Medical examination guidance updated for Afghan parolees

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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