Navigating Naturalization: Understanding Form N-648 Medical Disability Exception, English Exemptions, and other Accommodations
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay. Becoming a U.S. citizen is a significant milestone, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offers various provisions to ensure the naturalization process is accessible to individuals with disabilities. This includes the Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions (Form N-648), English language exemptions, and disability accommodations. Find out more in our blog post.
What is Form N-648?
Form N-648, Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions, is a crucial document used by individuals seeking an exemption from the English language, civics requirements, or both, due to a physical or developmental disability or mental impairment. While it's generally submitted with your Application for Naturalization (Form N-400), USCIS may accept it even after your naturalization application has been filed, but doing so may subject your application to higher scrutiny.
It's important to distinguish an N-648 exception from an accommodation. An exception exempts an applicant from the English or civics requirements entirely, whereas an accommodation simply modifies how an applicant meets these requirements. You can request both an N-648 exception and a reasonable accommodation if both are necessary.
Recent Changes to Form N-648
USCIS has recently revised Form N-648 to streamline the process. Several questions have been removed, including:
Dates of diagnosis and when the disability or impairment began.
Description of the severity of each disability or impairment.
Effects on the applicant's daily life.
An explanation of the doctor-patient relationship.
Additionally, telehealth medical examinations are now permitted for Form N-648. The updated form also allows the medical professional to attest to the need for an oath waiver, potentially eliminating the need for separate medical documentation.
General Requirements for Form N-648
Form N-648 must be completed by an authorized medical professional, such as a medical doctor, doctor of osteopathy, or clinical psychologist. It should be completed no more than 180 days before you file your naturalization application and the medical professional must:
Conduct an examination of the applicant.
Identify and describe each physical or developmental disability or mental impairment impacting the ability to learn English or civics.
Explain how each disability or impairment prevents the applicant from learning or demonstrating knowledge of English, civics, or both.
Attest that the condition has lasted or is expected to last at least 12 months.
Attest that the cause of the condition is not related to the illegal use of drugs.
All questions on the form must be answered fully and accurately; incomplete information may lead to the form being deemed insufficient. Ensure all required signatures (applicant, medical professional, and interpreter if applicable) and dates are complete before submission.
English Language Exemptions Without an N-648
Certain applicants may be exempt from the English language requirement without needing to file Form N-648:
50/20 Exception: If you are age 50 or over at the time of filing and have been a permanent resident for at least 20 years.
55/15 Exception: If you are age 55 or over at the time of filing and have been a permanent resident for at least 15 years.
Even with these English language exemptions, you must still take the civics test. You can take the civics test in your preferred language, but you must bring an interpreter fluent in both English and your chosen language to the interview.
For those age 65 or older and a permanent resident for at least 20 years at the time of filing, you are exempt from the English language requirement and receive special consideration for the civics test, studying from a reduced set of 20 questions.
Source: USCIS Fact Sheet.
Disability Accommodations
A disability accommodation is a modification to USCIS practices or procedures that enables a qualified individual with a disability to participate in programs and activities and access benefits. These accommodations can be made at any stage of the naturalization process.
Examples of accommodations include:
Taking an oral test instead of a written one for those unable to use their hands.
Providing a sign language interpreter for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing at USCIS-sponsored events.
Allowing nonverbal responses for those unable to speak.
Conducting interviews at home or a medical facility for individuals unable to travel to a USCIS location due to a disabling condition.
To request an accommodation, you can visit uscis.gov/accommodations to make an online request or call the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283 (TTY 1-800-767-1833). It is advisable to make your request as soon as you receive your appointment notice to allow USCIS to be prepared and potentially avoid rescheduling. More information on disability accommodations can be found at uscis.gov/accommodationsinfo.
Understanding these provisions can help individuals with disabilities navigate the naturalization process more smoothly. For further details, you can refer to the official USCIS Fact Sheet on Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions or contact the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833). For more information, please check out the USCIS Fact Sheet on Medical Disability Exception, Exemptions and Accommodations.
We have over a decade of immigration experience, let us help you you and your family turn your American Dream into reality. Please contact us to set up a consultation to see how we can help. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tumblr and TikTok, for up-to-date immigration news.
RELATED CONTENT:
Torregoza Legal PLLC is the law firm for immigrants, by immigrants. We are founded on the motto of LegalEase: we do away with the legal jargon and make law easy to understand, so you can focus on what’s important to you – going for your American Dream.
Contact us at (888) 445-7066 or info@legalease.us. Find us on social media as @LegalEaseUS. || http://legalease.us/
This website and blog constitute attorney advertising. Do not consider anything on this website or blog legal advice as the law is dynamic, particularly in the immigration field and nothing in this website constitutes an attorney-client relationship being formed. Set up a one-hour consultation with us before acting on anything you read here. Past results are no guarantee of future results and prior results do not imply or predict future results. Each case is different and must be judged on its own merits.