U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has updated its guidance on medical examinations for Afghan nationals who are entering the U.S. under Operation Allies Welcome (OAW).

Key Points:

  • The updated guidance permits Afghan nationals who are applying for adjustment of status after arriving under OAW to use a report of a medical examination completed outside the U.S. by a panel physician to forego the Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record.
  • Afghan parolees may not have to repeat an immigration medical examination and submit Form I-693 if:
    • Their immigration medical examination that was completed outside of the U.S. is in their A-File and does not report Class A medical conditions.
    • The panel physician completed the immigration medical examination no more than four years before the filing date of the individual’s adjustment of status application.
    • There is no evidence suggesting that the applicant has acquired a Class A medical condition after entering the U.S.
  • The updated medical examination guidance does not affect current vaccination requirements. Afghan nationals who are paroled into the United States must receive the MMR, polio, and COVID-19 vaccinations, among others, as conditions of their parole.

Additional Information: More information regarding the updated medical examination guidance is available here.

This alert has been provided by BAL U.S. Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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