Validity of Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record (Form I-693)

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SUBJECT: Validity of Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record (Form I-693)

Purpose
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating policy guidance in Volume 8, Part B of the USCIS Policy Manual regarding the period of time during which a Form I-693 submitted in support of a related immigration benefits application1 is considered valid. This policy is controlling and supersedes any prior guidance on the topic.

Background
Form I-693 is used by USCIS officers in determining whether an applicant for an immigration benefit in the United States is inadmissible under the health-related grounds of inadmissibility.2 USCIS designates civil surgeons in the United States to conduct immigration medical examinations and record the results on Form I-693.3 Federal statutes and regulations do not prescribe the validity period of Form I-693; rather, USCIS historically has established the validity period by policy. USCIS is now updating the way the current maximum 2-year validity period is calculated to enhance operational efficiencies and reduce the need to request updated Form I-693 from applicants.4 This policy is effective November 1, 2018.5
Policy Highlights
• A Form I-693 is valid only when a civil surgeon signs it no more than 60 days before the date an applicant files the application for the underlying immigration benefit; and USCIS adjudicates the application within 2 years from the date of the civil surgeon’s signature.
Citation
Volume 8: Admissibility, Part B, Health-Related Grounds of Inadmissibility [8 USCIS-PM B].

1 For example, an Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Form I-485).
2 See INA 212(a)(1).
3 Civil surgeons must perform the examinations according to Technical Instructions published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
4 The new policy requires applicants to complete their immigration medical examinations closer in time to the filing of the underlying benefit application. This effectively increases the period of time Form I-693 will remain valid while USCIS adjudicates the benefit application, thereby reducing the need for USCIS to request updated medical reports. As always, officers still have the discretion to request an updated Form I-693 and other medical documentation if they have reason to believe a medical inadmissibility may exist.
5 However, some Form I-693 submitted to USCIS before November 1, 2018 may be subject to the previous validity
period policy, as explained more fully in the Policy Manual.

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