USCIS Announces Temporary Waiver of Sixty-Day Rule for Civil Surgeon Signatures

On December 9, 2021, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) published a policy alert [https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/uscis-temporarily-waiving-60-day-rule-for-civil-surgeon-signatures] temporarily waiving the requirement for civil surgeons to sign Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, no more than sixty days before an applicant files an application for the underlying immigration benefit (including Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status). This rule will remain in effect until September 30, 2022. This measure allows foreign nationals, with otherwise valid I-693s, to complete the application process without having to submit to further immigration medical examinations, even if the civil surgeon signed their I-693 more than sixty days before they file their application with USCIS.

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USCIS Announces COVID-19 Vaccination Required for Immigration Medical Examinations

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that effective October 1, 2021, COVID-19 vaccinations are required for immigration medical examinations which are a part of the green card application process. The Service has updated its policy guidelines to require that “applicants subject to the immigration medical examination must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before the civil surgeon can complete an immigration medical examination and sign Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record.”

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CDC Adds Covid-19 Vaccine to List of Required Immunizations for Green Card Applicants

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced that beginning October 1, 2021, foreign nationals submitting green card applications must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The Covid-19 vaccination was added to the list of vaccinations already required for those seeking permanent residency in the U.S. either by applying for Adjustment of Status if the applicant is in the U.S. or Consular Processing abroad. According to the CDC, applicants “must complete the COVID-19 vaccine series and provide documentation of vaccination to the civil surgeon in person before completion of the medical examination.”

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USCIS Temporarily Extends Validity Period of Form I-693 Medicals

On August 12, 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) published an alert that temporarily extends the validity period of a report of Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record (“form I-693”) from two years to four years. The decision was made in an effort to expedite the adjudication of employment-based Form I-485, Application to Register to Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, by the last day of the government’s fiscal year which is September 30, 2021. It will not apply to cases adjudicated after September 30, 2021, unless the Service extends the validity of the medicals again.

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USCIS: Revised Policy Guidance for the Validity Period of Form I-693, Medical Examination and Vaccination Record

US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced they are revising their policy concerning the validity period of Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, which is used to determine whether an applicant for an immigration benefit is inadmissible under the health-related grounds of inadmissibility. The updated policy, effective November 1, 2018, will require applicants to submit a Form I-693 that is signed by a civil surgeon no more than sixty days before filing the underlying application for an immigration benefit.

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