N-648 Medical Certification for Disabled Exceptions

Since starting at Project Citizenship, one of my main roles has been working with applicants and their doctors to complete form N648 Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions. The N648 is for applicants who have a disability that prevents them from learning English and/or civics.

 

Our practice at Project Citizenship is to require applicants to submit the N648 to us before we schedule them for an appointment to fill out the N400. This way, we can review the form and work with the applicant’s doctor to make any necessary revisions.

 

The most common section needing revision is on page 4, section 10, “clearly describe how the applicant’s disability and/or impairment(s) affect his or her ability to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of English and/or civics.” Often doctors will use this section to state that an applicant’s disability hinders or affects the ability to learn English and/or civics. However, we have found that N648s are most successful when doctors state in section 10 that the applicant is unable, or that it is impossible for the applicant, to learn English and/or civics.

 

The back and forth with doctors and applicants in pursuance of an adequate N648 can be time consuming. I’ve attached the annotated version of the N648 which we provide to doctors to aid the completion of the form.

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