Revised I-693 Required for Medical Exams, Beginning July 26, 2015

Effective July 26, 2015, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will only accept the latest version of the report of medical examination and vaccination record (I-693 form). This version of the form can be identified by the revision date of March 30, 2015 (written as “03/30/15” on the form) printed at the bottom of every page of the I-693.

Background: One-Year Exam Validity and RFEs

Most I-485s, applications to register permanent residence or adjust status, must be accompanied by a form I-693, which is completed by a USCIS certified physician (i.e. civil surgeon) following a medical exam of the applicant. An I-693 is valid for one year from the date of submission to the USCIS. As explained in the MurthyDotCom NewsBrief, Expect RFEs on I-485s as Cutoff Dates Advance, if an I-485 applicant has a case pending for more than one year with a priority date that is close to becoming current, the USCIS typically will issue a request for evidence (RFE) that obligates the foreign national to undergo another medical exam in order to obtain an updated I-693.

Use 03/30/15 Edition as of July 26th

Starting July 26th, the USCIS will only accept the 03/30/2015 edition of form I-693. Applicants – especially those who have proactively obtained new medical examinations in anticipation of the inevitable RFEs – are reminded to check their respective forms to ensure the correct version is being submitted to the USCIS. If the form has already been completed, however, this may prove challenging. The USCIS requires that the completed I-693 be sealed in an envelope by the doctor’s office. If an applicant did not obtain a copy of the completed form from the civil surgeon, it may be necessary to verify with the doctor’s office whether the new version of the form was used.

Only Impacts Future Medical Examination Submissions

This change only applies to individuals who need to submit medical examinations July 26, 2015 or later. Older versions of the I-693 that were properly filed prior to this date will not be impacted by the change.

Conclusion

The change in form editions is a routine matter, but this type of detail is important. A simple oversight of using a wrong version of a form can have potentially serious immigration consequences. Individuals with questions about the I-485 application process, including the I-693 requirements, are welcome to schedule a consultation with a  Murthy Law Firm attorney.

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