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US green card rule change: New medical form needed each time you apply
Now, you will have to re-submit your medical form each time you apply for green card. In a fresh move by the Donald Trump administration, the US has changed the rules for green card applicants. From now on, the medical form submitted with an application—Form I-693—will no longer remain valid if that application is denied or withdrawn. You'll need a new one each time you apply.
The new rule came into effect immediately after a notification from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on June 11, 2025.
'Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, signed by a civil surgeon on or after November 1, 2023, is only valid while the application the Form I-693 was submitted with is pending,' said USCIS. 'If the application a Form I-693 was submitted with is withdrawn or denied, that Form I-693 is no longer valid.'
This update applies to all applications pending or filed on or after June 11, 2025.
What changed and why?
Until now, applicants were allowed to reuse their medical forms indefinitely, as long as they were completed after November 1, 2023. This policy was introduced in April 2024 to help applicants avoid delays or repeat visits to civil surgeons.
But in its latest notification, USCIS said this approach was 'overly broad' and could 'potentially threaten public health.'
'By limiting the validity period to only the current immigration benefit application or request, we ensure that aliens get timely and proper medical examinations and treatment, which safeguards public health,' the agency added.
Other green card changes under Trump
USCIS has made several other changes to green card processing over the last year:
1. Social media disclosure proposal
• Announced in March 2025
• Would require green card, asylum, refugee and naturalisation applicants to list social media handles
• Open for public comment until May 5, 2025
2. Hold on asylum and refugee green cards
• Started in late March 2025
• Processing paused for extra fraud and security reviews
3. Covid??'19 vaccine no longer required
• USCIS stopped issuing RFEs or NOIDs related to Covid-19 vaccination from January 20, 2025
• The CDC removed COVID-19 from the required vaccine list on March 11, 2025
4. Extended green card validity for renewals
• Since September 10, 2024, green cards are automatically extended for 36 months while Form I??'90 renewal is pending
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