What is Form I-693?
Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, is the medical form USCIS requires from most people applying for a green card from inside the United States. A USCIS-designated civil surgeon examines you, records the results and your vaccinations on the form, and hands it back to you in a sealed envelope to file with your Form I-485.
What is Form I-693 for?
U.S. immigration law lists health-related grounds on which someone can be refused a green card. Form I-693 is the evidence USCIS uses to confirm that none of them applies to you. The exam looks at four things:
- Communicable diseases of public health significance, such as tuberculosis.
- Required vaccinations, which depend on your age.
- Physical or mental disorders associated with harmful behavior.
- Drug abuse or drug addiction.
Most applicants are simply confirmed as meeting the requirements. The exam is a screening for immigration purposes, not a general check-up, and it does not replace care from your own doctor.
Who fills out Form I-693?
Only a civil surgeon: a physician USCIS has specifically designated to perform immigration medical exams inside the United States. Your regular doctor cannot complete the form unless they hold that designation. USCIS publishes a civil surgeon locator so you can confirm a doctor is designated.
You provide your personal details and sign the applicant section, but only when the civil surgeon asks you to. The civil surgeon completes every medical section, including the vaccination record, and signs the form.
What is on the form?
| Section | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Applicant information | Your name, date of birth, address and identifying details. |
| Medical examination | History, physical exam, and the civil surgeon's findings on each health-related ground. |
| Lab results | Tests ordered by the civil surgeon, such as tuberculosis screening. Which tests apply depends on your age. |
| Vaccination record | Each required vaccine, with the date given or the reason it is not required for you. |
| Civil surgeon certification | The civil surgeon's signature, confirming the exam was completed under CDC instructions. |
USCIS currently accepts only the 01/20/25 edition of Form I-693 for forms signed on or after July 3, 2025, and every page must carry the same edition date.
Why does Form I-693 come in a sealed envelope?
The seal is how USCIS knows the form has not been altered after the civil surgeon signed it. Do not accept a completed Form I-693 that is not in a sealed envelope.
- Filing by mail: send the envelope with your I-485 package, unopened.
- Filing online: USCIS allows you to open the envelope and upload the form. Keep the original form and the envelope until USCIS makes a final decision on your case.
Who decides which vaccines and tests I need?
The requirements come from the CDC's technical instructions for civil surgeons, and USCIS enforces them. They are set by age group: a 30-year-old and a 60-year-old need different vaccines and different lab tests. That is why the most useful thing to know before your exam is the list for your age, and which of those items your existing records already cover.
Related questions
- Do I need Form I-693 for my case?
- When do I file it, and how long does it stay valid?
- Which of my vaccine records will count?
Sources: USCIS, Form I-693; USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 8, Part B; CDC, technical instructions for civil surgeons.
General information about USCIS Form I-693, not medical or legal advice. Requirements are set by USCIS and the CDC and can change.