What is the modified oath?

The modified oath is the version of the Oath of Allegiance that omits the promises to bear arms and to perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces; it is available under 8 CFR section 337.1(b) to applicants whose religious training and belief prohibit any form of military service.

The standard oath contains six promises: renunciation of foreign allegiance; support and defense of the Constitution and laws against all enemies foreign and domestic; true faith and allegiance; bearing arms when required; noncombatant service in the Armed Forces when required; and work of national importance under civilian direction when required. The modified oath retains the first three and the last (so the applicant still promises to perform civilian service of national importance) while dropping the two military promises.

The modification is available only to applicants who can demonstrate that the objection is based on religious training and belief in the broad sense recognized in United States v. Seeger (1965) and Welsh v. United States (1970), which extended the accommodation to sincere ethical or moral convictions held with the force of religion. Some applicants, depending on the depth of their objection, may also seek further modification removing the civilian-service clause; this requires showing that the objection extends to all forms of national service, not just military.

The modified oath was added by Congress through Public Law 82-414 (the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952) and has been administered by USCIS and its predecessor agency, the INS, ever since. Otherwise the ceremony, the certificate, and the legal effect of the oath are the same as for applicants who take the standard text.