Vaccination mandatory for new immigrants including applicants of permanent residence

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Tuesday announced that new immigrants are required to be fully vaccinated against coronavirus as part of its routine medical examination.

This includes most applicants of the permanent residence.

According to the USCIS, those who applying to become permanent resident are required to receive the immigration medical examination “to show they are free from any conditions that would render them inadmissible under the health-related grounds.”

The permanent resident applicants have already been required to take other vaccinations including measles, polio, influenza and tetanus.

The coronavirus vaccination requirement follows updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USCIS said. Exceptions to the requirement will be allowed for medical conditions, if there is a lack of vaccine supply or if the vaccine is “not age-appropriate” for the immigration applicant, USCIS said.

Religious or “moral convictions” exemptions may be requested on a case-by-case basis.