Immigration Equality Welcomes USCIS’s Self-Selection of Gender Marker Policy

New York, NY (April 5, 2023)—On Trans Day of Visibility, March 31st, USCIS updated its policy on gender markers, allowing trans and nonbinary people to self-attest their gender.

Statement from Connor Leighton-Cory, Staff Attorney, Immigration Equality:

“We are thrilled that USCIS is joining a growing number of agencies that allow people to update their gender marker through self-attestation. Under the prior policy, trans and nonbinary individuals faced evidentiary burdens to prove their gender. This created multiple barriers to accessing accurate identity documents, which impacted their ability to work, travel, and simply navigate society with some measure of safety. We are optimistic about this new policy and look forward to working with USCIS as they introduce an additional gender marker option beyond the binary of male and female.”