U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has clarified that effective March 31, 2023, immigration benefit requestors may select their gender on USCIS forms (or change a prior gender selection) without needing to provide supporting documentation for the selected gender. Documents issued by USCIS as a result of the benefit adjudication will reflect the benefit requestor’s gender selection.

In issuing this updated guidance, USCIS notes that “[r]emoving evidentiary requirements regarding gender markers better ensures that all secure identity documents and biographic data are accurate . . . it also removes the burden imposed by requiring that requestors have to publicly discuss or provide documentation regarding the gender listed on their identity documents in order to obtain a benefit or service.”

Currently, the only gender markers available are “Male” (M) or “Female” (F). The Department of Homeland Security is working on options to include an additional gender marker (“X”) for another or unspecified gender identity. USCIS will update its forms and the Policy Manual accordingly.