U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a significant update to Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, by introducing a third gender option, “X,” effective April 1, 2024. This change reflects USCIS’s commitment to inclusivity and recognizes the diverse gender identities within the applicant community.
Applicants filing the revised Form N-400 will now have the option to select “X” as their gender, acknowledging their identity as “Another Gender Identity.” Additionally, individuals with pending Form N-400 applications filed before April 1, 2024, can request to update their gender to “X” following specified procedures.
While USCIS works on updating other forms to include the “X” gender option, Form N-400 is currently the only USCIS form offering this choice. USCIS-issued naturalization certificates will be the first secure identity documents to reflect the gender “X” until additional forms are updated.
Importantly, applicants are not required to provide supporting documentation for selecting the “X” gender option initially or for changing their gender selection on Form N-400. This policy aims to remove barriers and streamline the process for individuals whose gender identity does not conform to traditional binary classifications.
USCIS’s decision to introduce a third gender option follows the March 2023 update allowing gender self-selection on USCIS forms, demonstrating a broader effort to enhance accessibility while upholding identity verification standards and preventing fraud.
Source: USCIS
