United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has recently made significant updates to its policy regarding the validity period of Form I-693, the Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record. In an announcement made earlier this month, USCIS declared that any Form I-693 properly completed and signed by a civil surgeon on or after November 1, 2023, will no longer have an expiration date and can be utilized indefinitely as evidence to demonstrate that the applicant is not inadmissible on health-related grounds. Pertinent information from the announcement includes:
USCIS has determined that the evidentiary value of a Form I-693 should not be restricted by a specified timeframe if it meets the criteria of proper completion and has been signed by a civil surgeon on or after the specified date. However, USCIS officers retain the discretion to request additional evidence or a new or updated Form I-693 if they have reason to believe that the applicant's medical condition has changed since the civil surgeon's signature, or if they suspect that the submitted Form I-693 does not accurately reflect the applicant's medical condition.
Immigration medical examinations conducted before November 1, 2023, the previous policy remains applicable. In such cases, a properly completed Form I-693 signed by a civil surgeon before November 1, 2023, retains its evidentiary value for a period of two (2) years from the date of the civil surgeon's signature.
This policy update does not extend to Forms I-693 filed by Operation Allies Welcome parolees. Their Forms I-693 maintain their evidentiary value for three (3) years from the date of the civil surgeon's signature, in line with established policy and in consultation with the CDC.
Should you have any further questions about your immigration medical examination, or other inbound U.S. immigration matters, please do not hesitate to contact Blaker and Granet LLP.
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