USCIS once again updated a health-related provision in its Policy Manual to make completed medical exam reports valid indefinitely if signed on or after November 30 2023. The Form I-693, which a designated civil surgeon must complete and sign for persons applying for lawful permanent residency, previously was valid for two years from the date the doctor signed it. Last year USCIS revised the Policy Manual concerning the validity of a medical exam report based upon when the doctor signed the report. (See blog post from April 2023.) That was a welcome change to avoid much confusion surrounding when the doctor signed the report and when the report was submitted to USCIS.
This new update will be a welcome development for green card applicants with long-pending cases. Up to now USCIS routinely requested a new medical exam every two years. That became a costly and impractical situation.