United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced. The new policy will come into force on October 1, 2021. However, the new policy exempts children who are too young to receive COVID-19 vaccine.
According to the USCIS: “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said last month that because its advisory committee has recommended COVID-19 vaccination for all Americans eligible to receive it, the vaccine should be required for US immigration applicants as well. The new policy stems from that announcement.”
Who is exempted?
According to the USCIS : “Anyone who objects to vaccines based on religious or moral convictions can request a waiver from the USCIS. However, there’s also a caveat: Prospective immigrants can’t pick and choose which vaccines they reject.”
“The applicant needs to demonstrate opposition to vaccinations in all forms, not just certain vaccinations,” USCIS added.
It’s understood that waivers will be evaluated by the USCIS on an individual basis.
About the Author
Wen Luo, JD, is the managing attorney of Luo & Associates Law Group, P.C. in New York, which she founded in 2018. She has more than 10 years of experience in U.S. immigration law and is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).
Her practice focuses on employment-based immigration, including H-1B, L-1 (including L-1A/EB-1C for multinational companies), O-1, EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3 petitions, adjustment of status (I-485) and naturalization. She works with clients in English and Chinese.