Exemption from English language test for citizenship

N

Nightingle

Registered Users (C)
Dear all,

My mom is 63 years old. She appeared naturalization test for two times but failed both for failing understanding of English. Now is there any way out for her citizenship? I found in USCIS website that, there is an option for exemption from English test. She has to stay physically in the US for at least 15 years for that reason. Is that true?

Any more suggestions?

TIA.
 
There are two “grandfathering” clauses.
- 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).

The other option - and frankly a far better option if she intends to live in the US - is for her to actually learn enough English to be conversant in. There are free English as a second language courses all over. Check your local high school adult education center and your local community college. These courses are often specifically aimed at immigrants wanting to get their citizenship.
 
Assuming the mom entered as an LPR in 2011, she is nowhere close to meeting either of the 15/20 years requirement to be grandfathered.

The best option, and ideally something she should have been working on, is learning English to assimilate in the US. Hopefully her professor husband should've insisted on. Community colleges, libraries, churches, Bangladeshi community centers likely all have ESL resources.
 
I don't understand why someone would not want to be conversant in the language in the country they have chosen to live in. It leaves you so dependent on other people, indeed sometimes this is used as a form of control over the immigrant, especially women who come from countries where legally or culturally they have far less rights than in the US. I do hope that isn't the case here.
 
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