United States | Immigrant visa applicants no longer required to have COVID-19 vaccination

The State Department announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided updated guidance to panel physicians removing the requirement that immigrant visa applicants receive the COVID-19 vaccination, effective March 11.

Key Points:

• Panel physicians will no longer determine that an immigrant visa applicant is ineligible for travel based on their failure to receive, or otherwise document, their vaccination against COVID-19.
• U.S. embassies and consulates will no longer refuse an immigrant visa application for failure to present COVID-19 vaccination documentation.
• Applicants with unexpired medical exams still valid for travel to the U.S. and who were previously found ineligible based solely on a failure to establish a valid record of COVID-19 vaccination may have a new medical exam issued by a panel physician without a fee.

Additional Information: Panel physicians are doctors appointed by the State Department to perform exams and certain verifications at U.S. embassies and consulates. Applicants impacted by the new guidance can reach out to the U.S. embassy or consulate at which they executed their application for an immigrant visa.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice Group.

Copyright © 2025 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.