USCIS: Form I-693 Medical Exam Has Unlimited Validity for Post-Nov 2023 Signings

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that any Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, signed by a civil surgeon on or after November 1, 2023 is now valid indefinitely. This change eliminates the previous expiration window that required many green card applicants to undergo costly and time-consuming repeat medical examinations. The policy shift was made in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and is rooted in advances in public health electronic notification. Because civil surgeons are now required to share certain medical data with the CDC electronically, USCIS determined that the evidentiary value of newer Form I-693 filings no longer needs to be time-limited. For EB-3 applicants, this is a meaningful development. Those in long-priority-date backlogs — particularly nationals of India and China who may wait years between their medical exam and final green card adjudication — will no longer need to obtain a new I-693 solely because time has passed. This reduces out-of-pocket costs and administrative burden during what is often an already lengthy process. Applicants whose medical examinations were completed before November 1, 2023 are subject to the prior two-year validity rule. An exception applies to Operation Allies Welcome parolees, whose pre-November 2023 forms retain evidentiary value for three years from the civil surgeon's signature date. USCIS officers retain discretion to request updated or new medical evidence if they have reason to believe an applicant's health condition has changed or that the submitted form does not accurately reflect current medical status. Applicants should consult the USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 8, Part B, Chapter 4 for full guidance.