65/20 rule
The 65/20 Special Consideration, Explained
Certain applicants age 65 or older who have been lawful permanent residents for at least 20 years may take a shorter civics test. USCIS decides who qualifies. This page only explains the published rule.
Content last reviewed November 3, 2026. Not legal advice.
What the rule is
USCIS describes a special civics consideration for applicants who are 65 or older and have been lawful permanent residents for 20 or more years. Qualifying applicants study 20 designated questions instead of the full bank. An officer asks 10 of those questions. Six correct answers are required to pass. They may also take the civics test in the language of their choice, because the same consideration exempts them from the English test.
Age alone is not enough, and 20 years in the United States is not the same thing as 20 years as a lawful permanent resident. Do not assume you qualify. Read USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 12, Part E, Chapter 2 or ask an accredited representative or attorney.
Which 20 questions?
The filing date still chooses the version. Filed before October 20, 2025: the 20 asterisk questions in the 2008 bank (20 marked here). Filed on or after that date: the 20 asterisk questions in the 2025 bank (20 marked here). The interview shape is the same. The questions are not.
Not the same as 50/20 or 55/15
Applicants who are 50 or older with 20 years as a permanent resident, or 55 or older with 15 years, may be exempt from the English test and still take civics. Those exemptions do not, by themselves, reduce civics to the 20-question list. Only the 65/20 consideration does that.