USCIS to Hold Certain Cases Pending Changes to Vaccination Requirements

USCIS to Hold Certain Cases Pending Changes to Vaccination Requirements
Posted By: admin | 2009.12.14
A new criterion was issued by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding vaccination requirements for applicants who wish to immigrate to the USA. These new vaccination requirements come into effect on December 14, 2009. So, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has been holding some immigration applications temporarily from November 13, 2009.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regulations require all immigrant visa applicants to attend a medical exam. Applicants should have taken the required vaccinations before attending the medical exam. All applicants should have their vaccination records with them when they come for physician’s review at the time of medical examination. This will surely speed up the process of immigration. Vaccinations for applicants in the United States are typically administered by a civil surgeon. If the applicant is outside the United States, then the vaccination is done by a panel physician.

Applicants who wish to immigrate to the United States are required to take certain vaccinations. Vaccines that have to be taken by applicants who wish to immigrate to the United States are: measles, rubella, pertusis, polio, mumps, tetanus diphtheria, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rotavirus, zoster, meningococcal disease, pneumococcal disease, human papilloma virus (HPV), Haemophilus influenzae type B, varicella, and seasonal influenza. The new criteria state that vaccination for herpes zoster and human papilloma virus (HPV) are no longer mandatory for USA immigration.

The USCIS is holding certain immigration applications until the new criterion comes into effect on December 14, 2009. After December 14, 2009, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has decided to hear pending applications in accordance with the new vaccination requirements. These new CDC vaccination criteria will surely help those applicants who had been denied citizenship solely based on their failure to submit proof of vaccination of these two diseases.