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CV NEWS FEED // The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) no longer requires green card applicants to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, as of Jan. 22.
The USCIS website states, “Effective January 22, 2025, USCIS waives any and all requirements that applicants for adjustment of status to that of a lawful permanent resident present documentation on their Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, that they received the COVID-19 vaccination.”
The announcement explained that the immigration will no longer deny applications that do not include a proof of vaccination. The new regulation applies to legal immigrants, such as foreign students, who are applying to become lawful permanent residents, also known as green card holders.
Congressman Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) celebrated the change on his X account and wrote, “For years LEGAL IMMIGRANTS faced deportation for not following COVID vax guidelines while millions of ILLEGAL ALIENS ignored these guidelines with impunity.”
Women’s sports activist Riley Gaines also celebrated the change, as her husband is an immigrant from England whose green card application was denied multiple times due to his refusal to receive the vaccine.
“I can’t even tell you the thousands of people in the same situation who have reached out over the past few years,” she wrote. “Promises made, promises kept. Thank you, @realDonaldTrump.”
