Immigration Vaccination Requirements and Waivers

INA 212(a)(1)(A)(ii) makes an immigrant visa or adjustment applicant inadmissible for failing to provide documentation of required vaccinations, subject to the statutory exception for certain adopted children and applicable waivers. Ordinary temporary nonimmigrant applicants are generally outside the reach of this specific ground.

No. Civil surgeons and panel physicians can review reliable records and permissible immunity evidence, administer missing age appropriate vaccines, or document a medically appropriate blanket waiver. Denial is not automatic simply because documentation was initially missing.

Bring all available medical and school records to the designated physician. The physician decides whether acceptable documentation of prior vaccination or immunity exists or whether a dose is needed under the applicable CDC instructions. An unsupported personal recollection normally is not enough.

Read the RFE carefully, contact a designated civil surgeon, correct any missing vaccination evidence or appropriate waiver notation, and submit the exact documents USCIS requests before the deadline. Preserve the required sealed Form I-693 packaging when applicable.

Yes. INA 212(g)(2)(A) covers an applicant who receives required vaccination; (B) provides a blanket waiver for vaccines certified as not medically appropriate; and (C) allows an individual waiver for a sincere religious belief or moral conviction opposing vaccinations generally. Religious or moral applicants generally request Form I-601. Ordinary nonimmigrants generally do not need a waiver because this particular ground does not apply to them.

The law names several diseases and includes additional vaccines recommended by ACIP. The CDC technical instructions and age appropriate schedule determine the current required vaccine rows. Requirements can change, so the designated physician must apply the instructions in effect for that examination.

No. Age, contraindications, sufficient intervals between doses, availability, and other CDC medical rules affect which doses are required or waived. The vaccination worksheet documents the determination for each relevant vaccine.

The physician certifies the proper not medically appropriate reason on Form I-693; the adjudicating agency recognizes the blanket waiver if documentation complies with the rules. The applicant does not file Form I-601 simply for a properly documented medically inappropriate vaccine.

Under CDC civil surgeon instructions, recognized reasons include not age appropriate, a contraindication or precaution, insufficient time to complete a series or receive the next dose, and influenza vaccine not being available because it is not flu season. The physician must document the applicable reason.

Yes, under INA 212(g)(2)(C) if the applicant establishes a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction against vaccination in all forms. The applicant submits Form I-601 when required and supporting evidence explaining the actual conviction; USCIS exercises discretion.

No. USCIS recognizes sincerely held religious beliefs and moral convictions, and membership in a recognized religious organization is not mandatory. The issue is sincerity and the nature and consistency of the belief.

Yes. USCIS generally requires opposition to vaccinations in all forms, not simply a preference to skip one particular vaccine. Previous vaccinations do not automatically defeat eligibility; the applicant should explain any change in convictions or other relevant circumstances.

No. INA 212(g)(2)(C) has no qualifying US citizen or permanent resident relative requirement and no statutory extreme hardship requirement. USCIS still decides whether a discretionary waiver is warranted.

If the vaccine is medically appropriate, an applicant who refuses it without qualifying for a religious or moral waiver or another applicable exception generally cannot obtain an INA 212(g)(2) waiver on personal preference alone and may remain inadmissible.

INA 212(a)(1)(A)(ii) expressly addresses people seeking admission as immigrants or adjustment of status, not ordinary B-1/B-2, F-1, or H-1B applicants. Thus this specific vaccination ground ordinarily does not apply; separate admissibility or medical rules may still matter.

Ordinary nonimmigrants generally do not need a 212(d)(3) waiver of 212(a)(1)(A)(ii), because the ground does not apply to them. If a separate inadmissibility ground applies, its own waiver analysis is required. K visa medical processing may involve immigrant-style requirements and should be assessed separately.

USCIS waived documentation of COVID-19 vaccination on Form I-693 for adjustment applicants effective January 22, 2025, and stated it would not issue an RFE or deny adjustment solely for that missing proof. Check the latest USCIS and CDC instructions for other immigration processes and updates.

Yes. INA 212(a)(1)(C) contains a narrowly defined exception for qualifying adopted children age 10 or younger seeking an immediate relative immigrant visa, where the sponsoring adoptive parent executes the required vaccination affidavit.

Sometimes. CDC instructions permit acceptable laboratory evidence of immunity for certain diseases, as reviewed and documented by the designated physician. It is not permissible to substitute any laboratory result for any vaccine without confirming the specific CDC rules.

No. An applicant whose medical examiner properly documents a blanket waiver ordinarily does not submit Form I-601 just for that omission. Individual religious or moral conviction waivers generally require Form I-601 for immigrant and adjustment applicants, subject to category-specific procedures.

For an individual religious or moral waiver, include the immigration and medical record, Form I-601 as required, a detailed signed statement explaining objection to vaccinations in all forms, the source and sincerity of that belief, explanations of any prior vaccinations, and credible corroborating evidence when available.