COVID Vaccines Required for Green Card Applicants Starting October 1, 2021 | Joseph & Hall P.C.

On August 17, 2021, the U.S. Heart for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) introduced that the US will start requiring candidates for lawful everlasting residence (“inexperienced card candidates”) to be absolutely vaccinated. The requirement will apply each to adjustment of standing candidates inside the US and to immigrant visa processing (“consular processing”) candidates making use of at U.S. embassies and consulates exterior the US.

This variation will apply to any applicant finishing their medical examination on or after October 1, 2021—even when the applicant filed their adjustment of standing or immigrant visa software earlier than that date; and to fulfill this new requirement, candidates must current proof of full COVID-19 vaccination with a vaccine licensed to be used in the US (at the moment, Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson) or listed for emergency use by the World Well being Group (WHO).

Candidates for lawful everlasting residence are already required to finish a Kind I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination File and to obtain sure “routinely required” vaccinations in an effort to be granted lawful everlasting residence and admitted to the US. Thus, this newest announcement merely provides the Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine to the checklist of “routinely required” vaccinations, starting October 1, 2021.

As with different vaccinations required as a part of the everlasting residence course of, there are blanket waivers out there—as an example, the place the applicant will not be sufficiently old but for the vaccine, or has a documented medical contraindication, or the vaccine is “not routinely out there” within the location the place the Civil Surgeon signing off on the Kind I-693 practices. As well as, an applicant might also request a waiver primarily based on non secular or ethical convictions. Nevertheless, the place an individual refuses the vaccine sequence for which they’re eligible partially or entirety and doesn’t get hold of a waiver from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Companies (USCIS), they are going to be discovered inadmissible to the US on medical grounds and might be denied their inexperienced card software.

There are additionally necessities in place for COVID testing for individuals touring to the US from overseas, which don’t have an effect on eligibility for lawful everlasting residence however that, if not met, might end in denied airline boarding and visa entry delays.

Please observe: This info is meant for academic functions solely. If in case you have questions on your eligibility for an immigration profit or your immigration choices, please contact Joseph & Corridor at (303) 297-9171 to schedule a session with considered one of our skilled attorneys. In case you are already a shopper of Joseph & Corridor and have questions on your case, please contact your lawyer to debate your specific case.