This article was prepared with the assistance of ABIL, the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers, of which Loan Huynh, Fredrikson Immigration Department Chair, is a member.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on March 31, 2023, that it is removing the requirement that civil surgeons sign Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, no more than 60 days before an individual applies for an underlying immigration benefit, including Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. The requirement had been subject to a temporary waiver since December 9, 2021.
USCIS said that this policy update will allow it to adjudicate cases with immigration medical examinations that previously would have been considered invalid. Rather than issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE) in the case of a Form I-693 signed more than 60 days before the filing of the I-485, but otherwise valid, USCIS can now accept I-693s for adjudicative purposes for up to two years after the date the civil surgeon signed the form.
