Starting October 1, 2021, applicants for immigrant visas or green cards whose applications are pending before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and or the U.S. Embassies are required to show proof that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
This new policy was released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It will be applicable to applicants who complete their Medical Examination or their Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record on or after October 1, 2021. If the medical examination or I-693 was completed before October 1, 2021, and remains valid, proof of COVID-19 vaccination will not be required.
Applicants for green cards who refuse the vaccine and do not qualify for any of the CDCs limited exemptions will be deemed inadmissible and be denied their visas.
Vaccinations that are recognized as valid are the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine. If none of these vaccinations are available in the country of origin of the applicant, CDC will accept different-COVID-19 vaccines as recommended by its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
There are waivers and exemptions from the vaccine requirement that may be applied. CDC will waive COVID-19 vaccine requirement for individuals who are too young to safely receive vaccines and for people with contraindications, i.e., health conditions that indicate that s/he is likely to have a severe adverse reaction to the vaccine. It can also be waived for individuals from countries with no or limited COVID-19 vaccine supplies.
Exemptions of this requirement may be applied for visa applicants who refuse the vaccine based on religious or moral grounds. However, no exemption will be provided to those who claim that they contracted COVID-19 and are still immune to the virus.
