Starting in 2026, older migrants aged 65 and over will have a differentiated process when applying for U.S. citizenship before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). These applicants will benefit from exemptions such as a waiver of the English language test and, if they have been legal permanent residents for more than 20 years, they will take a specially designed civics exam that requires studying a limited number of questions.

The USCIS currently defines the civics exam for naturalization as an oral evaluation where an official can ask up to 20 questions selected from an official list of 128 possible questions. Acceptance requires knowledge sufficient to answer a majority of those questions satisfactorily. This concern for senior applicants aims to enhance accessibility to citizenship for those who may face difficulties typical associated with aging, including challenges in language retention and memory.

These changes represent an important step in facilitating the naturalization process for the aging population, reflecting a broader trend toward accommodating the needs of seniors in immigration policies. By reducing the burden of the citizenship test, the initiative is likely to encourage more elderly immigrants to apply for U.S. citizenship, thereby enhancing their integration into the community and granting them access to rights and benefits that come with citizenship.