News from USCIS: medical records now must be sent with I-485

[Dragonsarereal 14]

My Google alerts let me know of this change which applies to some petitioners but not others. Not sure exactly when this applies either. 
 

USCIS Now Requires Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record to be Submitted with Form I-485 for Certain Applicants

Release Date 

12/02/2024

We now require 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.

Applicants for adjustment of status generally must complete an immigration medical examination and all required vaccinations and submit a properly completed Form I-693 signed by a civil surgeon to show they are free from health conditions that would render them inadmissible under the health-related grounds.

If you are required to submit Form I-693, or a partial Form I-693 (such as the Vaccination Record), you must submit it with your Form I-485. Otherwise, we may reject your Form I-485. We have revised the Form I-485 instructions to make filing the two forms together a requirement.

We have made this change to reduce the number of Requests for Evidence we issue before adjudicating a Form I-485.

Additional information on the immigration benefits that require an immigration medical examination and vaccinations, and whether a civil surgeon or panel physician should conduct the immigration medical examination is available in Vol. 8, Part B, Chapter 3 - Applicability of Medical Examination and Vaccination Requirement of the USCIS Policy Manual.

[OldUser 6,769]

Thank you for sharing, I already posted this in normal AOS forum:

 

 

It doesn't apply to K-1 who had DS-3025 completed with all vaccinations. If they have incomplete vaccinations, yes, they'd have to submit I-693 with AOS.

[Dragonsarereal 14]

9 minutes ago, OldUser said:

Thank you for sharing, I already posted this in normal AOS forum:

 

 

It doesn't apply to K-1 who had DS-3025 completed with all vaccinations. If they have incomplete vaccinations, yes, they'd have to submit I-693 with AOS.

 

thank you, ours are incomplete and we did three more vaccines in the USA.

[OldUser 6,769]

6 minutes ago, Dragonsarereal said:

 

thank you, ours are incomplete and we did three more vaccines in the USA.

Have you filed I-485 yet?

[K1visaHopeful 2,836]

If you read the I693 instructions, you'll clearly see that K1s are exempt as they have completed a overseas medical and have proof with a complete DS3025.

 

Ensure you've read all form instructions before completing them or assuming or posting please as it can confuse newbies.

 

This is for OTHER AOS applicants who USED TO be able to submit their I693 when either requested later by RFE or brought to interview.

 

Why have they done this? Because they've now extended the validity for the I693. It used to be valid for two years while the wait for GC was longer so it made no sense to do your medical right away. 

However, none of that applies to a K1 with a complete medical.

 

Ensure you understand what a complete medical is. 

If it's marked complete and IS complete, you're good to go. Provide a photocopy of your complete DS3025 with your application. 

 

Only one vaccination of each series is required for immigrants. Just because you WANT a complimentary dose to complete a series doesn't mean you NEED one for immigration to make your DS3025 compete. 

Ensure you know the difference, know what a blanket waiver is for exceptions especially for pregnant K1s and examine your DS3025 carefully. 

 

On the other side of that, completing your medical abroad is INVALUABLE. Bypassing the shots because you listen to a panel physician who says you can do them later means you haven't done your research. 

[Dragonsarereal 14]

Thanks, we sent the adjustment of status for, months ago.

as three doses were required for some vaccines such as hepatitis we could not do all in the UK

the Covid vaccine was not available in the U.K. so we could not do it anyway 

the flu vaccine was not available when we did the medical 

all forms are sent already

We await to hear from USCIS if they want anything else

for me hepatitis is required until 59. I will be 60 in January. So there was no point in having two doses in a rush.

[SL2024 70]

8 minutes ago, Dragonsarereal said:

Thanks, we sent the adjustment of status for, months ago.

as three doses were required for some vaccines such as hepatitis we could not do all in the UK

the Covid vaccine was not available in the U.K. so we could not do it anyway 

the flu vaccine was not available when we did the medical 

all forms are sent already

We await to hear from USCIS if they want anything else

for me hepatitis is required until 59. I will be 60 in January. So there was no point in having two doses in a rush.

The Covid vaccine was available for free on the NHS for certain categories of people and it was available in the UK privately through companies such as Boots and Pharmadoc.

[OldUser 6,769]

@Dragonsarereal this change is for new filings on or after December 2, 2024. You're good. If USCIS needs medical, they'll send you RFE

Edited 8 hours ago by OldUser

[Dragonsarereal 14]

6 minutes ago, SL2024 said:

The Covid vaccine was available for free on the NHS for certain categories of people and it was available in the UK privately through companies such as Boots and Pharmadoc.

I called for months and months every single provider, doctor, hospital and many private clinics in the entire U.K. and abroad  and as I am not 75 or at risk I was not elegible. Even Novavax was not available. So I chose to have it later and we both got it here free in September.

[Scandi 4,167]

19 minutes ago, Dragonsarereal said:

Thanks, we sent the adjustment of status for, months ago.

as three doses were required for some vaccines such as hepatitis we could not do all in the UK

the Covid vaccine was not available in the U.K. so we could not do it anyway 

the flu vaccine was not available when we did the medical 

all forms are sent already

We await to hear from USCIS if they want anything else

for me hepatitis is required until 59. I will be 60 in January. So there was no point in having two doses in a rush.

I have never had a Hep vaccine in my life and my K-1 and AOS were approved just fine. 

[SL2024 70]

7 minutes ago, Dragonsarereal said:

I called for months and months every single provider, doctor, hospital and many private clinics in the entire U.K. and abroad  and as I am not 75 or at risk I was not elegible. Even Novavax was not available. So I chose to have it later and we both got it here free in September.

Boots was for 12 years and older and they did have Pfizer (cost me about £100) and I believe Pharmadoc had Novavax as well but oh well at least you have had the vaccine now. 

 

 

[chris181 2]

What about vaccine waivers? Should a waiver be submitted at the same time as the l-485?

[Rachel n Tyler 43]

5 hours ago, K1visaHopeful said:

If you read the I693 instructions, you'll clearly see that K1s are exempt as they have completed a overseas medical and have proof with a complete DS3025.

 

Ensure you've read all form instructions before completing them or assuming or posting please as it can confuse newbies.

 

This is for OTHER AOS applicants who USED TO be able to submit their I693 when either requested later by RFE or brought to interview.

 

Why have they done this? Because they've now extended the validity for the I693. It used to be valid for two years while the wait for GC was longer so it made no sense to do your medical right away. 

However, none of that applies to a K1 with a complete medical.

 

Ensure you understand what a complete medical is. 

If it's marked complete and IS complete, you're good to go. Provide a photocopy of your complete DS3025 with your application. 

 

Only one vaccination of each series is required for immigrants. Just because you WANT a complimentary dose to complete a series doesn't mean you NEED one for immigration to make your DS3025 compete. 

Ensure you know the difference, know what a blanket waiver is for exceptions especially for pregnant K1s and examine your DS3025 carefully. 

 

On the other side of that, completing your medical abroad is INVALUABLE. Bypassing the shots because you listen to a panel physician who says you can do them later means you haven't done your research. 

'Only one vaccination of each series is required for immigrants.'  So if I'm understanding it correctly, I don't need the full 3 Hep shots? I have two right now, the final one can't be done until after my K1 expiring though.

[K1visaHopeful 2,836]

2 hours ago, Rachel n Tyler said:

'Only one vaccination of each series is required for immigrants.'  So if I'm understanding it correctly, I don't need the full 3 Hep shots? I have two right now, the final one can't be done until after my K1 expiring though. 

 

 

https://www.cdc.gov/immigrant-refugee-health/hcp/panel-physicians/index.html

 

https://www.cdc.gov/immigrant-refugee-health/hcp/panel-physicians/vaccination.html

 

"The vaccines from the list above that are required for a given applicant are defined in Table 1. Vaccine series have minimum age requirements and typically require months to years to complete. Therefore, it is usually not possible for applicants to receive all vaccinations for the diseases listed above prior to departure, and they are instead required to receive from the panel physician at least one dose of each age-appropriate vaccine listed in Table 1 for which the applicant is not currently up to date. If the applicant is up to date on the required vaccines listed in Table 1, no additional vaccines are required to be given at the time of the medical exam. The panel physician should counsel the applicant about the importance of completing the series of vaccines after arrival in the United States."

 

@Rachel n Tylerit's your CHOICE to complete the series. Your immigration REQUIREMENT has been fulfilled by getting at least one dose of your age appropriate vaccines OR receiving a waiver as indicated ON your DS3025 indicating why you were exempt for a particular one on the list. If your DS3025 is MARKED complete and IS complete, you have nothing more to do immigration wise concerning your medical. 

Examine it carefully.

Edited 1 minute ago by K1visaHopeful

[K1visaHopeful 2,836]

6 hours ago, chris181 said:

What about vaccine waivers? Should a waiver be submitted at the same time as the l-485?

Please do not highjack.