How to Submit Form I-693 Medical Report Separately - Updated June 27th

Scheduling a doctor's appointment is real a struggle during this difficult time, especially for those who are in need of finishing their green card medical exam with a qualified surgeon! 

Luckily, USCIS allows applicants to submit their medical reports separately from their I-485 application submission. If you are thinking about going with that road, keep reading to make sure you are compliant with the rules!

*Update: August 12th, 2021: USCIS temporarily extends I-693 validity period from 2 years to 4 years! Click here to learn more.

Can I Submit My I-693 Medical Report Separately?

Short answer - Yes, you can! Form I-693 is not required to be submitted together with your form I-485 Adjustment of Status. Sometimes, it's even better to submit the I-693 medical report a little later, just in case your case is pending for a long time. If your medical report expires before your case was processed, then you have to have your surgeon redo the report a gain (what a pain!)

Download the latest I-693 form here.

How Long Is the I-693 Medical Report Valid for?

Good news - USCIS has extended the validity period of the I-693 medical report to 2 years so as long as it is still valid by the time you're required to submit the report, you should be good! Some important things you need to know about the I-693 medical exam:

• Do not sign your form I-693 ahead of time. Sign it when instructed by your doctor.
• Once your I-693 report is signed by your doctor, you have to submit it within 60 days, or it will be invalid!
• Do not open your sealed I-693 report received from your doctor. You should submit it as it is to USCIS. Otherwise it will be rejected.
• What vaccines are required for I-485 application
• Green card medical exam for pregnant women
• Can I receive MMR vaccines if I am pregnant?

When to Submit Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record

There are generally three options:

• Submit along with your I-485 application
• Submit your I-485 first and wait to submit the I-693 until you receive an official request from USCIS (a courtesy letter)
• Bring your I-693 medical report to your interview (if you need one)

What does a I-693 courtesy letter look like?

The title would state "I-693 EFFICIENCY NOTICE" and something similar to the following will be included:

"An initial review of evidence submitted with your Form I-485 determined that the evidence submitted  with your application is deficient for the following reasons:

• A completed and signed I-693 was not submitted

You will be required to submit information and evidence to address the deficiencies:

• If you receive an interview notice in the mail, you must bring the information and evidence required to your interview appointment. Failure to bring these may result in denial.

• If your case does not require an interview, you will receive a Request for Evidence with further instructions.  "

Final words:

• For a typical case with no complications, I would submit the medical report together with the I-485 application. (That's what I did!) Try to schedule your appointment as early as possible.
• If you think your case can be pending for a longer time, then wait to do your exam later, and submit it when you receive a notice (RFE) or bring to the interview.

Read here for more information: About Form I-693 Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record

There have been a lot of confusion from my readers regarding the valid time period, so I want to clarify it a little bit more: 

2 Common Myths for the I-693 Medical Report Validity Period

1. DS-3025 vaccination record is different from I-693 medical report!

Many K-1 visa holders had done the DS-3025 report already before. You have to be careful that the valid time for DS-3025 is only 1 year! If it's expired when you are going to submit your adjustment of status (I-485), you have to redo your I-693 medical exam report. 

More information for K-1 visa holders here: DIY From K-1 to Green Card: I-485 Adjustment of Status (AOS)

2. The validity period for the vaccines is different from the validity period for the I-693 report!

"My doctor told me the vaccine is valid for 10 years!" - cried from one of my readers. Um, yes, some of the vaccines can be valid for 10 years, but that doesn't mean the I-693 is valid that long. 

Note that even if you have all the required vaccines already, you still need to see a doctor and have him/her sign the report for you and that report is going to be valid for 2 years only.

Click here to read about my personal I-485 application experience>>