The change and its date
USCIS announced on June 11, 2025 that it was revising the April 2024 indefinite-validity policy for certain Forms I-693.
The agency moved away from treating qualifying medical forms as indefinitely reusable across later applications after the original case was withdrawn or denied.
Current status
Effective policy: a Form I-693 signed on or after November 1, 2023 is generally valid only while the application with which it was submitted remains pending, subject to current exceptions and instructions.
This status is stated as of September 5, 2026. Readers should check the linked agency page before relying on it because court orders, implementation instructions, form editions, and agency guidance can change.
Why the distinction matters
Someone refiling adjustment may need a new medical even though an earlier civil-surgeon signature was once described as indefinitely valid.
An announcement date, publication date, effective date, filing date, and decision date can produce different consequences. Keep a dated copy of the official instruction that governed the action actually taken.
Practical preparation steps
This archive explains public information; it is not individualized legal advice. Do not change status, travel, employment, benefits, or filing strategy without checking the current rule and obtaining qualified legal advice where needed.
- Match the sealed or submitted medical to the exact adjustment case
- Check the civil surgeon and edition requirements
- Do not open a sealed envelope intended for USCIS
- Confirm whether a new medical is needed before refiling