Alert: USCIS Issues Recommendation for I-485 Applicants to File Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, with Initial I-485 Filing to Potentially Speed Up Processing Time

Dated: December 5, 2024

Dec 2, 2024 Update: While USCIS previously allowed Form I-485 to be submitted without a complete Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, they changed that rule as of December 2, 2024, and now require that adjustment of status applicants submit the medical exam at the time of submission of Form I-485.

On December 14th, 2022 USCIS informed the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) of their recommendation that green card applicants filing form I-485 file, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, also file Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, along with their application. 

While applicants do have the option to file the I-693 either with the initial application or at a later point as requested by USCIS, this new recommendation to file it with the initial application is given due to USCIS’s expansion of potential interview waivers for family-based application. By including the completed medical examination with the I-485 filing, applicants will reduce the risk of receiving a Request for Evidence for the I-693 if USCIS chooses to waive their interview. 

USCIS has not provided the methods that they use in determining whether a case’s interview will be waived. 

Information retrieved from AILA Doc No. 22121452