Major change for Green Card applicants: USCIS says old medical reports can't be reused after a denial, details here
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has changed the validity rules for Form I-693, a mandatory document that proves applicants meet health-related requirements
- Jun 13, 2025,
- Updated Jun 13, 2025 9:39 AM IST
A quiet but critical policy shift by U.S. immigration authorities may now force thousands of immigrants in the United States to redo medical examinations tied to their Green Card applications. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has changed the validity rules for Form I-693, a mandatory document that proves applicants meet health-related requirements.
As per the latest USCIS update, Form I-693, the “Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record,” signed by a civil surgeon on or after November 1, 2023, is valid only while the application it was filed with is under review. If that application is withdrawn or denied, the I-693 becomes invalid and cannot be reused.
The rule applies immediately and affects all applications pending or submitted on or after June 11, 2025.
Under the updated guidance, if a foreign national submits Form I-693 along with Form I-485 (used to apply for lawful permanent resident status), but later withdraws or is denied, they must obtain a new I-693 if they apply again. The I-485 process allows immigrants to seek a Green Card from within the U.S., without returning to their home country.
The change marks a reversal of USCIS’s earlier policy from April 4, 2024, which had allowed an indefinitely valid I-693 form, a rule now deemed too broad and a potential threat to public health. The agency said the new restriction “ensures that foreigners get timely and proper medical examinations and treatment.”
In a related move, USCIS clarified that documentation of COVID-19 vaccination is no longer required for adjustment-of-status applicants. Following the CDC’s March 11, 2025, directive, the COVID-19 shot was removed from the list of required vaccinations. USCIS had already stopped issuing requests for COVID-related documentation as of January 20, 2025.
Until the official I-693 form is updated, civil surgeons are advised to either strike out the COVID-19 section or mark it “N/A.” If all other vaccination requirements are met, they may indicate “Applicant completed vaccination requirements.”
A quiet but critical policy shift by U.S. immigration authorities may now force thousands of immigrants in the United States to redo medical examinations tied to their Green Card applications. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has changed the validity rules for Form I-693, a mandatory document that proves applicants meet health-related requirements.
As per the latest USCIS update, Form I-693, the “Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record,” signed by a civil surgeon on or after November 1, 2023, is valid only while the application it was filed with is under review. If that application is withdrawn or denied, the I-693 becomes invalid and cannot be reused.
The rule applies immediately and affects all applications pending or submitted on or after June 11, 2025.
Under the updated guidance, if a foreign national submits Form I-693 along with Form I-485 (used to apply for lawful permanent resident status), but later withdraws or is denied, they must obtain a new I-693 if they apply again. The I-485 process allows immigrants to seek a Green Card from within the U.S., without returning to their home country.
The change marks a reversal of USCIS’s earlier policy from April 4, 2024, which had allowed an indefinitely valid I-693 form, a rule now deemed too broad and a potential threat to public health. The agency said the new restriction “ensures that foreigners get timely and proper medical examinations and treatment.”
In a related move, USCIS clarified that documentation of COVID-19 vaccination is no longer required for adjustment-of-status applicants. Following the CDC’s March 11, 2025, directive, the COVID-19 shot was removed from the list of required vaccinations. USCIS had already stopped issuing requests for COVID-related documentation as of January 20, 2025.
Until the official I-693 form is updated, civil surgeons are advised to either strike out the COVID-19 section or mark it “N/A.” If all other vaccination requirements are met, they may indicate “Applicant completed vaccination requirements.”