This article originally reported the April 4, 2024 policy that gave Form I-693 indefinite validity. USCIS reversed that policy on June 11, 2025 (Policy Alert PA-2025-08). Your Form I-693 is now valid only for the specific immigration benefit application it was submitted with, and only for as long as that application is pending. The indefinite-validity rule described in the original story is no longer in force.
In the realm of U.S. immigration, keeping abreast of the latest procedures and requirements is crucial, not just for applicants but also for legal advisors and immigration services. One key component in the immigration process is the Form I-693, also known as the Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record. Its validity rules have changed twice in as many years: USCIS granted the form indefinite validity in an April 4, 2024 policy alert, then withdrew that indefinite validity in Policy Alert PA-2025-08 on June 11, 2025. Here is what the rule is today, and how it got here.
Free toolI-94 Expiration Calculator OnlineWhat Is Form I-693?
Form I-693 plays a pivotal role in the immigration process, serving as evidence that an applicant is not inadmissible to the United States on health-related grounds. It’s a mandatory step for non-citizens applying for immigration benefits, such as adjusting their status to become lawful permanent residents. This form must be completed by a designated civil surgeon to certify that an individual has received all necessary vaccinations and does not have any medical conditions that would make them inadmissible under U.S. immigration law.
The Rule Today: Validity Is Tied to One Pending Application
Under the current USCIS Policy Manual, a properly completed Form I-693 signed by a civil surgeon on or after November 1, 2023 can only be used as evidence that you are not inadmissible on health-related grounds for the entire period that the immigration benefit application it was submitted with is pending. USCIS describes this as limiting validity to the instant benefit application or request, so that the medical examination and vaccination results do not reflect outdated findings.
Three consequences follow directly from that language, and they are the part readers most often get wrong:
- The form does not expire on a calendar date. There is no 2-year clock on a post-November 2023 exam. As long as the application it was filed with is still pending, the form stays valid.
- It is not open-endedly valid. Validity ends when the application ends. If USCIS denies your application or you withdraw it, the Form I-693 is no longer valid.
- It does not carry over to a different application. You cannot reuse a Form I-693 from a previous, closed case. If you file a new immigration benefit application that requires proof of health-related admissibility, you need a newly completed and signed Form I-693.
USCIS also confirms validity at the moment of decision, not at the moment of filing. One of the criteria an officer applies to the burden of proof is that USCIS confirms the Form I-693 is valid when it issues a decision on the underlying application.
How the Rule Changed: A Short Timeline
- Signed before November 1, 2023: A properly completed Form I-693 retains evidentiary value for 2 years from the date of the civil surgeon’s signature. That rule is unchanged.
- April 4, 2024 (PA-2024-09): USCIS announced that a Form I-693 signed on or after November 1, 2023 did not expire and could support any future immigration benefit application. This is the policy the original version of this article reported.
- December 10, 2024: USCIS published a revised Form I-485 that requires applicants to submit Form I-693 at the time they file, rather than in response to a Request for Evidence.
- June 11, 2025 (PA-2025-08): USCIS concluded the April 2024 policy was overly broad and could threaten public health, for example where an applicant did not follow up on recommended tuberculosis treatment. It limited validity to the pending application the form was filed with. The change was effective immediately and applies to requests pending on or filed after that date.
One narrow exception survives. For certain Afghan nationals who arrived in the United States during Operation Allies Welcome, USCIS, in consultation with the CDC, treats the documentation of the immigration medical examination as valid indefinitely as long as certain conditions are met.
What Does This Mean for Applicants?
If your adjustment of status case is moving normally, the practical effect is mild: your Form I-693 will not go stale underneath you while USCIS works through the queue. The risk sits at the edges of the process.
The applicants who need to pay attention are the ones whose case does not end in approval. If your Form I-485 is denied, or you withdraw it, or you decide to refile under a different category later, the medical exam you already paid for is spent. Budget for a second civil surgeon visit rather than assuming the sealed envelope in your files is still good. USCIS itself acknowledged this group in PA-2025-08 and estimated the impact as small, but small is not zero.
It is also worth remembering that valid is not the same as unquestionable. Even where a Form I-693 is valid under the rules above, a USCIS officer retains discretion to request further evidence or a new or updated Form I-693 if the officer has reason to believe the applicant’s medical condition has changed since the civil surgeon signed, or that the form does not accurately reflect the applicant’s condition. Accurate and honest reporting at the exam remains the foundation of the whole process.
For More Information
The controlling text is USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 8, Part B, Chapter 4, under the heading “Evidence, Validity, USCIS Discretion, and Burden of Proof.” USCIS states plainly that the guidance in the Policy Manual is controlling and supersedes any related prior guidance, so the Policy Manual, not an older news story or an older policy alert, is the source to check before you book a medical exam.
Summary
Form I-693 has no expiration date in the traditional sense if a civil surgeon signed it on or after November 1, 2023, but that is not the same as being valid forever. Since June 11, 2025, its validity runs only for the life of the specific application it was filed with. Pending case, valid form. Denied or withdrawn case, dead form. New application, new exam. Forms signed before November 1, 2023 still carry the older 2-year rule. Staying informed and prepared is key, and in this instance that means checking the Policy Manual rather than relying on the 2024 headlines.
This Article In A Nutshell:
USCIS gave Form I-693 indefinite validity in April 2024, then reversed course on June 11, 2025. Today a medical exam signed on or after November 1, 2023 is valid only for the application it was submitted with, and only while that application is pending. If the case is denied or withdrawn, you need a new exam for any future filing. Exams signed before November 1, 2023 remain valid for 2 years.
– By VisaVerge.com
