USCIS Plans Proposed Rule on Naturalization Educational Standards

Service members pose with naturalization certificates after a USCIS oath ceremony

The Spring 2026 Unified Agenda lists a planned proposed rule from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) / U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS): RIN 1615-AD13 , Protecting the Integrity of Naturalization through Enhanced Educational Standards. It is marked Other Significant and is in the Proposed Rule Stage. An NPRM (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking) is tentatively scheduled for December 2026 (12/00/2026 on the agenda timetable).

Nothing about this agenda item has changed the naturalization test for applicants today. No proposed regulatory text has been released yet. This is an agenda entry for a future proposed rule — not a live Policy Manual update and not a new civics or English test.

What DHS says it would address

According to the official Reginfo.gov rule abstract , DHS proposes to:

  • Amend regulations on the educational requirements for naturalization
  • Establish a framework and standard for how applicants meet those requirements
  • Further enhance the integrity of the naturalization test
  • Add flexibilities in how the test is administered, including allowing third-party administration of the test

The agenda cites 8 CFR parts 312, 316, and 3 (the page also shows a typo, “8 CRF”). The statement of need notes that applicants must show English (read, write, and speak words in ordinary usage) and civics (history plus principles and form of government), that current regulations lack specifics on how to meet educational requirements, and that current rules limit administration by requiring the test as part of the naturalization application and interview with an officer.

Agency contact listed on the agenda page: Mark Phillips, Residence and Naturalization Division Chief, USCIS. The item also appears in the Federal Register’s Introduction to the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions — 2026 .

What has not changed (current civics test)

Until a final rule (and any related Policy Manual updates) takes effect — after proposal, public comment, and agency action — applicants should keep studying the current requirements:

English and civics testing still happen as part of the naturalization process under today’s rules. Watch the official Reginfo RIN page and USCIS Policy Manual updates if and when an NPRM is published.

Why it matters for people studying on CitizenExams

Agenda items can shape future rules, but they do not replace today’s study plan. Keep practicing English reading/writing/speaking and the current 128-question civics bank. When DHS publishes an NPRM, the public can review the actual proposed text and comment — that is the right time to compare details to what you are studying now.

Official source for this post: Reginfo.gov RIN 1615-AD13 .