US Citizenship Options For Elderly Applicants - Medical & Exam Waivers

I frequently receive calls from the adult children of US permanent residents (i.e. green card holders) who want to know how their parent can become a US citizen if the parent cannot study for the English history test and / or does not speak English very well. I have created an article for you on the two most common scenarios that I answer weekly in my US Immigration Law Office of Lena Korial-Yonan, P.A.:

1. My mom is eligible for US citizenship because she has had the green card for 5 years, and she does not have extensive travel or any criminal issues. The problem is that she does not speak or read English and cannot study for the history test. Any solution?

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USCIS has specific rules that relate to an applicant's age and how long they have had the green card that can exempt them from having to take the US English History test and also exempt them from passing the interview portion of the N-400 as well as the reading and writing exam. Please see the next question for more details on this.

However, here the applicant has had the green card for only 5 years and so the only solution is to see whether the applicant is eligible for a medical disability waiver. A medical disability waiver is completed by a US licensed general medical doctor, licensed clinical psychologist or other specific doctor on USCIS form N-648, Medical Certification for Disability Exemptions. The form must be completed a specific way and with specific wording / answers before USCIS will approve the medical waiver. The doctor, in order to complete the medical disability form, must give your parent, the N-400 applicant, a test to determine whether he or she can learn or remember basic things. This test can include having to recite basic information just explained to your parent and may also include basic exams having your parent place a circle object with circle object, etc.

Applicants with dementia or Alzheimer's, for example, are eligible to file form N-648, Medical Disability Waiver, which states that because of their mental limits, they cannot study for the US history test. A major limitation for eligibility under form N-648 is that the resulting mental disability cannot be a result of drug use.

Our immigration law office has successfully completed medical waivers prepared by licensed doctors of applicant's own choosing for the mental conditions of dementia, Alzheimer's and schizophrenia. Please note that these cases are being mentioned are examples and in no way guarantee that your case will have similar results for both the mental conditions listed and for the USCIS district that you will file citizenship with. Please contact an experienced immigration lawyer of your choosing for a detailed analysis of your own specific case.

Although our immigration law office does not have any doctor(s) that we recommend for completion of Form N-648, we will let you know if a particular type of doctor can complete the form on your behalf. We also review the Form N-648 for completeness, as USCIS is strict in the language that they require from the licensed medical doctor in order for the US citizenship applicant to be approved. If the Form N-648 is approved by the US Immigration Officer, then the US citizenship applicant does not have to take any test in order to have their form N-400 approved and be sworn-in.

Also, at least in the USCIS district office located in Jacksonville Fl, we usually file a copy of the Form N-648 with the N-400 application, and we bring the original N-648 with us to the N-400 interview. You may of course provide the original N-648 in your initial filing if you wish. Just be sure to keep a copy of the form N-648, as it is not uncommon for USCIS to require a few changes to the form N-648 before your case can be approved.

2. My mom is 65 years old and she has resided in the US as a green card holder for over 20 years. Does she still have to take the English test, etc.?

No, your mom has to take a modified version of the civics test in her language of choice. She does not have to take the reading or writing test. The N-400 interview, which includes reviewing the details of the N-400 and asking whether your mom has ever been arrested, files US taxes, etc. is completed with the help of the translator that your mom brings with her to the N-400 interview. She must bring her own translator with her to the N-400 interview so that the translator can translate the civics questions in your mom's best native language.

The age qualifications that exempt applicants from the English, reading and writing tests are as follows:

· 65 years and has resided in US as a green card holder for 20 years or more.
· 55 years old and has resided in the US as a green card holder for 15 years or more.
· 50 years old and has resided in the US as a green card holder for 20 years or more.

Again, Applicants that meet one of the above categories must only take the civics test in their language of choice.

I hope that the above provides some answers to the questions asked of me weekly in my immigration law office of Lena Korial-Yonan, PA. by the adult children of elderly parents who have had the green card for 5 years and now want to become US citizens.

US Citizenship Options For Elderly Applicants - Medical & Exam Waivers

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Medical Applications of Lasers

Different kinds of lasers have different uses when in comes to the field of medicine, the convenience and ease that these gadgets provide are a definite leap when it comes to the advancement of healing, surgery and cure.

A common incorrect notion is that basic high power green lasers have the application for healing or treating small cuts and notch. The fact is, if the laser is powerful enough, the only thing it can do is cauterize if not bum it, this actually reduces the possibility of infection but when it bums the area, there could be more harm than good that it can do.

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Now another wonder in the field of lasers is that infrared laser pointers provide advancement in the treatment of soft tissue injuries like bruises and strains which can be called bio-stimulation. With bio-stimulation, infrared lasers are able to penetrate below the skin and vitalize cellls which enhances the process of microcirculation, inflammation, immune response and reduction of pain.

These are a few of the new breakthroughs that has touched the field of lasers:

Surgery: Back in the day, when the word surgery is mentioned, the first thing that comes into mind is the shiny stainless blade cutting through the skin, but nowadays lasers provide a bloodless and germ free wound when it penetrates through the skin. The total and highly accepted accepted of lasers in surgery is that it dramatically reduces if not irradicates the risk for infection thus speeding up the process of healing.

Tattoo Removal: There was a time when the average joe who would have his tattoo removed would suffer the scarring and loss of the skin's integrity. Thanks to the new technology that these lasers provide, pulsed versions provide short but intense burst of lights through the skin that goes to the pigment of the tattoo. In the process the pigment is broken down and removed naturally through the use of the body's immune system. Tattoo removal has never been these easy, it removes the tediousness of the process and better yet, you would know that when you decide to remove or change your tattoo, your skin would stay scar-free, intact and healthy.

Acne: Pimples or acne is 30% fat in composition, therefore when fat is removed, there is a big possibility of acne reduction. Lasers can break down the specific chemical bonds in the fat that is found in acne, these process allows the body to absorb that fat that has been broken down.

Laser Acupuncture: These eastern alternative form of medicine has a lot of benefits to the human body, yet to some, the thought of having your body pierced by needles just doesn't cut it and sometimes becomes a scary rather than a healing experience. Lasers give a non invasive method to practice these eastern form of alternative medicine. What lasers do is that it stimulates acupuncture pressure points in soft tissue injuries and provides pain relief for acute and chronic pain.

Cancer: Although a lot of controversy has risen when it comes to the benefits of lasers, doctors and medical practitioners alike claimed the many significant progress that lasers contribute to the treatment of cancer specially in areas where conventional medicine and methods have proven futile. As of the moment researches has yet to be explored to further support the claims of benefit that these lasers provide.

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Medical School Applications Can Be Filled Out Online

Getting into a good US Medical School can be an overwhelming process but now you can fill out your medical school applications online. This means that from one central website, you can fill out medical school applications for several of the schools at one time. You do not have to sit and fill out form after form anymore. Many students are relieved to have a place to go and fill out the paperwork in one place.

Once you have completed your undergraduate studies and completed your medical school admissions test, it is time to submit your applications. Hopefully you kept a high class rank, studied the sciences and did well on your medical school admissions test. The American Medical College Application Service is located on the Internet. From this website you can fill out your applications for one or even several schools of your choice. The majority of the US medical schools accept applications through this service. Your information is stored and you do not have the arduous task of filling out applications over and over.

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The American Medical College Applications Service is not the only place on the Internet to fill out your medical school applications. You can also go the websites for each of the medical schools and find their application forms on the Internet. Typically there is a filing fee or processing fee for the forms but this can be paid online as well. One option to save time is to store all of your information in a word processing file on your computer. This way you can just simply copy and paste your repeated information such as demographics, personal information and so forth into the forms. You will find that the majority of the forms ask for the same information.

Part of the medical school applications require that you write a personal essay. Put some thought and time into this essay. Write it in a word processing program that will check for basic grammar and spelling errors. Prior to submitting the essay have a friend, co-worker or relative read the essay and offer suggestions. You can also hire someone to proof-read the essay and fine tune it for grammar and punctuation. It is important that the essay submitted is tight and demonstrates your command for the English language as well as show your uniqueness and qualifications. Once you are satisfied with your essay, save it on the computer and make a back-up copy as well. You do not want to have to start from scratch if something happens to your computer. You can then copy and paste the same essay for each of the medical school applications that you submit.

Take advantage of filing your medical school applications online. This will save you a great deal of time and make the entire process less overwhelming. Additionally, go ahead and type out information that is asked for repeatedly so that you can simply copy and paste into the forms. Have someone review your essay and help you make it the very best that you can. Following these tips will make the entire process much easier for you.

Medical School Applications Can Be Filled Out Online

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