Change in rule by USCIS.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that the medical examination required for anyone applying to become a US permanent citizen, or green card holder, will only be valid for one year at the very most.
The new limit, which took effect on June 1, means that anyone who is applying for a green card but has a medical examination older than one year from the time the application is being submitted, will have to carry out a new one at their own expanse. This affects the USCIS Form I-693.
In a press release, the USCIS detailed what measures applicants will now need to take.
“Form I-693 will be valid for one year from the date we receive it. Also, applicants must submit Form I-693 to USCIS within one year of the immigration medical examination. USCIS also announced that we will provide additional ways to submit Form I-693. This updated policy applies to any Form I-693 supporting a benefit application that USCIS adjudicates.”
USCIS’s website states that the filing fee for the I-693 will remain non-existent. However, they cannot vouch for the fees that doctors and medical examiners will charge to have the examination carried out, meaning that it is on each applicant to do their own research and find the most affordable option for themselves.
“To ensure the results of the medical examination are still valid at the time USCIS adjudicates the associated benefit application, applicants should schedule the medical examination as close as possible to the time they file for adjustment of status, respond to a Request for Evidence, or attend an interview (if applicable),” says USCIS, on its website. “Applicants should, however, also provide sufficient time for the performance of laboratory testing or additional testing required under CDC’s Technical Instructions.”
USCIS will be hosting a discussion on June 12, to go over these changes with interested parties via a teleconference from 2pm-3pm. Anyone who has filed an I-693 with a medical examination that is more than one year old may receive a Request For Evidence (RFE) from USCIS, at which point they will likely need to get a new medical examination done and re-file the I-693 form.
The news of the new I-693 form comes just weeks after USCIS implemented its new version of the N-400 form, which is filed by current green card holders as one of the steps towards becoming fully naturalized US citizens.