Recently, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) issued an alert waiving the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for adjustment of status applicants (adjustment of status to that of a lawful permanent resident). Continue reading below for more information.
USCIS Waives COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for Adjustment of Status Applicants; However, the COVID-19 Vaccination Is Still Required for Immigrant Visas.
Pursuant to USCIS’s alert, effective January 22, 2025, USCIS is waiving any and all requirements that applicants for adjustment of status to that of a lawful permanent resident present documentation on their Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, that they received the COVID-19 vaccination. In said alert, USCIS stated that they will not issue any Request for Evidence nor Notice of Intent to Deny related to proving a COVID-19 vaccination and USCIS will not deny any adjustment of status application based on the applicant’s failure to present documentation that they received the COVID-19 vaccination. Applicants should note that this waiver is specific to adjustment of status applicants. To view USCIS’s alert on the matter, click on the following link: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/uscis-waives-covid-19-vaccination-requirement-for-adjustment-of-status-applicants.
USCIS’s above-mentioned alert now aligns with the U.S. Department of State’s (“DOS”) no-COVID-19-vaccine requirement for noncitizen nonimmigrants, which came into effect on May 12, 2023: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/update-on-change-to-us-travel-policy-requiring-covid-19-vaccination-for-nonimmigrant-travel.html. However, applicants for immigrant visas (visas which lead to U.S. legal permanent residence upon entry into the United States) are still generally required to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine prior to the issuance of an immigrant visa. For a list of required vaccinations for immigrant visa applicants, click on the following DOS link: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/vaccinations.html. In certain circumstances, applicants may be eligible for a waiver of the vaccination requirement. It should be noted that fiancé(e) visa (K-visa) applicants are technically considered nonimmigrant visa applicants and, therefore, not subject to the vaccination requirements.
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