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Download Do you want to become a French citizen? You'd better know what slam poetry is. That was the experience of a US immigrant to France who I recently read about in the New York Times. She had to take a French culture and history test, which is mandatory for those who apply for French citizenship. One question she was asked, among other bizarre questions, was: "Is slam poetry a collective activity?" Luckily, she knew the answer and passed her test. The story highlights the frustrating experience of many expatriates in France who are seeking French citizenship. They will be required not only to prove French-language proficiency equivalent to that of a 15-year-old native speaker, but they also will be tested on subjects that are sometimes random and mystifying. But the good news is that French Interior Minister Manuel Valls, who himself is an immigrant from Barcelona, Spain, is planning to scrap such tests and make changes to the "random and discriminatory" procedures enacted by former French president Nicolas Sarkozy. Valls said the aim of the move is to end "the arbitrariness of current immigration policies" without necessarily making broad concessions to illegal immigration. What's more encouraging is that he is also considering replacing the one-year renewable residence permit for foreign residents with a three-year residence authorization. Although there has yet to be a draft legislation submitted to the French Parliament, the move by the government has been welcomed by immigrants, foreign students and employees in France. | 
