There is a lot about the immigrantion system that seems pretty strict and straightforward. However, there is some leniency offered to those who qualify. For example, for immigrants currently residing in California or elsewhere, there are requirement exceptions and accommodations that may be made when applying for citizenship and naturalization.
For numerous immigrants, the language barrier can be a significant concern when it comes to getting through the citizenship application process. It is certainly intimidating to have to go through testing if the English language is still a struggle. There are those, though, who may be exempt from the language testing. To qualify for this, one must either be 50 years of age or older and must have lived in the United States as a permanent resident for at least 20 years, or be 55 year of age or older and lived in the country as a permanent resident for a minimum of 15 years.
There are also many immigrants who may qualify for disability exceptions or accommodations. The appropriate medical form will have to be signed by a licensed medical provider and filed with one’s application. One’s legal counsel will be able to provide specific details about the available accommodations for those with physical and/or mental disabilities.
Applying for citizenship and naturalization can be a stressful process. Thankfully, for some individuals, exceptions, modifications or accommodations may be made which can certainly make the process a little easier to handle. Immigrants residing in California who believe that they qualify for requirement exceptions can seek the assistance of legal counsel in order to get more information about this and to ensure that the proper forms for any available accommodations are submitted with their applications.
Source: uscis.gov, “Exceptions & Accommodations“, Accessed on Sept. 14, 2016
