Oakton Health Center

The new procedural requirement mandates that specific applicants wanting to adjust their permanent residency status in the U.S. must submit Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, simultaneously with Form I-485. This is intended to authenticate health-related admissibility and decrease the number of RFEs issued during the adjudication process, streamlining the application process and reducing delays. Starting December 2, 2024, Form I-693 is compulsory for applicants filing Form I-485. Failure to comply can result in a rejected Form I-485 application. The form must be completed and signed by a civil surgeon to certify that the applicant doesn’t have any health conditions that could make them inadmissible based on health-related grounds.

The USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) also stipulated that starting December 2024, green card applicants or permanent residents must include their medical and vaccination report together with Form I-485 for adjustment of status. Failure to do so will result in a denied petition. This change is a move to streamline the immigration process and reduce the quantity of additional evidence requested before adjudicating a Form I-485.

The Global Immigration team at Smith Stone Walters announced several immigration updates from various countries. Australia initiated the Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES), a program for graduates and early-career professionals from India’s top universities. It will be effective from December 2024. China and the Solomon Islands have signed a mutual visa exemption agreement, effective upon completion of both countries’ domestic legal procedures.

In Finland, the processing of certain work-based permits will be paused in January 2025. Additionally, work permit services will be transferred from TE Offices to the Finnish Immigration Service on January 1, 2025. Meanwhile, effective from November 18, 2024, Kazakhstan implemented new visa regulations, including several new visa types, to provide favorable conditions for business immigrants, skilled professionals, and travelers.

In the U.S, several policies have been revised including the validation of Immigration Medical Examination Documentation for specific Afghan Nationals and adjustment in immigration laws in the USCIS Policy Manual for permanent residents. The updates are intended to streamline visa procedures and make immigration processes more efficient.

1. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has mandated the concurrent filing of Form I-693 with all adjustment of status applications. An abrupt policy change no longer allows applicants to defer the often time-consuming process of completing the Form I-693, which verifies an applicant’s health-related admissibility to the U.S. The form is filled out by a USCIS-designated civil surgeon after a medical examination and vaccination history review. The previous validity of the form was two years from the civil surgeon’s signature, but an update in April 2024 grants indefinite validity to Forms I-693 signed on or after November 1, 2023. Despite these changes, the reviewing USCIS officer has discretion to request more evidence or an updated Form I-693.

2. The Citizenship Public Education and Awareness Campaign is an initiative to raise awareness about the rights, responsibilities, and significance of U.S. citizenship, as well as provide free citizenship preparation resources to lawful permanent residents (LPRs) and immigrant-serving organizations. Community organizations are encouraged to support the campaign through various methods.

3. Despite an audit last year revealing a number of physicians with major disciplinary histories in the federal program for vetting the health of green card applicants, many are still permitted to conduct screenings that determine the fate of immigration applications. ProPublica found at least 150 doctors accused of patient abuse and negligence. USCIS vowed to clean up the list after the audit but has failed to act on these promises. Critics argue that this leaves vulnerable immigrants at risk and creates additional difficulties in the immigration process. The doctors are supposed to help check the health condition of the applicants with a focus on protecting public health.