DS-3025 for Form I-693: When It Counts and When It Doesn’t

The DS-3025 is not a substitute for Form I-693. It is the State Department’s vaccination worksheet, completed by a panel physician abroad, and it can feed into your I-693 only when a USCIS-designated civil surgeon transfers it onto the form. If your overseas medical exam was recent and clean, you may not need a full new exam. You will still need a civil surgeon to complete the vaccination section correctly. Here is how that works, what to bring, and where applicants go wrong.

TL;DR

• The DS-3025 is a State Department vaccination worksheet filled out by a panel physician overseas. It is not the USCIS Form I-693.
• You may skip a repeat exam if you file Form I-485 within one year of the overseas exam and the panel physician found no Class A condition (or a waiver was granted and its terms were met).
• If the DS-3025 was not properly completed and included in the original report, a designated civil surgeon must complete Part 10 of Form I-693.
• Bring every written vaccination record you have. A civil surgeon cannot accept verbal history.
• Mail-in I-485 filers submit the I-693 in its original sealed envelope. Online filers open it, upload it, and keep the original and the envelope.

Table of Contents

• What the DS-3025 is, and what Form I-693 is
• When your overseas exam can carry over
• What the civil surgeon does with a DS-3025
• What to bring to your appointment
• Quick comparison: DS-3025 versus Form I-693
• Filing: sealed envelope, online filing, and validity
• If USCIS sends a request for evidence
• Our perspective: why vaccination paperwork causes most I-693 problems
• Where to get it done in Southern California
• Costs to expect
• FAQ
• Sources

What the DS-3025 is, and what Form I-693 is

The two forms come from different agencies and serve different stages of immigration.

The DS-3025 is titled Vaccination Documentation Worksheet. The State Department form says it is completed by a panel physician only. It lists vaccines, the dates you received them from a written record, and the reason a vaccine was not given if it was not medically appropriate. Panel physicians are the doctors approved to perform overseas medical exams for visa applicants, including K-1 fiancé(e) visa applicants.

Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, is the USCIS form for applicants adjusting status inside the United States. Under the I-693 instructions, only a USCIS-designated civil surgeon may perform that medical examination, with limited exceptions for military and health department blanket-designation arrangements.

So the answer to the search that brings most people here is no. A DS-3025 cannot replace a completed I-693 by itself. What it can do, in the right circumstances, is spare you a second full exam and supply the vaccination history a civil surgeon needs.

When your overseas exam can carry over

This question comes up most for K-1 visa holders who married and are now filing Form I-485. The USCIS instructions allow you to skip repeating the whole exam when two conditions are met:

1. You file Form I-485 within one year of the overseas medical exam.
2. The panel physician found no Class A condition, or a waiver was granted and its terms were met.

If both are true, your overseas exam may serve as your medical for the green card stage. The I-693 instructions add the catch that matters here: if the DS-3025 was not properly completed and included in the original report, a designated civil surgeon must complete Part 10 of Form I-693.

In practice, applicants run into trouble in three places:

• The K-1 packet was sealed and handed over at the visa interview, and the applicant never kept a copy of the vaccination worksheet.
• The worksheet is in the packet but incomplete or unsigned.
• More than a year has passed since the overseas exam by the time the I-485 is ready.

In any of these cases, a visit to a civil surgeon is the safe route. Don’t guess about whether your file qualifies. If you are unsure, take whatever documents you have to a civil surgeon and ask them to review them before you file. Our practice does this regularly, and the page on what happens at an immigration medical exam walks through the visit.

What the civil surgeon does with a DS-3025

A civil surgeon does not just staple the worksheet to your file. Vaccine entries must be reviewed against the CDC’s requirements, and the civil surgeon decides what is still needed.

According to the CDC’s technical instructions for civil surgeons, the civil surgeon determines which vaccines you need based on your age, your vaccination records, documented immunity, and the CDC’s Table 1. The list of vaccine-preventable diseases is age-dependent and includes diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, rotavirus, Hib, hepatitis A and B, meningococcal disease, varicella, pneumococcal disease, and influenza.

That means three things for your DS-3025:

• It is evidence, not an answer. The civil surgeon reads the dates, checks them against the schedule, and records the result on the I-693.
• Gaps get filled. If a required vaccine is missing, the civil surgeon can administer it, or you can get it from a private doctor and bring back proof.
• Contraindications are checked, not assumed. The CDC’s vaccination FAQ for civil surgeons tells civil surgeons to be vigilant when verifying contraindications, because some providers hold outdated or incorrect ideas about medical precautions.

What to bring to your appointment

USCIS tells applicants to bring all written vaccination records to the civil surgeon. For a K-1 or other overseas-exam applicant, build a folder like this:

• Your copy of the DS-3025, if you have one, and any other pages from the overseas medical report
• Childhood immunization cards, school records, or military records
• Records from a U.S. doctor, pharmacy, or health department, including digital printouts
• Lab results showing immunity (titers), if you have them
• Your passport, a photo ID and any prior immigration paperwork

Written records must show dates. The CDC states that a civil surgeon cannot accept verbal history of vaccination for Form I-693. Only valid written documentation with the month, day, and year of each dose will do. If your records are on a phone app or a state portal, our note on digital versus paper immunization records explains what to print and bring.

If your records are missing or incomplete

This is common, especially for people who grew up abroad. The USCIS vaccination page says that if your records are missing or incomplete, the civil surgeon can administer the required vaccines. You can also receive them from a private doctor and return with proof so the civil surgeon can complete the I-693.

Measles, mumps and rubella is the vaccine group where applicants most often ask about shortcuts. Our article on clearing MMR for the I-693 in one visit covers how immunity testing and vaccination fit into a single appointment.

Quick comparison: DS-3025 versus Form I-693

Filing: sealed envelope, online filing, and validity

Once the civil surgeon finishes, the I-693 comes back to you in a sealed envelope. The I-693 instructions tell you not to accept the form from the civil surgeon unless it is sealed.

How you file with Form I-485 determines what you do with that envelope, per the USCIS Form I-693 page:

• Filing by mail: submit the I-693 in the original sealed envelope.
• Filing online: open the envelope and upload the form, but keep the original and the envelope in case USCIS asks for them.

Opening an envelope by mistake on a paper filing is a common cause of trouble. If something happens to your envelope, ask your civil surgeon about a replacement.

Validity changed in 2025

USCIS changed how long a completed I-693 remains useful. A policy alert from June 11, 2025 says the form is generally valid only for as long as the specific immigration benefit application it was submitted with remains pending. It is no longer valid if that application is denied or withdrawn. The earlier approach, under which a form signed on or after November 1, 2023, counted as evidence for future applications, has been superseded.

The USCIS Policy Manual also notes that officers can request a new or updated I-693 if they have reason to believe the submitted form does not reflect your current medical condition. Check the form edition and the seal before you file, and read our guide to avoiding RFEs by checking edition, vaccines, and seal.

If USCIS sends a request for evidence

If USCIS asks you to correct or submit Form I-693, the Policy Manual says to follow the specific instructions in the Request for Evidence. Read the notice for the exact defect: a missing vaccination section, a wrong edition, an unsigned form, or an unsealed form. Do not simply send the DS-3025 again unless the notice directs you to.

The response deadline is printed on the RFE, so act promptly. Bring the notice to your civil surgeon so they can see what USCIS found lacking. We often see applicants who come to us after a delay, an error, or an exam done elsewhere, and a short review of the RFE usually shows exactly what must change.

Our perspective: why vaccination paperwork causes most I-693 problems

We have performed immigration medical exams since 2007, and we do nothing else: no primary care, no urgent care, no sick visits. After that many years, the pattern is clear. The exam itself is rarely what goes wrong. Paperwork goes wrong: a worksheet nobody kept, vaccine dates that do not match the schedule, a form signed too early, or an envelope opened too soon.

When someone arrives with a DS-3025, we treat it as one input among several. We read what it documents, compare it with the CDC schedule for the applicant’s age, and decide whether it is enough or whether titers or additional vaccines are needed. Then we run an internal quality review before the envelope is sealed, because our goal is a form that is right the first time.

Our advice to K-1 holders is simple: keep a copy of everything from your overseas exam, and do not assume it will cover you without a civil surgeon’s review. Bring it all, and let the civil surgeon decide what is usable.

— ImmigrationMedicalExams Medical Team

Where to get it done in Southern California

We serve applicants in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego and San Bernardino counties. Labs, vaccine review, required vaccinations when appropriate, and Form I-693 preparation all happen in one location, with a flat-package approach meant to limit surprise costs. Standard processing takes about 3 days, and there is a 2-day expedited option. You can book online at any hour.

If you want a quick turnaround, see our Standard 3-Day exam or the 2-Day Expedited exam. For the full picture of what we handle, start with our USCIS Form I-693 exam page. Our write-up on getting a sealed I-693 in 2 to 3 days in Southern California explains the timeline.

Costs to expect

USCIS states that applicants must pay all costs of the medical examination, including required follow-up tests or treatment. Civil surgeons set their own fees, and extras such as titer testing or vaccines depend on your record. For that reason, a DS-3025 that shows a complete series can lower your total, while an incomplete one can add vaccines. Our pricing page lists the extras, such as titer testing, additional vaccinations and replacement envelopes.

FAQ

Can I submit a DS-3025 instead of Form I-693?

Not by itself. The DS-3025 is a State Department worksheet from an overseas panel physician. If it was properly completed and included in your original overseas report, and you meet the one-year and Class A conditions, you may not need a new full exam. If it was not, a civil surgeon must complete Part 10 of Form I-693.

I had a K-1 medical exam. Do I need a new I-693?

Possibly not. You can skip the repeat exam if you file Form I-485 within one year of the overseas exam and the panel physician found no Class A condition, or a waiver was granted and its terms were met. If your worksheet is missing or incomplete, or more than a year has passed, see a civil surgeon.

What if I have no vaccination records?

The civil surgeon can give you the required vaccines, or you can get them from a private doctor and bring proof back. Verbal history is not accepted, so each dose needs written documentation with a full date. The civil surgeon decides what you need from your age, records and documented immunity.

Do I open the sealed envelope when I file?

It depends on how you file. For a mailed I-485, send the I-693 in its original sealed envelope. For an online I-485, open the envelope, upload the form, and keep both the original and the envelope.

Sources

• Form I-693 Instructions, USCIS
• DS-3025 Vaccination Documentation Worksheet, U.S. Department of State
• Vaccination Requirements, USCIS
• Vaccination Technical Instructions FAQs, CDC
• Vaccination, Technical Instructions for Civil Surgeons, CDC
• Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, USCIS
• Policy Alert on I-693 validity, USCIS, June 11, 2025
• Policy Manual, Volume 8, Part B, Chapter 4, USCIS

Recommended

• K-2 I-693: When One Year Can Spare You a Full Exam
• Finish I-693 in 2–3 Days: Timing for U.S. I-485 Applicants
• I-693 Results Can’t Follow a Closed U.S. Case to a New Filing
• Avoid I-485 Rejections: I-693 for Overstays After Dec 2, 2026