New rule of medical examination for green card applicants from June 11: All you need to know
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that it was making an immediate policy change for green card applicants, keeping in mind the issue of public health.
The previous policy was introduced just over a year ago, but now the new rule will be applicable from June 11. What is the new rule? Every new application for a green card requires a new medical examination form. Suppose an application was withdrawn or rejected earlier. The new application of the same person would now require a new medical examination form. But per the existing rule, the medical form remained valid for indefinite time.
"Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, signed by a civil surgeon on or after Nov. 1, 2023, is only valid while the application the Form I-693 was submitted with is pending. If the application a Form I-693 was submitted with is withdrawn or denied, that Form I-693 is no longer valid. This guidance is effective immediately and applies to applications pending or filed on or after June 11, 2025," the USCIS said.
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"Most aliens subject to health-related grounds of inadmissibility must have an immigration medical examination to demonstrate they are not inadmissible. In general, aliens applying to adjust status must submit Form I-693 to show they are free from any conditions that would render them inadmissible under the health-related grounds of inadmissibility. We may require an alien who would otherwise not be required to undergo an immigration medical examination to submit a Form I-693 as a matter of discretion, if the evidence indicates that there may be a public health concern," the department said.
USCIS said in April 2024, this policy was updated to make the validity of the medical report indefinite but now it seems that this policy could potentially threaten public health in the United States. "We have since determined that the April 4, 2024, policy is overly broad and could potentially threaten public health in the United States. 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 USCIS said.
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