sapient critters, shapechange, and missions Options

[wylie]

simple question (I hope)

after searching the forums, the only postings I found boiled down to how the spell(s) was interpetted by THAT GM, and pettiness between 2 posters

I am looking at playing a sapient critter in the New York Missions and was wanting to use Shapechange spell for it so, at times, it could go out in public without causing a major attraction fest.
As this will be on the official level, not a home game, I would like the Devs ruling, or someone like playtester in the know, on whether this is legal. Maybe what players have seen at conventions even

i am not worried about God, animal classications, and whatever else bogged down the other blog.

I just want a basic answer so I know if I can finish the character and get it ready for NY, or if i need to plan on a metahuman race

the official rules from the NY character creation and transfer guide:
Can I be a (fill in the blank)?
Due to the campaign structure, we have restricted certain
play options. Drakes, the Infected, Shapeshifters, Free Spirits,
and AI are not allowed for player characters. Sapient critters,
Metavarients, and Changelings are all allowed, as well as the
options in the core rulebook.

and does anyone what the chances of a Missions GM allowing a custom spell, that similates the shapechange (or just the critter spell) so the sapient criiter can assume a metahuman shape for a limit time?

thank you for any and all help provided