US immigration chief says current naturalization exam is too easy, and proposed visa reforms could prioritize high-wage employers over young talent
The Trump administration is planning to tighten rules for legal immigration, including making the US citizenship test harder and changing the H-1B visa system to favor high-wage employers, according to the director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
"The test, as it’s laid out right now, is not very difficult," USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said in an interview with The New York Times. "It’s very easy to kind of memorize the answers. I don’t think we’re really comporting with the spirit of the law."
Edlow said the agency intends to reintroduce a version of the naturalization exam launched during Donald Trump’s first term, which included more questions and tougher requirements.
He also suggested reforms to the H-1B visa program—which issues 85,000 work permits each year for foreign professionals in specialized fields—including a shift toward favoring applicants with the highest salaries.
"I really do think that the way H-1B needs to be used… is to… supplement, not supplant, US economy and US businesses and US workers," he said.
-Critics warn of youth talent loss
Critics say the changes could shrink access for young, highly skilled immigrants.
"Assigning H-1B visas only to the highest wage offers would favor older workers who may retire or leave the country," said David Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, in comments to Newsweek.
"It’s strange to say that the test is easy when it’s a test most Americans would fail," he added.
The Department of Homeland Security is also considering replacing the current lottery-based H-1B selection process with a weighted system based on salary levels—a proposal backed by groups like the Institute for Progress, which said the change could increase the program’s economic impact by up to 88%.
While some Republican-aligned voices remain critical of immigration, Edlow emphasized support for legal migration that aligns with US interests.
"I think it absolutely should be a net positive," he said. "If we’re looking at the people… coming over to advance certain economic agendas… that’s absolutely what we need to be taking care of."
Major immigration reforms—including changes to the visa system or citizenship exam—would likely need approval from other federal agencies or Congress, where bipartisan efforts remain under debate.
