Beginning Aug. 12, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is temporarily extending the validity period for Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, from two years to now four years due to COVID-19-related delays in processing.
USCIS may consider a completed Form I-693 as valid if:
- The civil surgeon's signature is dated no more than 60 days before the applicant filed 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 Sept. 30, 2021.
USCIS is making this temporary change because COVID-19 has caused processing delays and affected applicants' ability to complete the required immigration medical examination. Previously, USCIS considered a completed Form I-693 to retain its validity for two years after the date the civil surgeon signed, as long as the date of the civil surgeon's signature was no more than 60 days before the applicant filed for adjustment of status.
USCIS is on track to approve more employment-based adjustment of status applications than it has since FY 2005.? The agency has prioritized employment-based adjustment of status applications during every step of its processing and adjudication during this fiscal year. USCIS has pledged to make processing and resource allocation decisions to increase the pace of adjudications and limit the potential for employment-based visa numbers (*under the quota system) to go unused.
If you are applying for adjustment of status to that of a lawful permanent resident with USCIS (also known as applying for a Green Card), please file Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, together with Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. Doing so may eliminate the need for USCIS to issue a Request for Evidence (RFE) and helps avoid adjudication delays.
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