The United States government has eased the naturalisation requirement for certain older lawful permanent residents, allowing eligible green card holders to seek citizenship without taking the mandatory English language test.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

The exception published by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) applies to applicants who meet specific age and residency requirements at the time they file their citizenship application.

Under the new rules, green card holders aged 50 or older who have lived in the U.S as lawful permanent residents for at least 20 years are exempt from the English requirement.

At the same time, those aged 55 or older who have held lawful permanent resident status for at least 15 years are also exempt from the English test.

📌 What You Need to Know

According to USCIS, applicants aged 65 or older who have been permanent residents for at least 20 years qualify for the English exemption and are eligible for special consideration when taking the civics test.

"Age 50 or older at the time of filing for naturalization and have lived as a permanent resident (Green Card holder) in the United States for 20 years (commonly referred to as the “50/20” exception).  OR  Age 55 or older at the time of filing for naturalization and have lived as a permanent resident in the United States for 15 years (commonly referred to as the “55/15” exception)," USCIS said.

The provisions could benefit thousands of immigrants, including Kenyans who have held U.S. green cards for extended periods and are seeking American citizenship.

However, despite the provisions, the exemption does not automatically remove the civics requirement.

Applicants covered by the age and residency exemptions must still demonstrate knowledge of U.S. history and government.

They are still required to take the civics test, with the Trump administration allowing applicants to take the test in their native language with the assistance of an interpreter.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke