Most medical conditions do not disqualify you from getting a green card. USCIS is not looking for perfect health. The immigration medical exam screens for a specific, narrow set of conditions defined in Section 212(a)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act: communicable diseases of public health significance, failure to meet vaccination requirements, physical or mental disorders with associated harmful behavior, and drug abuse or addiction. Everything outside those four categories is not grounds for inadmissibility, regardless of severity.
If you are in the Tampa Bay area and want to understand how these rules apply to your specific situation before your exam, immigration medical screening in Tampa at Medical Exams of Tampa is performed by a USCIS-designated civil surgeon with bilingual staff available.
The four categories that can make you inadmissible
1. Communicable diseases of public health significance
This is the most specific and most misunderstood category. USCIS does not define all communicable diseases as grounds for inadmissibility. Only those formally designated as «communicable diseases of public health significance» by the Department of Health and Human Services qualify. The current list includes:
- Active tuberculosis (pulmonary or extrapulmonary)
- Untreated infectious syphilis
- Untreated gonorrhea
- Infectious Hansen’s disease (leprosy)
- Other quarantinable communicable diseases as designated by Executive Order
HIV is not on this list. HIV was removed from the list of inadmissible conditions in January 2010 and does not affect green card eligibility. COVID-19 was added temporarily and removed as of January 20, 2025. A positive COVID-19 history has no bearing on admissibility.
Two points that matter most: first, latent TB (the bacteria present but inactive, non-contagious) is not a Class A condition and does not block your application. Only active TB does. Second, treated syphilis and treated gonorrhea, with documented proof of cure, are not inadmissible conditions. The key word in each case is «untreated.»
2. Failure to meet vaccination requirements
Missing required vaccinations is a grounds for inadmissibility, but it is also the easiest to resolve. The civil surgeon identifies missing vaccines at the appointment and either administers them on the spot or directs you to a pharmacy. Once documented, the deficiency is cleared. Vaccination requirements can also be waived if a vaccine is not medically appropriate for your age or health, or if you have a documented medical contraindication.
Applicants who refuse a required vaccine for religious or moral reasons must file Form I-601 to request a waiver. USCIS evaluates these on a case-by-case basis.
3. Physical or mental disorders with associated harmful behavior
This is one of the most misunderstood grounds. Having a mental health diagnosis does not make you inadmissible. Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, and most other psychiatric conditions are not grounds for denial on their own. What USCIS evaluates is whether the condition is currently associated with harmful behavior toward yourself, others, or property, or whether there is a likelihood of recurrence of such behavior.
A well-documented treatment history, current stability, and a letter from your treating provider explaining your current status are the strongest evidence you can bring to the appointment. The civil surgeon assesses the condition in context, not in isolation.
The same logic applies to physical disorders. Diabetes, heart disease, cancer, kidney disease, asthma, and other serious chronic conditions are not inadmissible. They are documented on Form I-693 as Class B findings, noted but not disqualifying.
4. Drug abuse and addiction
Current drug abuse or drug addiction is a Class A condition and a ground of inadmissibility. This is the one category for which no medical waiver is available under current USCIS policy. A civil surgeon who finds evidence of current drug abuse or active addiction cannot certify the form until the condition is in remission, documented by a subsequent civil surgeon evaluation.
Past drug use that is in documented remission is evaluated differently. A civil surgeon may classify a resolved substance use disorder as a Class B condition if there is sufficient evidence of treatment completion and current sobriety. This requires medical documentation from your treating provider.
Class A vs Class B: what the classification actually means
The civil surgeon records findings on Form I-693 under two classifications:
Class A: a condition that is a current ground of inadmissibility. Active communicable disease, unmet vaccination requirements, current harmful behavior, or active drug addiction. A Class A finding means USCIS cannot approve your I-485 until the condition is resolved or a waiver is granted.
Class B: a physical or mental abnormality, disease, or disability that is not currently a ground of inadmissibility but is documented for the record. Latent TB, treated syphilis, chronic disease, mental health diagnoses without harmful behavior, and past drug use in remission are common Class B findings. A Class B finding does not block your application.
What happens if a Class A condition is found
A Class A finding is not a permanent denial. It means your application is paused until the condition is addressed. For treatable infections like syphilis or gonorrhea, completing treatment and obtaining documentation from a treating physician is typically sufficient. For active TB, full treatment completion is required before the civil surgeon can finalize Form I-693.
For Class A conditions that cannot be treated or resolved, applicants may apply for a waiver of health-related inadmissibility using Form I-601. Waivers are available for most Class A conditions except drug abuse and addiction. USCIS evaluates waivers based on the nature of the condition, the applicant’s family ties in the U.S., and the potential public health risk.
Conditions that do not affect green card eligibility
To be specific: the following do not disqualify you from a green card, regardless of severity or treatment status:
- HIV/AIDS
- Diabetes (any type)
- Cancer (any type, active or in remission)
- Heart disease or hypertension
- Kidney disease or liver disease
- Asthma or respiratory conditions
- Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, or other psychiatric diagnoses without associated harmful behavior
- Latent tuberculosis
- Treated syphilis or gonorrhea with documented cure
- Physical disabilities or mobility impairments
- Pregnancy
Book your immigration medical exam in Tampa
Medical Exams of Tampa is a USCIS-designated civil surgeon office at 7345 Jackson Springs Rd, Tampa, FL. The civil surgeon evaluates each applicant individually and explains any findings clearly before sealing Form I-693. To schedule your USCIS health exam in Tampa, visit medicalexamstampa.com/immigration-exams or call 813-249-0001.
