The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on January 22, 2025, the elimination of the COVID-19 vaccination requirements for applicants adjusting their status to legal permanent resident in the United States.

This change means that applicants will no longer be required to submit documentation showing they have received the COVID-19 vaccine on Form I-693.

In conclusion, the requirements related to vaccination against the coronavirus will be eliminated for all cases of status adjustment.

Additionally, USCIS will not issue Requests for Evidence (RFE) or Notices of Intent to Deny (NOID) due to the lack of documentation confirming COVID-19 vaccination.

Therefore, no application for status adjustment will be denied for failing to provide evidence of COVID-19 vaccination.

Changes in the United States

This measure reflects the changes in the health and immigration policy of the United States, adapting to the current context, four years after the pandemic. In any case, it is important for applicants for status adjustment to stay informed about any additional updates that may arise in the future.

The COVID-19 vaccination requirement for applicants for adjustment of status in the United States This measure was introduced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which requires that the vaccines included in the Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record (Form I-693) comply with the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

The COVID-19 vaccine was added as part of the mandatory public health requirements for immigrants at that time, given the global impact of the pandemic. Applicants were required to provide evidence of having received the full series of vaccines approved or authorized by the FDA or listed for emergency use by the World Health Organization (WHO). This was part of the immigration medical examination, which was mandatory for those seeking to adjust their status to legal permanent resident in the United States.

Now, with the change announced on January 22, 2025, this requirement is officially eliminated.

The arrival of Trump

The change in the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for status adjustment applicants in the United States, announced by USCIS on January 22, 2025, coincides temporally with Donald Trump's arrival in the presidency. However, there is no official information directly linking this decision to the new administration. Therefore, it is likely that the exemption is due to the evolution of the pandemic and updates in public health guidelines.

Since taking office, Trump has signed several immigration-related decrees, including the elimination of birthright citizenship, which has been challenged by 18 Democratic states, arguing that it violates the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution.

President Trump has also reinstated the "Remain in Mexico" policy, which requires asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases are resolved in the United States. This, along with the disappearance of the information page about humanitarian parole and the CBP One application for international protection seekers, has left those waiting at the border for their credible fear interview in shock, and they are likely to seek alternative ways to enter the United States. Therefore, Trump has ordered the deployment of 1,500 soldiers to the border with Mexico in recent hours.

The Republican has also announced his intention to deport more than 11 million migrants living illegally in the United States, starting with those who have criminal records.