USCIS Temporarily Extends Validity Period of Form I-693 for Green Card Applications
On August 12, 2021, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it is temporarily extending the validity period of the Form I-693 medical examinations that are submitted during the green card application from two years to four years. Applicants applying for Adjustment of Status (green card applications) are required to submit a medical examination to demonstrate that they are not inadmissible for certain health-related conditions.
Until September 30, 2021, the USCIS will consider the medical examination valid if:
The medical examination was signed by the USCIS designated civil surgeon no more than sixty (60) days of filing the green card application;
The medical examination was submitted to USCIS within the last four years; and
The USCIS has made a final decision on the green card application on or before September 30, 2021
What this means for our clients:
The USCIS’ temporary extension of the validity period is to address the COVID-related processing delays in adjudicating the green card applications and the difficulty for applicants to complete the medical examinations during the pandemic. The USCIS is currently prioritizing employment-based green card applications to maximize visa numbers before the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2021. To avoid further delay in processing these green card applications, the USCIS is extending the validity of the medical examinations to four years to allow USCIS to adjudicate pending green card applications without having to issue a Request for Evidence (RFE) for updated medical examinations. Applicants who have submitted the medical examination either with the initial green card application or in response to a previously issued RFE within the last four years will likely not have to complete another medical examination if their applications can be adjudicated before the end of the fiscal year.