United States – New Guidelines for Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) requires the submission of the Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, from individuals applying for U.S. Permanent Resident status.  USCIS uses this form to make sure that individuals requesting immigration benefits are not inadmissible to the U.S. on public health grounds.

USCIS confirmed that effective April 4, 2024, any Form I-693 signed by a U.S. civil surgeon on or after November 1, 2023, does not expire and is deemed to have indefinite validity.¹  Forms I-693 signed before November 1, 2023, continue to retain evidentiary value for two years after the date the civil surgeon signed the form, regardless of when the underlying application for immigration benefits was submitted.²  

This update marks a material change to the prior policy, which limited validity of the Form I-693 after the surgeon’s signature.

The recent policy update to provide indefinite validity to Forms I-693 signed on or after November 1, 2023, was made to ease the significant USCIS backlog in processing times, decrease the administrative buden on applicants, and align USCIS processing procedures with modern U.S. public health surveillance systems.³  

Despite the indefinite validity of Forms I-693 signed on or after November 1, 2023, USCIS officers may request that applicants provide updates if their health status is in question, underlining the importance of accurate, complete, and honest reporting on the form.⁴

USCIS requires the submission of the Form I-693 to confirm that applicants are not inadmissible to the U.S. on public health grounds.

The main reasons include:

− Public Health Safety: The Form I-693 is used to screen applicants for communicable diseases of public health significance in order to prevent the spread of disease within the United States.

− Vaccination Compliance: The Form I-693 also collects vaccination information of the applicant.  This is to make sure that the applicant has received all required vaccinations for preventable diseases, as recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).⁵

− Assessment of Physical and Mental Health: Information pertaining to the applicant’s physical and mental health, which includes substance-related disorders, is also collected to identify any medical disorders that might require attention and could affect the applicant’s eligibility to receive immigration benefits.

Overall, the purpose of the form is to verify that the applicant applying for the immigration benefits is medically eligible and does not pose a risk to the health of the U.S. public. 

The change in policy introduces a degree of flexibility around Forms I-693 signed on or after November 1, 2023, which is welcome news for immigration counsel, employers sponsoring foreign workers for Permanent Residence, and individuals applying to adjust status to Permanent Resident.  Stakeholders also need to bear in mind that Forms I-693 signed prior to November 1, 2023, still have limited validity.

If there are questions or concerns, they should be addressed to a qualified immigration attorney or a member of the KPMG Immigration team with KPMG Law LLP in Canada (see the Contacts section).

1  See the “Policy Alert” page on the USCIS website.

2  Ibid.    

3  Ibid.    

4  Ibid.    

5  Ibid.

* Please note the KPMG International member firm in the United States does not provide immigration or labour law services. However, KPMG Law LLP in Canada can assist clients with U.S. immigration matters.

The information contained in this newsletter was submitted by the KPMG International member firm in the Untied States.