The US immigration department has introduced the ‘third gender’ option ‘X’, which stands for ‘Another Gender Identity’, in its Form N-400, or the Application of Naturalisation, for the first time.
The option will be available for applicants filing the April 1, 2024 edition of the form, which deals with the ‘Application for Naturalisation’ for immigrants, on or after April 1, 2024, as per the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website.
Candidates selecting ‘X’ as their gender or changing their selection once the option is introduced are not required to provide documentation supporting their claims, the website clarifies.
In addition to this, applicants who have pending Form N-400 and are using the previous edition may request for their gender to be updated on or after April 1, 2024. “For all other forms, individuals must wait until USCIS revises those forms to include the X gender option,” the website said in a release on Monday.
This is, however, not the first time that the US has introduced the third gender option in its documents. The US Department of State had started issuing passports with the ‘X’ gender marker starting April 11, 2022.
“Historically, USCIS forms and associated documents have only offered two gender options: ‘Male (M)’ and ‘Female (F).’ This has created significant barriers for requestors who do not identify with either of those options. Limiting benefit requestors to two gender options also creates administrative challenges for USCIS when we receive birth certificates or other official government-issued documents with a gender other than M or F,” a statement by the USCIS read.
It added: “Adding a third gender option helps ensure that secure identity documents and biographical data are accurate and helps both external stakeholders and individuals requesting immigration benefits. It is also consistent with federal and state agencies that have adopted a third gender option, such as the U.S. Department of State’s expanded passport services to offer gender X in their application.”
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