(PatriotNewsDaily.com) – Starting Monday, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has introduced an “X” gender option on Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, marking a significant step in recognizing diverse gender identities. This update allows immigrants to select “Another Gender Identity,” making it the first USCIS form to include a non-binary gender option.
The USCIS acknowledged that previously offering only “Male (M)” and “Female (F)” options presented difficulties for individuals not identifying with these categories and posed administrative challenges, particularly when encountering official documents listing other gender identities. The inclusion of a third gender option aims to improve the accuracy of identity verification and aligns with other federal and state entities that recognize a third gender, such as the U.S. Department of State’s inclusion of a gender X in passport applications.
While the N-400 is currently the sole form with this option, USCIS is planning to revise additional forms to incorporate the third gender choice. Applicants selecting the “X” gender will not be required to submit documentation to support their gender identity choice, and it doesn’t have to correspond with other legal documents like birth certificates or passports.
However, choosing the “X” gender may necessitate a visit to a Social Security office to update citizenship status or obtain a new Social Security card, as the Social Security Administration adapts to recognize the third gender.
The USCIS communicated that this initiative aligns with broader efforts to accommodate self-identified gender markers, aiming to reduce the barriers previously encountered due to stringent evidentiary requirements for changing gender markers on immigration documents. This move follows feedback received from a public input request in April 2021, which highlighted the need for more inclusive options in immigration processes.
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