USCIS Revises Form I-693 Validity Policy

Validity of Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record Extended

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it is extending the validity period of Form I-693 Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record beginning November 1, 2018.

Effectively, this changes how USCIS evaluates inadmissibility on health-related grounds.

Policy Changes

The policy change requires applicants to complete their immigration medical examination within 60 days of the date of filing for the underlying benefit application. The form will remain valid for a two-year period following the date the civil surgeon signed it. USCIS states that this change extends the period of validity while officers adjudicate the benefit application. Because the civil surgeon who signs off on Form I-693 must do so much closer to the date of filing, USCIS is tying the validity of the form more closely to the underlying application. USCIS hopes this will reduce delays in adjudicating applications since their officers will have to request fewer updated Form I-693s.

Though USCIS intends for this policy to maximize the period Form I-693 is valid, it reserves the discretion of its officers to request new Form I-693s and other medical documents if they have reason to believe an applicant is inadmissible on health-related grounds.

The period of validity for Form I-693 has not changed, however. It will remain valid for two years as before.

Form I-693 Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record

Form I-693, or Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, is required to ensure the applicant is not in violation of the Immigration and National Act 212(a)(1). Specifically, the applicant must prove they do not have a communicable disease of public health significance, have received vaccinations against vaccine-preventable diseases, do suffer from certain physical or mental disorders which has posed or may pose a threat to health or safety of the applicant or others. Otherwise, the officer will determine the applicant to be inadmissible on health-related grounds.

To fill out the I-693, the applicant must be evaluated by a civil surgeon, who must adhere to Technical Instructions published by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

For Further Information

USCIS has recently changed their policy on public charge grounds for inadmissibility.

This blog post does not serve as legal advice and does not establish any client-attorney privilege. Do not take any action based on the information contained in this post without consulting a qualified immigration attorney. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our legal team directly.

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This information comes from AILA Doc. Nos. 18101671 and 18101673.