What Is the 65/20 Rule? Who Can Take the 20-Question Test in Vietnamese?

The 65/20 rule is for people who are 65 or older and have lived in the U.S. as a Green Card holder for at least 20 years as of the date they file Form N-400. People who qualify are exempt from the English test, only need to study 20 special civics questions, are asked 10 of them, pass with 6 correct, and may take the test in Vietnamese with an interpreter they bring.

The 20 in 65/20 is the number of years with a Green Card, not the number of questions. Besides 65/20, there are two other English exemptions, 50/20 and 55/15. This article explains all three so you can compare them easily.

Who qualifies for the 65/20 rule

• Age 65 or older on the date you file Form N-400.
• Living in the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident (Green Card holder) for a total of at least 20 years as of the filing date.

Both conditions are measured at the time of filing, not at the interview. For example, if you file at age 64 and turn 65 before your interview, you still do not qualify for 65/20.

How the test works under 65/20

• You are exempt from the English test, including speaking, reading, and writing.
• You still take the civics test, but only need to study the 20 questions USCIS marks with an asterisk (*).
• The officer asks 10 of those 20 questions. At least 6 correct answers is a pass.
• You may take the test in the language of your choice, such as Vietnamese.

Which 20 questions you study depends on your filing date. If you filed before October 20, 2025, study the 20 starred questions from the 2008 test. If you filed on or after October 20, 2025, study the 20 starred questions from the 2025 test.

50/20 and 55/15: no English test, but the full question list

This is a common point of confusion. The 50/20 and 55/15 exemptions also waive the English test and also allow the civics test in Vietnamese. However, only 65/20 applicants get the special 20-question test. People under 50/20 or 55/15 still study the full question list for their filing date.

• 50/20: age 50 or older and living in the U.S. as a Green Card holder for at least 20 years as of the filing date.
• 55/15: age 55 or older and living in the U.S. as a Green Card holder for at least 15 years as of the filing date.

If you qualify under 50/20 or 55/15 and filed on or after October 20, 2025, you take the 2025 test: study 128 questions, be asked up to 20, and pass with 12 correct. If you filed before that date, you take the 2008 test: study 100 questions, be asked up to 10, and pass with 6 correct.

Testing in Vietnamese: you must bring your own interpreter

If you take the civics test in Vietnamese, you must bring your own interpreter to the interview, at your own expense if there is any cost. According to USCIS, the interpreter needs to meet the following.

• Be fluent in both English and Vietnamese.
• Translate word for word between the officer and you, without adding personal opinions, commentary, or answers.
• Sign an interpreter oath and a privacy release, and submit a copy of a government-issued ID at the interview.
• Preferably be someone with no personal interest in your case.

If the officer is fluent in Vietnamese, the officer may conduct the interview in Vietnamese.

Not in any group, but health makes testing impossible?

People with a physical or developmental disability or a mental impairment that prevents them from learning or testing in English, civics, or both may request an exception with Form N-648. The condition must have lasted, or be expected to last, at least 12 months.

Form N-648 must be completed and signed by a medical doctor, a doctor of osteopathy, or a clinical psychologist licensed in the United States. It is generally submitted together with Form N-400.

Requesting an exception is different from requesting an accommodation, such as extra time or a sign language interpreter. An accommodation does not waive the test, it only changes how you take it.

What to do next

First, work out your age and years with a Green Card as of your filing date, and see which group you fall into. Then study the right set: the 20 starred questions if you qualify for 65/20, or the full 100 or 128 questions if you qualify for 50/20, 55/15, or none of these.

Every case is different. If you are not sure whether you qualify, ask an immigration attorney or a Department of Justice recognized organization before you file.