Guidelines for Entering USCIS Facilities
In all areas of the country, all USCIS employees, on-site contractors, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status or level of COVID-19 transmission in your local area, are required to wear a mask inside all DHS and USCIS workspaces and federal buildings. All federal employees, on-site contractors, and visitors must continue to follow local USCIS guidance on physical distancing and workplace protection guidance consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and agency guidance.
You may not enter a USCIS facility if you:
Have any symptoms of COVID-19, including a recently developed cough, fever, difficulty breathing, new loss of smell or taste, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, congestion, sore throat, or vomiting (list is not all-inclusive);
Have been in close contact (within 6 feet for a total of 15 minutes or more) with anyone known to have COVID-19 in the last 14 days (unless you are fully vaccinated or you are a health care worker and consistently wear an N95 respirator and proper PPE or equivalent when in contact with COVID-19 positive individuals);
Have returned from domestic air, international air or cruise ship travel in the past 10 days (unless you are fully vaccinated);
Have been instructed to self-quarantine or self-isolate by a health care provider, public health authority or government agency within the last 14 days; or
Refuse to wear a face covering or mask in accordance with USCIS policy.
You may not enter the facility more than 15 minutes before your appointment (30 minutes for naturalization ceremonies).
We will provide hand sanitizer for visitors at entry points.
All staff and visitors must wear facial coverings, regardless of your vaccination status. Masks must cover both the mouth and nose inside USCIS facilities. We do not allow masks with exhaust valves, neck gaiters, or bandanas. If you do not have an acceptable face covering, we may offer a replacement or reschedule your appointment.
There will be markings and physical barriers in the facility; you must pay close attention to these signs to ensure you follow social distancing guidelines.
You may also have to answer health screening questions before entering a facility.
You should bring your own black or blue ink pens.
In DHS-controlled spaces, this guidance supersedes state, local, tribal, or territorial rules and regulations regarding face coverings. You are fully vaccinated if it is at least two weeks after your second dose in a two-dose series or at least two weeks after a single-dose vaccine.
More information on visiting USCIS facilities is available at uscis.gov/visitorpolicy.
That was just for entry, you can be denied benefits if you aren't vaccinated or haven't received a waiver.
COVID-19 Vaccination Required for Immigration Medical Examinations
Release Date
09/14/2021
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced that, effective Oct. 1, 2021, applicants subject to the immigration medical examination must complete the COVID-19 vaccine series before the civil surgeon can complete an immigration medical examination and sign Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record.
We are updating our policy guidance in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Aug. 17, 2021 update to the Technical Instructions for Civil Surgeons. That update requires applicants subject to the immigration medical examination to complete the COVID-19 vaccine series (one or two doses, depending on the vaccine) and provide documentation of vaccination to the civil surgeon before completion of the immigration medical examination. This requirement is effective Oct. 1, 2021, and applies prospectively to all Forms I-693 signed by the civil surgeons on or after that date. We are working on updating Form I-693 and the form instructions to incorporate this new requirement.
In general, individuals applying to become a lawful permanent resident, and other applicants as deemed necessary, must undergo an immigration medical examination to show they are free from any conditions that would render them inadmissible under the health-related grounds. USCIS designates eligible physicians as civil surgeons to perform this immigration medical examination for applicants within the United States and to document the results of the immigration medical examination on the Form I-693.
USCIS may grant blanket waivers if the COVID-19 vaccine is:
Not age-appropriate;
Contraindicated due to a medical condition;
Not routinely available where the civil surgeon practices; or
Limited in supply and would cause significant delay for the applicant to receive the vaccination.
Individuals may also apply for individual waivers based on religious beliefs or moral convictions by submitting Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility.
For more information, see the policy alert (PDF, 319.56 KB).
