US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued new policy guidance today to clarify and align with the revision of Form N-648, Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions.
In keeping with President Biden’s Executive Order 14012, Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans, Form N-648 has indeed been shortened and simplified, and new telehealth guidelines further remove barriers for applicants and medical professionals. The form revisions are also in response to Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial and Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, which aims to remove barriers for underserved populations. Public comments and feedback received in response to a Federal Register notice regarding the form, as well as a Request for Public Input (RPI), Identifying Barriers Across USCIS Benefits and Services, both published in April 2021, guided the changes.
“This is a wonderful example of how USCIS is listening to the public it serves in order to better address their needs, while fulfilling our responsibilities as an agency,” said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou. “The changes made to Form N-648 are yet another way in which USCIS is removing barriers to naturalization, in accordance with President Biden’s Executive Order 14012 and EO 13985.”
Naturalization applicants who have a physical or developmental disability or mental impairment that prevents them from meeting the English and civics testing requirements for naturalization may file Form N-648 to request an exception. A medical professional must complete and sign the form.
Based on public feedback, updates to Form N-648 lessen costs on applicants and the agency by removing questions and phrases that are no longer useful or are repetitive. The deletion of questions about how each relevant handicap impacts certain tasks of the applicant’s daily life, such as the capacity to work or attend school, is one of the most noticeable changes. The modifications to the form also remove the dates of diagnosis, a description of the severity of each condition, and whether the certifying medical practitioner had a prior contact with the applicant. Furthermore, the form change permits the medical professional to declare an applicant’s need for an oath waiver, removing the requirement for separate medical paperwork. The updated policy also provides guidance for telehealth medical examinations and allows USCIS to accept applicant’s Form N-648 after they file Form N-400, Application for Naturalization.
