On February 22, 2021, US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced plans to revert to the 2008 Version of the naturalization civics test effective March 1, 2021, after the Trump administration, in late 2020, implemented a new version of the test for naturalization applications filed on or after December 1, 2020. Those who file for naturalization after March 1, 2021 will be given the 2008 test to which the Biden Administration is reverting. However, those who filed or will file between December 1, 2020 and March 1, 2021 will be given the option of taking either the 2020 Trump era version or 2008 version of the test.
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USCIS Will Revert Back to the 2008 Version of the Naturalization Civics Test Effective March 1, 2021
USCIS Announces Revised Naturalization Civics Test Effective December 1, 2020
US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced plans to implement a revised version of the naturalization civics test that will be effective for those who apply for naturalization on and after December 1, 2020. The civics test is one of the statutory requirements for naturalization. The revised test includes “more questions that test the applicant’s understanding of U.S. history and civics, in line with the statutory requirements, and covers a variety of topics that provide the applicant with more opportunities to learn about the United States as part of the test preparation process.”
Read moreUSCIS Offices Preparing to Reopen on June 4
On March 18, 2020, US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) temporarily suspended in-person services at its field offices, asylum offices, and application support centers (ASCs) to help slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). USCIS announced late last week that they are now readying offices to reopen on or after June 4, 2020, while still complying with local and state orders. Employees in these temporarily closed USCIS offices are continuing to perform mission-essential services that do not require face-to-face contact with the public, and during this time, individuals may still submit applications and petitions to USCIS service centers. USCIS is also providing limited emergency in-person services.
Read moreUSCIS Has Closed Offices to the Public from March 18 to June 4 but USCIS Service Centers Remain Operational (UPDATED APRIL 27, 2020)
UPDATE APRIL 27, 2020: USCIS has announced that they are planning to re-open offices for in-person services on June 4.
Effective March 18, 2020, US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) suspended in-person services at its field offices, asylum offices, and Application Support Centers (ASCs) to help prevent the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19). The closure will be effective until at least May 3, but the closure date may be extended. Employees in these offices are continuing to perform mission-essential services not requiring face-to-face contact with the public and USCIS will still provide limited emergency services. USCIS Service Centers are operational at this time.
USCIS field offices will send notices to applicants and petitioners with scheduled appointments and naturalization ceremonies affected by the closure. USCIS states that asylum offices will send interview cancellation notices and automatically reschedule asylum interviews. When the interview is rescheduled, asylum applicants will receive a new interview notice with the new time, date, and location of the interview. When USCIS resumes normal operations, the agency will automatically reschedule the affected ASC appointments. Applicants will receive a new appointment letter in the mail and those who had InfoPass or other appointments must reschedule through the USCIS Contact Center after field offices are open again to the public. Individuals can check if their field office has been reopened online.
CNN: "1 in 10 eligible voters in 2020 are immigrants. That's a record high"
As voters go to the polls today to vote in the “Super Tuesday” democratic presidential primary, many of those voters could be immigrants. More than 23 million US immigrants will be eligible to vote in the 2020 presidential election, a record high, according to a Pew Research Center report based on Census Bureau data. The report, released last Wednesday, notes that the size of the immigrant electorate has nearly doubled since 2000 with immigrants making up roughly 10% of the nation’s overall electorate. The report notes that most immigrant eligible voters are either Hispanic or Asian with immigrants from Mexico making up the single largest group with sixteen percent of foreign-born voters.
The increase in immigrant voting population coincides at a time when immigration policy issues are a key consideration for many voters. "Many of the administration's proposed policy changes, such as expanding the U.S.-Mexico border wall and limiting legal immigration, have generated strong, polarized reactions from the public," the Pew Research Center says. "These proposals may also affect how immigrants see their place in America and the potential role they could play in the 2020 presidential election.”
The New York Times: “Supreme Court Allows Trump’s Wealth Test for Green Cards”
On Monday this week the Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision to stay the current nationwide injunction of the “public charge” final rule. With this decision, the administration can implement the “public charge’ final rule for now while the underlying litigation continues, except in Illinois, which has a state-specific injunction. The “public charge” final rule will make it more difficult for immigrants to receive Green Cards if they’ve ever used, or are seen as “likely to use,” public benefits such as food stamps, Section 8 housing vouchers, and Medicaid, among others. The rule arguably redefines the “historic meaning” of the term “public charge,” which will likely result in the denial of applications based on “a bureaucrat’s suspicions that they could use welfare.”
Read moreMiami Herald: “Here are five USCIS changes that will impact legal immigrants in the U.S. in 2020”
US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), under the direction of the Trump administration, proposed a number of key immigration changes in 2018 and 2019, some of which are likely to go into effect this year. These changes, many designed to slow or complicate legal immigration, could have a significant impact on the lives of millions of immigrants in the US. Here are some changes to look out for in 2020:
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