":\"It reports ongoing administration problems that lead to improper denials and reduced transparency and engagement concerning how the citizenship test is implemented.\"},{\"question\":\"What practice do the authors criticize regarding the Form N-400 English test?\",\"answer\":\"They criticize adjudicators for aggressively questioning applicants about defining complex terms on Form N-400 in English, stating this practice contradicts statute and USCIS policy guidance for the test.\"}]","Citizenship Test Recommendations - Citizenship Test WG - September 17 2021 | PDF",1789878047,18]