USCIS issued updated guidance on 13 June 2025 on Form N-648, the medical certification that lets an applicant with a disability be excused from the English test, the civics test or both. The guidance took effect at once and covers naturalisation applications and N-648 forms filed on or after that date.
Key facts
- What Tighter review of Form N-648
- From Applications filed on or after 13 June 2025
- Who Applicants seeking a disability exception to the English or civics test
- Key point The form must link the condition to the inability to meet the requirement
What changed
The form must still be completed by a medical professional, and the condition must have lasted, or be expected to last, at least 12 months. What is new is the emphasis: the professional has to explain how the physical or developmental disability or mental impairment actually prevents the applicant from meeting the English or civics requirement. USCIS states that having a disability is not, on its own, enough. The agency also says it will pay closer attention to whether certifications are truthful, and that filing more than one N-648 at the same time may raise doubts about the claim and lead to further review.
The guidance does not change the tests themselves. Applicants whose N-648 is not accepted will normally be expected to take the English and civics tests at the interview. Separate age-based rules still exempt some long-term permanent residents from the English test, but not from civics.
What this means
If you plan to rely on a disability exception, speak to the doctor or psychologist completing the form about the need to explain the link between your condition and the test, not just to name the diagnosis. File one complete form rather than several. Because an exception can be refused, it is sensible to prepare for the civics test anyway, using the list that matches your filing date. Read the USCIS exceptions and accommodations page and the Form N-648 page for the current instructions, and keep a copy of everything you send.