USCIS Temporarily Waiving 60-Day Rule for Civil Surgeon Signatures

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is temporarily waiving the requirement that the civil surgeon sign Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, no more than 60 days before an applicant files an application for the underlying immigration benefit (including Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status), until Sept. 30, 2022.  

This temporary waiver will help applicants who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and related processing delays, which have sometimes caused delays in completing the immigration medical examination. Temporarily allowing applicants to submit their underlying application for an immigration benefit with a completed Form I-693, even if the civil surgeon signed more than 60 days prior, will allow individuals to complete the application process without the need to undergo another immigration medical examination if Form I-693 is otherwise valid.  

The temporary waiver will benefit many applicants, including Afghan nationals evacuated under Operation Allies Welcome who have completed immigration medical examinations at government-run facilities but were not able to apply for adjustment of status within 60 days of the completed examination. 

For more information, see the policy alert (PDF, 318.16 KB). Visit the Policy Manual for Comment page to comment on this update.