The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency recently revealed updates to its disability exceptions form.
Form N-648, Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions, has been made shorter and simpler, the agency said in an Oct. 29 news release.
“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,” USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou said in the release.
Among the changes, questions about how a disability affects specific functions of the applicant’s daily life, including the ability to work or go to school, have been eliminated, according to the release.
Applicants for naturalization who suffer from a physical or developmental disability or mental impairment that precludes them from fulfilling the English and civics testing standards are able to file Form N-648 to request an exception to the requirements. A medical professional must fill out the form and certify it, the release reported.
The change fits into the Biden administration's goal of removing barriers to obtaining legal immigration status, according to the release. The updates comply with Executive Order 14012, Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans.
Besides being simplified and shortened, telehealth guidelines have also been implemented to further remove barriers for applicants and medical professionals, the release reported.
