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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) plays a significant role in the processing of employment-based visas, and USCIS wants to ensure the center uses as many available visas as possible in fiscal year (FY) 2022, which ends on Sept. 30, 2022.  

Release Date 

08/12/2021

Beginning Aug. 12, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is temporarily extending the validity period for Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, from two years to now four years due to COVID-19-related delays in processing.

USCIS may consider a completed Form I-693 as valid if: 

Release Date 

12/09/2021

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is temporarily waiving the requirement that the civil surgeon sign Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, no more than 60 days before an applicant files an application for the underlying immigration benefit (including Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status), until Sept. 30, 2022.  

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed rule on the removal of HIV infection from its list of communicable diseases of public health significance - As of now with respect to the above proposed rule the Chicago Field Office has not received any guidance from HQ. Hence the office will not hold such applications in suspension until further notice.

USCIS will accept the I-693 medical exam form with the 06/05/08 revision date, in spite of the 08/31/09 expiration date. This will continue till OMB approves the revised form.

As of Jan. 22, 2025, USCIS has waived any and all requirements that applicants for adjustment of status to that of a lawful permanent resident present documentation on their Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, that they received the COVID-19 vaccination. USCIS will not issue any Request for Evidence or Notice of Intent to Deny related to proving a COVID-19 vaccination.

Please check the attached document to read USCIS memo on timeframe to respond to RFEs on provisional unlawful presence waiver requests.

This Policy Memorandum (PM) restates the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) revocation policy.

Release Date 

05/07/2024

Effective April 1, 2024, USCIS centralized the intake process of Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant, and related filings under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) for self-petitioning abused spouses, children, and parents at the Nebraska Service Center.

This Policy Memorandum (PM) temporarily extends the validity of civil surgeon endorsements on Form I-693 for adjustment of status applicants. Comments are due 1/30/12.

Release Date:

04/04/2024

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced (PDF, 317.28 KB) that any Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, that was properly completed and signed by a civil surgeon on or after Nov. 1, 2023, does not expire and can be used indefinitely as evidence to show that the applicant is not inadmissible on health-related grounds.

Release Date 

06/12/2024

USCIS is issuing  guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual that interprets that the confidentiality protections under 8 U.S.C. 1367 end at naturalization, which will allow naturalized U.S. citizens previously protected under 8 U.S.C. 1367 (specifically, Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self-petitioners and those seeking or with approved T and U nonimmigrant status) the ability to fully access e-filing and other customer service tools.

Release Date 

12/02/2024

USCIS now requires certain applicants filing Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, to submit Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, with their Form I-485 or the Form I-485 may otherwise be rejected.

Form I-693 is normally valid for a period of one year from the date it was signed by the civil surgeon. In accordance with USCIS policy, in any case that is adjudicated on or before September 30, 2013, the officer will accept as valid a Form I-693 that was signed more than one year before the date of the adjudication of a pending adjustment of status or temporary residence application if the following conditions are met:

• Form I-693 was included with the initial filing of the adjustment of status or temporary residence application; and

As stated by The New York Times, the House on Thursday gave final approval to a renewal of the Violence Against Women Act, sending a bipartisan Senate measure to President Obama after a House plan endorsed by conservatives was defeated.

To read more on this news story click here

Yesterday, President Obama signed a bill that both strengthened and reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).  

For more on this news visit this link

Release Date 

05/05/2025

BURLINGTON, Vt. – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services provided valuable assistance to the investigation that led to the conviction of an Indian citizen for submitting a fraudulent immigration application.

Release Date 

06/11/2025