Now Must Submit Form I-693 Together with Form I-485

Are you applying for U.S. Lawful Permanent Residency within the United States via Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust State and must submit a fully or partially completed I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record?

If so, as of December 2, 2024, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requires these I-485 applicants to include the signed and sealed Medical Examination at the time of filing their I-485 or risk I-485 rejection. Previously, the signed and sealed Medical Examination could have been submitted after filing the I-485- ex. included in a response to an unrelated I-485 Request for Evidence (RFE) or Notice of Intent to Deny, at an I-485 interview (if applicable), or included in a response to a specific USCIS I-485 further request. The update to include the signed and sealed Medical Examination at the time of filing Form I-485 intends to make the processing and adjudication of the Form I-485 more efficient.

Form I-693 consists of a medical examination that is to be completed by a USCIS Civil Surgeon- a medical professional approved by USCIS to conduct medical examinations for individuals applying for U.S. immigration benefits. The adjudication of Form I-693 relates to the health related grounds of inadmissibility (see here for further information).

To find a USCIS Civil Surgeon, please visit the USCIS tools webpage to begin your search. You may wish to contact several USCIS Civil Surgeons to find an acceptable price.

Furthermore, I-485 applicants are generally required to obtain certain vaccines (unless "excused" by the USCIS Civil Surgeon or the I-485 applicant will apply for and obtain an I-601 waiver for the required vaccine). The complete list of required vaccines is posted on the USCIS Vaccination Requirements webpage. It is important to note that since January 22, 2025, the COVID-19 vaccine is no longer a required vaccine and USCIS will not be able to deny any I-485 application on the basis of not providing documentation of said vaccine.

To learn more about the process of completing the Form I-693, please refer to the I-693 instructions. Additionally, a blank PDF of the Form I-693 can be obtained and downloaded through this USCIS Forms page.

***Please keep in mind that this blog posting is for educational purposes only (i.e., to give you general information and a general understanding of this immigration related matter); this blog posting does not provide specific legal advice and does not form an attorney-client relationship.***

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