Written August 5, 2026
Gabriella Walsh, Esq., an immigration attorney at Berardi Immigration Law, was recently featured in Newsweek, offering her perspective on proposed changes to the U.S. naturalization test.
The article, Trump Administration Eyes New Naturalization Testing Rules, examines a federal regulatory agenda showing that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is considering new educational standards for citizenship applicants, along with a proposal to let third parties help administer the test rather than leaving it exclusively to USCIS officers. DHS has said the changes are meant to establish “a framework and a standard” for meeting citizenship education requirements and to further strengthen the integrity of the naturalization process.
Gabriella weighed in on what a change like this could mean:
“It is another reminder that immigration policy continues to evolve beyond visas and border enforcement. Even long-established processes like naturalization remain subject to regulatory change.”
Naturalization has generally been one of the more stable parts of immigration law, but as Gabriella notes, it isn’t immune to the same kind of regulatory shifts reshaping other areas of the system. The proposal, still in its early stages, would affect a process that naturalized more than 818,000 people in fiscal year 2024 alone. DHS is expected to publish a formal proposed rule in December 2026, and any changes would go through a public comment period before taking effect, so applicants moving through the process now aren’t affected yet.
Read the full article here: https://www.newsweek.com/trump-administration-eyes-new-naturalization-testing-rules-12280825
As naturalization policy continues to develop, Berardi Immigration Law remains committed to keeping clients informed, prepared, and protected. If you have questions about your naturalization case or how upcoming regulatory changes could affect your timeline, our team is here to help you navigate every step of the process. Click here to book your consultation today.
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