What vaccinations does the US Citizenship and Immigration Service require?

We bring to your attention the basic information about the general requirements for vaccination for immigrants (including those who need to change their residence status), as well as the assessment given by a special doctor who examines immigrants (civil surgeon), to determine compliance with vaccination requirements.

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Please pay special attention to the fact that from October 1 to March 31 of each year, another mandatory flu vaccination is added to the list.

Information

According to the US immigration law, foreign citizens applying for a visa abroad or applying for a status change in the United States to obtain a residence permit must be vaccinated against the following diseases:

• Parotitis
• Measles
• Rubella
• Polio
• Tetanus and diphtheria toxoid
• Pertussis
• Type B Hemophilic Flu
• Hepatitis B
• Any other vaccine-preventable diseases, as recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ICRC Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, ACIP) Is an advisory committee of the Department of Health and Human Services (Department of Health and Human Services, HHS) / Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC), which recommends immunization for all segments of the US population. Since 14 December 2009, when the ICRC recommended new vaccines for all segments of the US population, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention assessed whether these vaccines should be required for immigration purposes continuously and as needed according to specific criteria established by the Centers.

Centers must publish Technical Instructions for medical examinations of foreign nationals in the United States (Technical Instructions for the Medical Examination of Aliens in the United States), in which they put the requirements for medical examinations to foreign nationals and which are mandatory for the special doctors. The Technical Instructions also contain a part on vaccination, where it is prescribed how a special doctor evaluates the vaccination of citizens. The special physician submits the results of the medical examination, including vaccination evaluations, to the I-693 form, a certificate of medical examination and vaccination (Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record).

If a foreigner applies for an immigration visa abroad, this person must undergo a medical examination by a therapist approved by the US Department of State. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide separate instructions to such therapists for conducting a medical examination abroad. More information about these therapists can be found. this link on the State Department website.

Questions and Answers

— Where can I read about vaccination?
— The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes information on vaccinations in general, as well as immunization requirements related to immigration on your website.

— Why are immigrants and persons awaiting adjustment of status required to show proof of certain vaccinations?
— In 1996, Congress passed a law requiring every immigrant entering the United States and every person applying for permanent residence in the United States to certify that he or she has been vaccinated against vaccine-preventable diseases. The text of this requirement is in the Immigration and Nationality Act (Immigration and Nationality Act, INA), section 212 (a) (1) (A) (ii).

— How does the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decide which vaccinations are required for immigration purposes?
— Some of the required vaccinations are specified specifically in the text of the Immigration and Nationality Act. In addition to these, the status also requires individuals to receive all other ACIP-recommended vaccines. Centers use the following criteria to determine which vaccines to require for immigration purposes:

• The vaccine must be age appropriate for ICPI recommendations for all segments of the US population, and
• At least one of the following:
  • The vaccine should protect against a disease that has the potential to grow into an epidemic, or
  • The vaccine must protect against a disease that has been eliminated in the United States or that is in the process of elimination.

— I want to obtain immigrant status in the United States, but I underwent a medical examination by a physician abroad and was also vaccinated. Do I need to be re-examined and vaccinated again?

— Please read the instructions for Form I-693 to determine whether you are required to submit to a repeat medical examination, including a vaccination assessment, for your current status in the United States.

— How do you understand what vaccinations are required for immigration purposes?

— Specialist doctor for immigration issues (civil surgeon) must comply with the Technical Instructions for medical examinations of foreign nationals in the United States, including the Technical Instructions for Specialists on Vaccination created in 2009, as well as all subsequent additions published on the Internet. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publish requirements for vaccination and physical on their website, including a detailed list of required vaccinations. Document can look at this link.

— Do I need to get all required vaccinations even if I have been vaccinated in the past?

- No. A dedicated Immigrant Doctor will review your immunization records during your physical examination to ensure you are vaccinated against diseases that are appropriate for your age category. It is important to bring written proof of all vaccinations you have had with you to your appointment with this doctor.

If you do not have any vaccinations required by your age group, a special immigrant doctor will give you the right vaccination. You can also choose an alternative - get vaccinated with your doctor. However, since only a special doctor has the right to evaluate vaccination form I-693, you must return to it with proof of receipt of those vaccines that you lacked.

In addition, some individuals have immunity against vaccine-preventable diseases, and they are aware of their immunity because they were tested by their doctor. If you have written certificates of such immunity, take them for a visit to a special immigration doctor. This will help him determine which vaccinations you should receive additionally.

— Do I need to get all the vaccinations listed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for immigrants, or only those that are appropriate for my age?

— You are required to have documented proof of vaccinations, which are mandatory for your age. The Immigration Specialist will write on your Form I-693 that you are not required to receive a particular immunization because it is not required for your age group at the time of the physical examination.

— Am I required to get all the CDC vaccinations for my age if I have a medical reason not to be vaccinated for certain diseases?

- If you have a disease or health condition that does not allow you to take the vaccine indicated for your age category, then the special immigrant physician will make an appropriate entry on Form I-693 that that vaccine is contraindicated for you. Contraindications are described in the Technical Instructions of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The decision about whether, at the time of your appointment with a special doctor, you have a disease or health condition for which you cannot receive this or that vaccination is made by the special doctor.

— Some vaccinations are carried out in a couple of stages, which requires several visits to a special doctor. Am I required to complete all vaccination steps before a designated physician will sign my Form I-693?

— You are required to receive one dose of each vaccine from a special doctor. You can continue vaccination with your doctor. After you have received one dose, a special immigration physician can sign and certify Form I-693.

— I’m pregnant and don’t want to get vaccinated. Do I still have to take it to be able to become a permanent resident of the United States?

— The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Technical Guidelines outline how to evaluate the possibility of vaccination during pregnancy. If the Immigration Specialist cannot safely administer the immunization, he or she will mark the vaccine as contraindicated on Form I-693. You can learn more about immunizations during pregnancy on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention page "Instructions for vaccinating pregnant women».

— Can a special doctor for immigrant issues vaccinate me against all the required diseases at once?

— A special doctor will tell you whether you can be vaccinated with all the required vaccines at once, or whether you have some kind of contraindication that does not allow you to get all the vaccinations in one visit.

— When does influenza season begin in terms of seasonal influenza immunization requirements? Since the seasonal flu shot is on the list of required vaccinations, should I get it if I am seen by a special doctor outside of the flu season?

— For medical examinations for immigration purposes, the flu season begins on October 1 and ends on March 31 each year. If you are undergoing an immigration health screening during this period, you are required to have a seasonal flu shot. If you are undergoing an immigration physical between April 1 and September 30, which is not considered a flu season for immigration purposes, you do not need to have a record of having been vaccinated against influenza.

— I heard that vaccinations against herpes zoster and human papillomavirus (HPV) are on the list of required immunizations. Is it true?

— From August 1, 2008 to December 13, 2009, herpes zoster and HPV vaccinations were required for immigration purposes. However, during this period, the herpes zoster vaccine was not available, and special immigration doctors were allowed to write on the form that “vaccination not possible” if they could not find a vaccine. In 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed vaccination requirements based on ACIP recommendations. As of December 14, 2014, herpes zoster and HPV vaccinations were no longer required.

— I underwent a medical examination for immigration purposes until December 14, 2009, before the herpes zoster and HPV vaccinations were canceled. I was required to get one of these vaccinations, but I did not. In my form I-693 says that I refused one of these vaccinations. Will my application be rejected based on this?

— As of December 14, 2009, vaccinations against herpes zoster and HPV are no longer required. It does not matter that you did not receive them, because as of December 14, 2009, the lack of such vaccinations is no reason for the application to be rejected. Your application will not be denied and Form I-693 will not be returned to you simply because you do not have this vaccination.

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— Who pays for vaccination?

— It is the applicant's responsibility to pay for appropriate vaccinations. Payment is made directly to the special physician by agreement with him/her. You should know the cost of vaccinations before your physical or before receiving any vaccinations.

— Can I be forced to be vaccinated for immigration purposes?

— If you refuse to be vaccinated for immigration purposes, your application to become a permanent resident may be denied under United States immigration law.

— What happens if I refuse one or all required vaccinations?

— Tell the Special Immigrant Doctor that you refuse a particular vaccination. You are also required to state the reason for the refusal. In some cases, you may be allowed to refuse vaccination, including:

• You are opposed to any vaccination - that is, you cannot be refused only one vaccination;
• Your refusal is based on religious or moral beliefs; and
• Your religious or moral beliefs must be sincere.

The form in which you can apply for a waiver depends on the category in which you apply for permanent resident status. For example, refugees and non-returnees who are requesting a change of status must fill out a form I-602, a refugee application declining the grounds for refusing entry. Persons who request status change on the basis of an approved form I-130, a petition for a relative-stranger, or form I-140, an immigrant’s application for a foreign worker, submit a form I-601, a statement of rejection of the grounds for refusal.

— My specialist immigration doctor says the vaccine is not available right now. What should I do?

—Ask your doctor if another doctor or hospital may have the vaccine available. If another facility or pharmacy has the vaccine and can give you the vaccine, you should get it there and ask them for a certificate that you have been vaccinated. Bring a certificate to the designated physician so that he/she can enter the vaccination information on your Form I-693. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking which vaccines are missing or in short supply in the United States. If the Centers discover a nationwide shortage of a particular vaccine, they recommend that Citizenship and Immigration Services publish on your website relevant information for applicants and special immigration doctors about when to request this vaccine. Such information is usually available on the Service’s I-693 webpage, the immigration medical examination webpage and the immigration specialist doctors’s webpage.

— Will Citizenship and Immigration Services accept Form I-693, if not all vaccinations are done?

- No. The vaccination table must have at least one entry for each vaccine. If the vaccination chart is not completely completed at the time of the physical, USCIS may return Form I-693 to you with instructions on what additions need to be made.

If you refuse a vaccine for religious or moral beliefs, a special immigration doctor will indicate this in the form I-693. In this case, you will have to apply for exemption from the requirements.

— Where can you find out more about vaccination requirements for immigration purposes and how these requirements affect the completion of Form I-693?

— The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes Technical Guidelines, including on vaccinations on your website - follow the link. On Citizenship and Immigration Services website There is information about the program of special doctors, filling out the form I-693 and changing the application. All this can also be obtained by calling the national support center for the Service: 800-375-5283 (TTY 1-800-767-1833).

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How to extend your stay in the United States on a non-immigrant visa

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