PA-2024-27
November 13, 2024
SUBJECT: Immigration Medical Examinations for Certain Afghan Nationals Who Arrived in the
United States During Operation Allies Welcome
Purpose
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating policy guidance in the USCIS
Policy Manual regarding immigration medical examinations completed by certain Afghan nationals
who arrived in the United States during Operation Allies Welcome (OAW).
Background
In general, noncitizens applying for immigration benefits who are required to demonstrate that they
are admissible, such as adjustment of status applicants, must submit documentation of an immigration
medical examination to show they are free from any conditions that would render them inadmissible
under the health-related grounds.1
Afghan nationals who arrived in the United States during OAW who apply for adjustment of status must submit documentation of a qualifying immigration medical examination to show they are free from any conditions that would render them inadmissible under the
health-related grounds.2
Based on recent consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding
the various scenarios under which Afghan nationals who arrived in the United States during OAW
received an immigration medical examination, USCIS is updating its policy to address the validity
periods for immigration medical examinations completed by such individuals.3 This guidance,
contained in Volume 8 of the Policy Manual, is effective immediately and applies to immigration
benefit requests filed or pending on or after the publication date of this USCIS Policy Manual update. The guidance contained in the Policy Manual is controlling and supersedes any related prior guidance.
Policy Highlights
• Provides that Afghan nationals who arrived in the United States during OAW and received a
full immigration medical examination conducted by a blanket-designated civil surgeon at a
government-run facility who annotated the results on Report of Immigration Medical
Examination and Vaccination Record (Form I-693), or by a panel physician abroad who
annotated the results on DS-7794 or DS-2054, will not have to repeat the immigration medical
examination when applying for adjustment of status if they meet certain conditions.
• Provides that a full immigration medical examination completed on behalf of certain Afghan
nationals who arrived in the United States during OAW is valid indefinitely to show that they
are free from any conditions that would render them inadmissible under the health-related
grounds as long as they meet certain conditions.
Summary of Changes
Affected Section: Volume 8 > Part B > Chapter 3 > Section B > Subsection 7, Certain Afghan
Nationals Applying for Adjustment of Status Following Evacuation Under Operation Allies
Welcome
• Revises the subsection heading, the first paragraph and bulleted list, and adds a paragraph to
the end of the section.
Affected Section: Volume 8 > Part B > Chapter 4 > Section C, Documentation Completed by Civil
Surgeon
• Revises footnote 23.
USCIS may also make other minor technical, stylistic, and conforming changes consistent with this
update.
Citation
Volume 8: Admissibility, Part B, Health-Related Grounds of Inadmissibility, Chapter 3,
Applicability of Medical Examination and Vaccination Requirement [8 USCIS-PM B.3]; and
Chapter 4, Review of Medical Examination Documentation [8 USCIS-PM B.4].
1 See INA 232 (immigration medical examination) and INA 212(a)(1) (health-related grounds of inadmissibility). See 8
CFR 232. 2 On August 29, 2021, President Biden directed DHS to lead implementation of ongoing efforts across the federal government to support vulnerable Afghan nationals, including those who worked alongside the U.S. government in Afghanistan for the past 2 decades, as they safely resettled in the United States. These coordinated efforts were initially referred to as Operation Allies Refuge, and the operation has since been renamed Operation Allies Welcome (OAW). 3 USCIS previously updated the USCIS Policy Manual to address immigration medical examinations conducted by panel physicians for Afghan nationals evacuating under OAW. See Use of Medical Examination Completed Abroad for Afghan Nationals Applying for Adjustment of Status After Evacuation Under Operation Allies Welcome, PA-2022-06, issued February 1, 2022.
https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/policy-manual-updates/20241113-I-693Validity.pdf