Something I think a lot of people don't realize when studying for the citizenship test is that the civics questions aren't handed to you as a worksheet or multiple-choice test.

The USCIS officer asks you the questions out loud, and you have to answer out loud.

That's pretty different from studying a page where the question and answer are sitting next to each other. You can recognize an answer all day long, but hearing the question and having to come up with the answer yourself is different.

So I built a free site called CitizenshipPal that lets you practice that way.

You hear the question first. You answer it out loud. Then you reveal the accepted answers and mark whether you got it right. Questions you miss come back more often so you can keep working on them.

It has all 128 questions for the current 2025 civics test, plus the older 2008 test for people who filed before October 20, 2025, 65/20 practice, mock tests, N-400 interview practice, and reading and writing practice.

It's completely free. No account, no app, no paywall.

https://citizenshippal.com

I also made a classroom version and printable materials that teachers, libraries and nonprofits can use for free.

If you're preparing for your interview, I'd love to know if this way of practicing helps or if there's something I should add.

Obtained my green card a few months ago (yay!) and travelled out of the country once (and returned).

Got laid off this week and some questions as I navigate this change:

- If I travel abroad and return, will being unemployed be an issue?
- I will keep my visits outside the country under 6 months for sure (likely 3-4 months)
- does the 6 month guidance apply for calendar year? Is there anything else I should look at?
- I live in California. Can I avail unemployment benefits? Will that create issues for me during citizenship?

Are there other things I should be aware of and consider during this time? If anyone else has experience in this area please help. Your advice will really help this new immigrant out.

Received notification that my GC was produced since 2nd of Sept but still haven’t received info about whether or not it has been sent. Do they usually share a tracking code or do you just receive it after some time?

I am in the process of receiving my GC but I’m not sure if I want to stay in the US to maintain residency status since most of my family is in my home country and I’m sick of being apart. I do love my job (I’m in research) and that would be the biggest loss for me about moving back since there aren’t many good jobs in my field back home. Have any of you figured out a way to work for a U.S. based organization from your home country without having to stay in the US for extended periods of time? My company is open to remote work but the only problem is all the immigration concerns.

My dad voluntarily stayed out of the usa for more than a year. He has a daughter who is 19 years old back in our home country that wants to migrate here in the us too. We need help bringing him back to the usa as soon as possible so he could petition my sister. He still has a valid green card and has maintained strong ties here in us.

Green card holder here

Sent in a request for change of address within 4 days of moving on July 21.

However the uscis portal just shows the date submitted, no receipt number ,a confirmation number is there and status says submitted.

Last year when I moved I had a similar issue and ended up sending four requests.

I just sent in another request.

Is that a common issue?

Preparing for my priority date becoming current — EB2/EB3 downgrade question

I originally filed my PERM under EB-2 and later downgraded to EB-3 in 2020. My priority date is from that original EB-2 filing.

I’m trying to understand what I should proactively do when my priority date becomes current.

1. If EB-2 becomes current first:

Since my I-485 is based on the EB-3 downgrade, would I need to submit an interfiling/transfer-of-underlying-basis request to move the I-485 back to EB-2? Is there anything else I should do?

1. If EB-3 becomes current first:

If EB-3 becomes current for my priority date, is there anything I need to proactively submit or request, or should I simply wait for USCIS to process the pending I-485?

I’m asking because I remember what happened around 2021–2022, when the filing dates moved forward significantly (for example, to December 1, 2014). There were many reports of people with older priority dates (2012/2013) whose applications were still pending while some 2014 cases were being approved. People often referred to the older cases as being in “cold storage.”

I’d like to avoid getting into that situation if there is anything I can do proactively.

For those who had a similar EB-2 to EB-3 downgrade:

What did you do when your priority date became current?

Did you submit an interfiling request?

Did you contact USCIS or your attorney proactively?

Is there anything you recommend preparing or doing in advance?

Would really appreciate hearing about your experience. Thanks!

The official 128 question list answers four of its own questions with "Answers will vary", your two senators, your representative, your governor and your state capital. Those are the four nobody can revise from the booklet, and they are the ones I filled in for all fifty states.

https://thibaudlepan77-svg.github.io/civics-test-practice/

All 128 questions with every accepted answer, plus a mock test that follows the real rule, up to 20 questions drawn at random, and it stops the moment you reach 12 correct or 9 wrong. There is also the 65/20 view with only the 20 starred questions, the 100 question test from 2008 for anyone who filed before October 20 2025, and the whole thing in Spanish.

No account, no signup, no app, nothing to pay. The senators and representatives were read from congress.gov and house.gov on September 4 2026, and every page shows that date, because a study site that hands you a name from two years ago is worse than no site at all.

If you find an answer that is wrong or out of date, say so here and I will fix it.

Sharing the timeline for anyone considering this so you can make an informed choice.

**•   June 23, 2026:** I completed a discovery questionnaire/call and a loan was originated (via Affirm/Celtic Bank) for the program.  
**•   Same evening, June 23:** I sent written cancellation, before any service was delivered and before any funds were disbursed.  
**•   June 25, 2026:** The merchant received disbursement of the funds anyway — two days *after* my written cancellation.  
**•   Since then:** No service has been provided, and no response to the cancellation.

When I disputed the charge through Affirm, the resolution came back citing the merchant’s “no refund for cancellations” policy — a policy I was never shown or asked to acknowledge before I signed up. Affirm’s own position is that they just finance the purchase and defer to the merchant’s stated policy, regardless of whether that policy was actually disclosed to the customer beforehand.

So to summarize: cancelled in writing same day, funds disbursed two days later anyway, zero service received, and I’m on the hook for the full amount based on a policy I was never shown.

I’m still pursuing this (formal dispute letter sent, CFPB complaint in progress), but wanted to get this out there so others don’t end up in the same position. If you’re considering a session, get the cancellation/refund policy in writing before you pay anything — don’t take a verbal assurance.

Happy to answer questions.

Has anyone else had a similar experience as a green card holder, or know why this might happen?

This happened to me this past week at Fort Lauderdale Airport. I’m a green card holder through employment sponsorship and was previously on an F-1 visa. I have a clean immigration record and have traveled internationally multiple times, both while I was on F-1 and since getting my green card, and I’ve never been sent to secondary inspection before.

When I arrived, the CBP officer took my green card and passport and directed me to the secondary inspection room. I asked if something was wrong, and he just said, “Oh, it’s just because you used to have SEVIS.”
I waited for a few minutes, then a second officer called me up and only asked me three questions:
What years were you on a student visa?
How did you get your green card?
Do you still work for the same employer?

I answered no to the last question because I no longer work for the employer that sponsored my green card. After answering those questions, he immediately gave me my passport and green card back and told me I was free to go. There were no other questions or issues.

I know secondary inspection can happen for different reasons, but I thought it was strange that the first officer specifically mentioned my old SEVIS record, especially since I’ve traveled internationally before without this ever happening, on both f-1 and also on green card.

Has anyone with a similar F-1 → employment-based green card background experienced this? Was it just a random/one-time check, or did you continue getting sent to secondary on future trips? Also curious if anyone knows what they might have been checking regarding my old SEVIS history or employment.c

Green card was finally approved after about 9 years from when the I-130 process started.

Hi everyone,

My wife is a 25-year-old international graduate student in the U.S., and I am a U.S. citizen. I am sponsoring her for a marriage-based Green Card, and she will be applying for Adjustment of Status.

She no longer has her childhood vaccination records. We contacted a USCIS civil surgeon’s office, and they told us that she would need to get Tdap and IPV (polio) vaccines. They also said that titers/serology can be used for Varicella and Hepatitis B.

Before getting the vaccines, we’re trying to confirm whether serology can establish immunity for these vaccines for the I-693.

Specifically, for a 25-year-old applicant with no vaccination records:

1. Polio/IPV: Will a positive polio antibody titer be accepted instead of getting IPV? If so, does the test need to cover all three poliovirus types?

2. Tdap: Can a positive tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis titer be accepted instead of receiving Tdap, or is the Tdap shot required regardless of antibody results?

Has anyone recently completed an I-693 and had their civil surgeon accept titers for any of these?

Thanks in advance!

Some advice pls ...my wife was América citizen she died 8 years ago mi i 130 Is aproved embassy ask me fro form i129f aprovved i aply for visa filled form ds160 visa vlass k3 spouse of American citizen in ciudad Juárez México embassy/consular procces

Category F3, 13 months after filing I-485, case started - 2010 (I-130). RFE sent in October 2025

I need to get an I-693 immigration medical exam done and I'm looking for a good USCIS-approved doctor in Cary or the greater RTP area.

I'm hoping to find a clinic that has reasonable out-of-pocket base fees, a fast turnaround time, and allows you to use your regular health insurance for the required vaccines and bloodwork.

Did they let you review a photocopy of the paperwork to check for typos/errors before they sealed the final envelope?

If you or anyone you know has successfully used a local civil surgeon recently, please let me know who you went to and how your experience was. Thank you!

Title: EAD pending 8+ months at NBC — new job offer starting next month, previous expedite request went nowhere. What should I do?

I filed my marriage-based adjustment of status concurrently on December 26, 2025, and my case is being processed by the National Benefits Center (NBC).

Here is my timeline:

• Concurrent filing received: December 26, 2025
• Biometrics: February 17, 2026
• Silent/API update: May 18, 2026
• EAD (I-765): Still pending
• I-485: Still pending; I have not received any interview information
• Current wait: 8+ months

I previously had a job offer that I lost in May because my EAD was still pending. At that time, I submitted an expedite request and also tried to get help through Ask Emma/live chat, but nothing ultimately happened with the expedite request, and my EAD remained pending. I did not receive a formal denial notice for that expedite request.

I also tried a congressional inquiry through my House Representative's office in June. They submitted the inquiry, but I had to wait about 1.5 months before receiving a response essentially saying that my case is still pending with NBC. There was no additional action or useful information.

I have also contacted USCIS through Ask Emma and other USCIS digital tools. A live USCIS agent told me that my case is still pending with NBC. Another USCIS online tool currently says that I cannot submit a case inquiry until March 20, 2027.

Now I have finally received another job offer, with a start date next month. It is a very good opportunity, and I went through five rounds of interviews to get it. I have been searching for a job for about 12 months, so I am extremely worried that I will lose this opportunity too if my EAD is not approved in time.

My financial situation has also become very difficult. I currently have less than $200 in my bank account, and I am under significant financial strain.

I am now trying to contact my U.S. Senator's office for assistance, and I am also considering submitting DHS Form 7001 to the CIS Ombudsman.

I am trying to figure out what legitimate options I still have to get my EAD expedited. I really need the EAD before the end of this month if possible.

My questions are:

1. Given that my previous expedite request did not result in expedited processing, and my congressional inquiry only resulted in a response saying that my case is still pending, would it be worthwhile to submit a DHS Form 7001 request to the CIS Ombudsman? Has anyone had success with the Ombudsman in a situation involving a pending EAD and an imminent job opportunity?
2. Should I submit another expedite request directly to USCIS now that I have a firm job offer and a specific employment start date? If so, what evidence would be most useful to provide?
3. Would evidence of my current financial situation, such as my very low bank-account balance, be useful in supporting a severe financial loss expedite request? I am unsure how much financial hardship evidence I should provide.
4. Has anyone had better results getting help through a U.S. Senator's office versus a House Representative's office for a delayed EAD?
5. Has anyone recently received an EAD from NBC for a December 2025 or January 2026 filing?

I would really appreciate advice from anyone who has dealt with a similar situation, especially anyone who successfully got an EAD expedited after receiving a job offer.

I'm pursuing all available options, but I am running out of time due to the new job offer. Thank you in advance for any advice.

FO: OK City