USCIS temporarily extends the validity period of Form I-693
As of August 12, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is temporarily extending the period of validity for the Form I-693, Medical Examination Report and Immunization Record, from two years to now four years due to processing delays related to COVID-19.
USCIS may consider a completed Form I-693 valid if:
- The civil surgeon's signature is dated no more than 60 days before the applicant submitted the Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status;
- No more than four years have passed since the date of the civil surgeon's signature; and
- A decision on the applicant's Form I-485 is issued on or before September 30, 2021.
We are making this temporary change because COVID-19 has caused processing delays and affected applicants' ability to complete the required immigration medical exam. Previously, we considered a completed Form I-693 to remain valid for two years after the date the civil surgeon signed, as long as the date the civil surgeon signed was no more than 60 days before the applicant filed. an adjustment of status.
USCIS is on track to approve more applications for adjustment of status based on employment than it has made since fiscal year 2005. We have prioritized applications for adjustment of status based on employment during each step of their processing and adjudication this year. fiscal. We continue to make resource allocation and processing decisions to increase the pace of adjudications and limit the potential for employment-based visa numbers to go unused.
If you are applying for an adjustment of status to that of a lawful permanent resident with USCIS (also known as applying for a green card), file the Form I-693, Medical Examination Report and Immunization Record,together with the Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. Doing so may eliminate the need for us to issue a Request for Evidence (RFE, by their, by their, by their, by their, and helps avoid adjudication delays).
For more information, see the USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 8, Admissibility, Part B, Health-Related Grounds of Inadmissibility, Chapter 4, Review of Medical Examination Documentation.
