U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced significant updates to Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, including a major policy shift regarding the form’s validity and the release of a new edition that becomes mandatory on July 3, 2025. These changes will impact how to prepare and file adjustment and other benefit applications requiring Form I-693.
In general, foreign nationals applying for adjustment of status are required to submit a Form I-693 to show they are free from any conditions that would render them inadmissible under the health-related grounds of inadmissibility.Additionally, other foreign nationals applying for immigration benefits that require admissibility may be required to submit a Form I-693 if the evidence suggests there may be a public health concern.
On April 4, 2024, USCIS updated the Policy Manual to provide that a Form I-693 properly completed and signed by the civil surgeon on or after November 1, 2023 did not expire, and could be used as evidence to show that an alien is not inadmissible on health-related grounds for the purpose of any future immigration benefit application.
Key Policy Change: Application-Specific Validity of Form I-693
As of June 11, 2025, USCIS has revised its guidance to limit the validity of Form I-693 to the specific immigration benefit application with which it was originally submitted. This marks a departure from prior policy, which allowed reuse of certain medical exams (if signed by the civil surgeon on or after November 1, 2023) for future filings.
Highlights of the New Policy:
- Single-Use Requirement: Form I-693 is now valid only for the immigration benefit application (e.g., Form I-485) it accompanied when filed.
- New Form Required for New Application: If a subsequent immigration application requires a medical exam, a new Form I-693 must be completed and submitted.
- Invalidation Upon Denial or Withdrawal: If the benefit application is denied or withdrawn, the associated Form I-693 becomes invalid and cannot be reused.
- Exception – Rejected Applications: The change does not apply to rejected filings. If USCIS returns a rejected application package with the I-693 envelope opened, the same form may be resubmitted with a new package, provided it includes the opened I-693 and supporting documentation, along with the rejection notice. Any issues with such refilling’s can be reported to the USCIS Lockbox at: lockboxsupport@uscis.dhs.gov.
New Form I-693 Edition Effective July 3, 2025
On June 2, 2025, USCIS announced a new edition of Form I-693, dated 01/20/2025. Beginning July 3, 2025, USCIS will only accept the 01/20/2025 edition. Until that date, both the 03/09/2023 and 01/20/2025 editions are acceptable.
Important Note
Ensure that the edition of Form I-693 corresponds to the date it was signed by the civil surgeon, not the date the form is filed with USCIS.
HSD Immigration Lawyer will continue monitoring these developments and provide updates as necessary. If you have any questions about this update, please contact one of our offices in Chicago, IL, Naperville, IL, Raleigh, NC, or Clark, NJ, for guidance.
At HSD Immigration Lawyer, we specialize in complex employment-, investment- and family-based immigration matters.