An I-693 is a form which required is required if you are applying to become a legal permanent resident of the U.S. The purpose of this form is to confirm that you are not inadmissible to the United States on public health grounds.
In order to get an adjustment of status to permanent resident, , an immigrant to the United States is required to meet certain medical standards. I-693 is used to make sure that an applicant does not have a communicable disease that is a significant risk to public health, has the required vaccinations, is not a drug addict or drug abuser, and does not have a physical or mental disorder involving behavior that may be a threat to the safety or welfare of the applicant or others.
The form is available to download on the USCIS website.
What are communicable diseases of public health significance?
- Tuberculosis
- Syphilis
- Gonorrhea
- Hansen’s Disease (Leprosy)
- Quarantinable diseases designated by a Presidential Executive Order. These currently include: cholera, diphtheria, infectious tuberculosis, plague, smallpox, yellow fever, viral hemorrhagic fevers, severe acute respiratory syndromes, and influenza caused by novel or re-emergent influenza (pandemic flu)
- Diseases that are designated as a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization. These currently include polio, smallpox, SARS, and influenza.
The medical examination requires a physical examination, a skin test and chest x-ray to check for tuberculosis, and a blood test for syphilis. The doctor will review your medical history and test for communicable diseases. Following the medical exam, your doctor will fill out Form I-693 and put the completed form in a sealed envelope for you to submit to USCIS. It is important that you do not open or damage this envelope in any way, as you must submit Form I-693 in a sealed envelope to ensure its authenticity. USCIS will only accept an envelope that is unopened and unaltered.
When you go for your medical exam appointment, you should be prepared with the following:
- I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record
- Government-issued photo identification, such as a driver’s license or passport
- Vaccination or immunization record
- Medical insurance card
- Payment
You will need for the following:
Measles
- Mumps
- Rubella
- Tetanus
- Diphtheria
- Polio
- Pertussis
- Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B
- Influenza
- Varicella
- Meningococcal Disease
- Pneumococcal Disease
- Haemophilus influenzae type B
Only a single dose of a vaccine requiring multiple doses is needed for your I-693 form, but the civil surgeon filling out your form should note on the form that you haven’t completed the doses, and should also tell you to complete the series in the future.
It is possible in some cases to be granted a waiver for the vaccine requirements based on religious or moral beliefs, but this is a separate application process. If you want to apply for such a waiver, you should check with USCIS to obtain a waiver application.
An officially designated civil surgeon must fill out Form I-693 for you at your medical exam appointment. The civil surgeon must then provide the form to you in a sealed envelope. You must, however, sign the form.
Once you have the completed form in a sealed envelope, you may submit it by mail with your Form I-485 (Application to Register for Permanent Residence or Adjust Status). This form may also be submitted by mail after you’ve submitted your I-485, or you can bring it with you to an in-person interview at a USCIS office if you are scheduled for one.
A signed I-693 is valid for two years from the date it was signed by the civil surgeon.
Form I-693 requires a “civil surgeon” to conduct a medical examination of the applicant. Civil surgeons are authorized doctors in the United States who perform these medical examinations for people applying for an adjustment of status to permanent residency.
Note that new immigrants are required to undergo medical exams by a “panel physician” before immigrating to the U.S. Panel physicians are not the same as civil surgeons.
An official civil surgeon is designated as such by the District Director of USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services). A civil surgeon must be a licensed physician with at least four years of professional experience. Luckily, you don’t have to figure out who is authorized as a civil surgeon yourself. USCIS maintains a “Find a Doctor” page where you can find a local civil surgeon to complete your medical exam.
There is no filing fee for I-693, but civil surgeons who provide this service will charge you for the required medical examinations. You can call and ask how much this will cost once you’ve found a few civil surgeons in your area, but it should be around $200.
I-693 should be submitted no more than 60 days before you file for your green card. A form that is signed more than 60 days before you file your application will be deemed inadmissible. For this reason, you should file your I-693 either along with your I-485 green card application or as soon as possible afterward. If you file I-693 after I-485, then it will be valid for two years, but you must file before USCIS has finalized adjudication of your application.