Changes in Vaccination Requirements for Immigrant Visa Applicants
Effective October 1, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Technical Instructions for Panel Physicians require that all immigrant visa applicants receive a full series of COVID-19 vaccinations as part of their medical examination before they are issued a visa. The CDC requires that the COVID-19 vaccine be approved through the World Health Organization (WHO) or the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
General exemptions for COVID vaccination will apply in countries where the vaccine is not routinely available or where the vaccine is not age appropriate. The Department of State encourages all immigrant visa applicants to get vaccinated against covid-19 as soon as possible so as not to experience delays in processing their visa.
The CDC announcement can be found at the following link: https://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/panel-physicians/covid-19-technical-instructions.html.