I-693 Form: Medical Examination and Vaccination Record

An application for Adjustment of Status (AOS) for permanent residency requires many forms and documentation. One such document is a completed I-693 medical examination form. According to USCIS, applications for permanent residents require a medical examination and must provide a I-693 form completed by a designated civil surgeon (or doctor). The results of the medical examination sometimes determine admissibility.

INA Health Terms of Inadmissibility

The medical examination tests for grounds of inadmissibility based off health concerns of national interest. The civil surgeon will check for a varying disease and disorders that may restrict the applicant’s access to permanent residence. The INA lists the guidelines for inadmissibility. If the approved civil surgeon detects a “communicable” disease, the applicant will be found inadmissible. Additionally, an applicant must provide evidence of vaccines for “mumps, measles, rubella, polio, tetanus and diphtheria toxoids, pertussis, influenza type B and hepatitis B, and any other vaccinations against vaccine-preventable diseases recommended by the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices.” However, there are vaccine exemptions for children under the age of 10. The INA also includes guidelines for applicants with serious mental or physical disorders that may be a threat to others. Applicants that abuse controlled substances will also be consider inadmissible.

The Exam

Applicants must find a USCIS approved civil surgeon, or doctor. The approved doctor will conduct tests for certain communicable diseases as well as check recent vaccination documents for any missed vaccines. Applicants will provide the doctor with the I-693 form, which he or she will seal inside an envelope for submission to USCIS. The doctor can provide a photo copy of the examination for patient’s personal records, however USCIS will only accepted an official seal copy of the examination. Learn more about the validity of medical examinations here.