COVID-19 Vaccine Required for Green Card

A Green Card, officially known as a Permanent Resident Card, is an identity document which shows that a person has permanent residency in the United States. Soon only persons who are vaccinated will be allowed to obtain a Green Card to reside in North America.

This requirement does not apply to non-immigrant visa classes such as tourist or student visas. However, in instances where the applicant is referred for a panel physician exam, that person will need to comply with the vaccination requirement.

Immigration lawyer Sekou Clarke says this requirement is not new as other immunization shots have been required for years. Clarke says though the President of America, Joe Biden, can require immigrants to be vaccinated, he does not have the power to require states to have everyone vaccinated because it is outside of his jurisdiction, therefore certain enforcement of the COVID-19 vaccine is currently not possible.

Meanwhile, the pandemic has affected visa processing worldwide which has led many us embassies to suspend consular operations for extended periods, this has ultimately resulted in backlogs. A spokesperson with the Embassy says this is a global problem that will require many months to resolve once the pandemic has been eliminated.

More in this CVM Live story from Paige Dixon: