[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-310224-105":59,"doc-detail-310224-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","naturalization-the-oath-of-allegiance-waiver-for-persons-with-severe-disabilities-by-peggy-gleason","Naturalization - The Oath of Allegiance Waiver for Persons with Severe Disabilities - By Peggy Gleason","","This practice advisory addresses USCIS’s conflation of guidance on naturalization disability waivers covering the English/civics requirement with separate guidance for waiving the oath requirement for persons with disabilities. It explains the legal background shaped by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and two key statutory changes affecting English/civics and the oath of allegiance. The advisory outlines how the oath waiver is enacted, current USCIS guidance, and how it is distinct from the English/civics waiver, including the role of Form N-648.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/naturalization-the-oath-of-allegiance-waiver-for-persons-with-severe-disabilities-by-peggy-gleason/310224/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/naturalization-the-oath-of-allegiance-waiver-for-persons-with-severe-disabilities-by-peggy-gleason/310224.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Quinn","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-27","2026-09-20",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":44},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"Why does USCIS confusion occur regarding disability waivers in naturalization cases?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"USCIS added a question about oath waivers on the N-648 disability waiver form, leading to conflation with guidance for the separate English/civics disability waiver. The advisory emphasizes these are distinct waivers with different purposes and guidance histories.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How does Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 affect naturalization applicants with disabilities?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Section 504 increases access to government services by prohibiting disability-based discrimination in executive agency programs, including naturalization. It allows accommodations to modify processes but does not create exceptions to underlying legal requirements.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"When can the oath of allegiance be waived for severely disabled applicants?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"The oath waiver applies when a profoundly disabled applicant is unable to understand or assent to the oath, even with reasonable accommodations.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},310224,1790193261,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":44,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":44,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144,"preview_page_count":4},962075114765,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_a8503ba1806abce46bf441b54a3ca4cd","|  | | NATURALIZATION\u003Cbr>The Oath of Allegiance Waiver for Persons with Severe Disabilities\u003Cbr>By Peggy Gleason |  |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- |\n\nI. Introduction  \nRecently, USCIS has conflated guidance for naturalization disability waivers of English and civics with waivers of the oath requirement for persons with disabilities. The confusion stems from USCIS’s recent addition of a question on oath waivers on the N-648 disability waiver form. These are separate waivers with distinct purposes, legislative histories, and administrative guidance. This practice advisory will describe the enactment of the oath waiver and current USCIS guidance as well as describe the ways that it is distinct from a waiver of the English/civics requirement. 1 This advisory will not cover current guidance on the disability waiver of English/civics requirement in detail but will describe the inclusion of the problematic oath waiver question on the current revision of the N-648 form. For more information on the disability waiver, see ILRC, Practice Alert, October 2022 Changes to Form N-648 and to the USCIS Policy Manual.2  \nII. Background  \nCongress has enacted legislative changes in three major areas that impact naturalization applicants with disabilities. First, with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Congress increased access to all government services, including naturalization, by prohibiting discrimination against persons with disabilities in any program run by any Executive agency.3 Accommodations can modify the process or procedures for naturalization, but do not provide an exception to any of the legal requirements.4  \nSpecific accommodations in the naturalization process can include allowing very simplified language or nonverbal communication, allowing a relative to be present to attend the interview  \n1 For a review of the disability waiver of the English/civics requirement and changes to Form N-648 and USCIS Policy Manual published in 2022 see ILRC, Practice Alert, October 2022 Changes to Form N-648 and to the USCIS Policy Manual, [https://www.ilrc.org/sites/default/fi](https://www.ilrc.org/sites/default/fi)les/2023-02/Alert-October%202022%20 Changes%20to%20USCIS%20FORM%20N-648%20and%20to%20the%20USCIS%20Policy%20 Manual. pdf.  \n2 Id.  \n3 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Pub. L. 93-112, 87 Stat. 355, provides: “No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States …shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination …under any program or activity conducted by any Executive agency.” 29 U.S.C. § 794(a) .  \n4 More information on accommodations in naturalization can be found at 12 USCIS-Policy Manual (PM) C.3.  \nand assist in signing, or extending the examination time and breaks. Accommodations can apply at any stage of the naturalization process including the initial interview, the examination of English and civics, and during the oath of allegiance. Accommodations are not discretionary, because the law requires that the agencies shall provide their services to disabled individuals who are otherwise qualified for a benefit.5  \nBesides the modifications of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 for naturalization, there are also separate statutory exceptions that can impact applicants with disabilities. One is the specific exception that Congress passed in 1994 to the English and civics naturalization requirement for persons with a physical or developmental disability or mental impairment that causes them to be unable to learn or demonstrate knowledge of English and civics.6  \nIn addition, Congress in 2000 enacted an exception to the separate requirement of the oath of allegiance because some severely disabled persons were still unable to naturalize. The waiver of the oath of allegiance applies when a profoundly disabled applicant is unable to understand or assent to the oath, even with reasonable accommodations.7 ","cbCaig4W7OOmHTRa","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaig4W7OOmHTRa","pdf",205876,"English","# Introduction\n# Background\n## Disability waivers affecting English and civics\n## Waiver of the oath of allegiance\n# Disability waiver process and USCIS guidance","[{\"question\":\"Why does USCIS confusion occur regarding disability waivers in naturalization cases?\",\"answer\":\"USCIS added a question about oath waivers on the N-648 disability waiver form, leading to conflation with guidance for the separate English/civics disability waiver. The advisory emphasizes these are distinct waivers with different purposes and guidance histories.\"},{\"question\":\"How does Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 affect naturalization applicants with disabilities?\",\"answer\":\"Section 504 increases access to government services by prohibiting disability-based discrimination in executive agency programs, including naturalization. It allows accommodations to modify processes but does not create exceptions to underlying legal requirements.\"},{\"question\":\"When can the oath of allegiance be waived for severely disabled applicants?\",\"answer\":\"The oath waiver applies when a profoundly disabled applicant is unable to understand or assent to the oath, even with reasonable accommodations.\"}]","Naturalization - The Oath of Allegiance Waiver for Persons with Severe Disabilities - By Peggy Gleason | PDF",1789878236,23]