{"id":6864,"date":"2026-11-12T04:53:07","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T04:53:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abogadaadrianagomez.com\/resources\/adjustment-of-status\/adjustment-of-status-i-693-medical-exam-validity\/"},"modified":"2026-11-13T01:49:40","modified_gmt":"2026-11-13T01:49:40","slug":"adjustment-of-status-i-693-medical-exam-validity","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/abogadaadrianagomez.com\/resources\/adjustment-of-status\/adjustment-of-status-i-693-medical-exam-validity\/","title":{"rendered":"I-693 Medical Exam Validity Under Current USCIS Policy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Adjustment of Status | AG Immigration Law P.A.<\/p>

Unsure Whether Your I-693 Medical Exam Still Counts?<\/h1>

Medical exam questions can stall a green card case. Here is how we help clients review their forms and plan the next step with confidence.<\/p>

Contact Our Office<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

By Adriana Gomez \u00b7 Published November 11, 2026<\/p>\n\n

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Waiting for a civil surgeon appointment can feel like a deadline you can’t see. You may be the applicant, or you may be helping a spouse, parent, or child with an adjustment of status case.<\/p>\n

Under current USCIS policy, a Form I-693 signed by a civil surgeon on or after November 1, 2023 can be used as evidence of health admissibility for the entire time the underlying application stays pending. That is the core answer to I-693 medical exam validity. The sections below explain how signing dates work, what can change the result, and what happens at the appointment.<\/p>\n

What Form I-693 Is and When USCIS Requires It<\/h2>\n

Form I-693 is the Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record. It records a civil surgeon’s findings about your health and your vaccines.<\/p>\n

Adjustment applicants generally must have this exam from a designated civil surgeon, although certain applicants who entered as K nonimmigrant spouses, fianc\u00e9s or children, and were examined before visa issuance, may be exempt. Under 8 C.F.R. \u00a7 245.5<\/a>, pursuant to section 232(b) of the Act, an applicant for adjustment of status<\/a> shall be required to have a medical examination by a designated civil surgeon, whose report setting forth the findings of the mental and physical condition of the applicant, including compliance with section 212(a)(1)(A)(ii) of the Act, shall be incorporated into the record. A medical examination shall not be required of an applicant for adjustment of status who entered the United States as a nonimmigrant spouse, fiance\u00e9, or fiancee\u00e9 of a United States citizen or the child of such an alien as defined in section 101(a)(15)(K) of the Act and \u00a7 214.2(k)<\/a> of this chapter if the applicant was medically examined prior to, and as a condition of, the issuance of the nonimmigrant visa; provided that the medical examination must have occurred not more than 1 year prior the date of application for adjustment of status. Any applicant certified under paragraphs (1)(A)(ii) or (1)(A)(iii) of section 212(a) of the Act may appeal to a Board of Medical Officers of the U.S. Public Health Service as provided in section 234 of the Act and part 235 of this chapter.<\/p>\n

Panel physicians abroad generally handle visa cases processed outside the country, according to USCIS guidance on which benefits need an exam<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The completed form must go in a sealed envelope, as the form’s instructions describe. See USCIS guidance on reviewing exam documentation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The form is filed with the Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. For the wider process, see our adjustment of status overview.<\/p>\n\n

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If a civil surgeon visit or a sealed I-693 envelope is waiting in your family's green card case, you don't have to work out the timing alone; our team can talk it through with you. Talk it through with our team — we can walk you through how a situation like yours is usually handled and what your options are.<\/p>

Schedule a consultation<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

How Long a Form I-693 Is Valid Under Current USCIS Policy<\/h2>\n

A Form I-693 signed on or after November 1, 2023 is valid only while the underlying application stays pending. USCIS says it can only be used as evidence of health admissibility for the entire period the application is pending. USCIS says this keeps exam results current, as shown in the USCIS validity rule for Form I-693<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The rule has changed more than once. Older forms follow the rule in force on their signing date:<\/p>\n