Does Form I-693 expire?

The current position

Under USCIS guidance effective 11 June 2025, a Form I-693 signed by a civil surgeon on or after 1 November 2023 remains valid for as long as the application it was filed with is pending.

In plain terms: for forms in that window, the clock is tied to your application rather than to a separate expiry date on the medical report.

Why you will find conflicting answers

Because the rule genuinely has changed. Earlier guidance treated the form as valid for a fixed period from the date of signature, which meant applicants whose cases took a long time sometimes had to repeat the entire examination. Articles, forum posts and even printed checklists written under the older approach are still circulating, and they are not malicious, just out of date.

This is also why we will not tell you to rely on this page alone.

What to do before you file

• Check the date your form was signed. That single date determines which rule applies to you.
• Confirm the current guidance with USCIS directly or with your immigration attorney. Guidance on this specific point has been revised more than once, and it can change again after this page was written.
• Do not open the envelope to check the signature date. Your unsealed duplicate copy carries the same information.

If your exam is old enough to be a problem

If it turns out your examination falls outside the current window, a fresh examination is straightforward: it is one appointment, and the laboratory work follows the same 3 to 5 business day timeline as a first exam. Any vaccination doses you already completed and documented do not disappear, so bring the records.

A note on what this page is

This is general information about a form, written by a medical practice. It is not legal advice, and NY MedCare is not affiliated with USCIS. Questions about how a filing deadline interacts with your specific case belong with an immigration attorney.