For the interim, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is no longer requiring the civil surgeon to sign Form I-693 (also known as the Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record) no more than 60 days before an applicant files a request for the underlying immigration benefit. The temporary waiver will be effective until the 30th of September 2022.
Reason for the waiver
The temporary waiver should help applicants that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and any related processing delays that have made it difficult to complete mandatory immigration medical examinations.
By allowing applicants to submit their application for an immigration benefit with an accomplished Form I-693, even if the civil surgeon signed over 60 days prior, affected individuals can complete their application process without going through another immigration medical examination. The same thing applies if Form I-693 is otherwise valid.
Who can benefit from this waiver?
The waiver is expected to benefit many types of applicants, including Afghan nationals who evacuated under Operation Allies Welcome and have completed their immigration medical examinations at government-run facilities yet were unable to apply for adjustment of status within 60 days of completing their examination.
Immigration attorneys Brooklyn can help you find out if the temporary waiver applies to you.
Things to remember
To safeguard the US public, Adjustment of Status applicants are required to submit a medical examination signed by a civil surgeon designated by the Department of Homeland Security. Currently, the medical grounds for inadmissibility include having a communicable disease that can risk public health, a mental or physical disorder that makes you do harmful behavior, drug addiction or abuse, and failure to show proof of required vaccinations.
Even with this 60-day waiver, the USCIS recommends having your medical examination as close to your adjustment filing date as possible. That’s because the examination will only be valid for two years.
Consult a lawyer immigration in NY to stay updated on any changes that may affect your case.
