U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has extended the temporary waiver of the requirement that a civil surgeon’s signature on Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, be dated no more than sixty days before the date it is accepted by USCIS. Pursuant to the extension, Form I-693 dated more than sixty days prior to USCIS acceptance will remain acceptable until March 31, 2023.
Form I-693 is required for applicants seeking to adjust status from within the United States to become lawful permanent residents. The form is signed by a civil surgeon following a medical exam to establish that an applicant is not inadmissible to the United States on public health grounds.
Normally, USCIS considers a completed Form I-693 to be valid for two years from the date of the civil surgeon’s signature, but only if it is received and accepted by USCIS within sixty days of the civil surgeon’s signature (commonly referred to as the “sixty-day rule”).
Due to processing delays related to the COVID-19 pandemic, USCIS previously waived the sixty-day rule until September 30, 2022. On September 29, 2022, USCIS extended the waiver until March 31, 2023.
The temporary waiver of the sixty-day rule applies to all Forms I-693 submitted with applications that have not yet been adjudicated, regardless of when an application was submitted.
Ogletree Deakins’ Immigration Practice Group will continue to monitor developments with respect to these and other policy changes and will post updates on the Immigration blog as additional information becomes available. Important information for employers is also available via the firm’s webinar and podcast programs.
