U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is removing the requirement that civil surgeons sign Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, no more than 60 days before an individual applies for an underlying immigration benefit, including Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. The requirement had been subject to a temporary waiver since Dec. 9, 2021.

This policy update will allow USCIS to adjudicate cases with immigration medical examinations that would previously have been considered invalid. Rather than issuing Requests for Evidence (RFEs) for Form I-693 signed more than 60 days before the filing of the I-485, but otherwise valid, we will be able to accept these Forms I-693 for adjudicative purposes for up to 2 years after the date the civil surgeon signed the form.

Applicants, civil surgeons, USCIS officers, federal partners, and other stakeholders have consistently expressed concern that this requirement is confusing and necessitates RFEs to be issued for otherwise valid Forms I-693. While the 60-day rule was intended (PDF, 168.6 KB) to enhance operational efficiency and reduce the need to request updated Forms I-693 from applicants, in practice these efficiencies have not been realized.

Civil surgeons no longer have to sign Form I-693 no more than 60 days before the underlying application for an immigration benefit is filed.

USCIS is publishing this change in policy in the policy manual consistent with the updated Form I-693 approved by OMB.

For more information, see the policy alert (PDF, 322.12 KB). Visit our Policy Manual Feedback page to comment on this update.