TAMPA, Fla. — The U.S. Citizenship test is set to undergo some major changes, including adding a multiple-choice section and a speaking section.
It's scheduled to take effect next year.
For those who spend months preparing for the test – the speaking portion may pose a problem.
The new changes would create a multiple-choice style for the 10 questions that were previously asked verbally and test takers now be asked to describe in English what is happening in a photo.
Immigration attorney Danielle Hernandez says those changes concern her.
“Not everybody knows how to read, I have clients that come here that have a 2nd and 3rd grade education and they still come here and have their American dream, so I think this is going to create more a learning curve for clients and a little bit more preparation.”
Hernandez has helped many immigrants, including Jose Manuel Toro Marquez’s, who he recalls the day he became a U.S. citizen.
"I felt very happy, very accomplished, and fulfilled," he says. “I felt more comfortable I felt safer, safer to return to the U.S.. and I could go and have a great experience with my family."
Family was the main reasons Marquez decided to take the citizenship test.
“Any immigrant that’s in this country alone is the hardest because family is the most important,” Marquez said.
Marquez says he passed thanks in part Hernandez, who helped prepare him for the big day.
Back in December, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said the test changes “reflect current best practices in test design” and would help standardize the citizenship test and was due for an update after 15 years.
After leaving Venezuela six years ago Marquez says Spanish is all he knew. He prepared with free questions online and on YouTube for three months.
He feels the new changes will make it more difficult for those seeking their citizenship.
“You would have to express yourself more, while with the exam now you have one answer and various options and you choose which one you better understand and the one where you can speak it better,” Marquez said.
Once those changes are made, he believes it will take others longer to prepare.
His advice is to start practicing as early as possible to get a hang for the written and speaking portions of the test.
According to DVH Law Group sometimes it can take up to one month to get approved for the naturalization process, sometimes longer.
The process follows 10 steps which also requires several appointments to be considered for the test.
Jose became a Citizen last year, and shared his journey with me. He also expressed concern over the new changes to the test that are coming next year. Hear his story tonight at 5pm on @BN9 pic.twitter.com/UsTxJbVFtZ
— Lizbeth Gutierrez (@LizbethGNews) July 17, 2023