St Lukes Medical Exam, Can my spouse do it early?

[Hank_ 9,174]

Because as far as I know St Lukes is the only medical facility in the Philippines that is certified by the US Government to do this physical. There is not other place...

Ya got to ignore some of that rant going on... its not aimed at you or your quest. Just some venting...

Yes SLEC is the only place authorized to do the medical for visas

[Bob & Joana 2]

Just to add my experience:

We're also a CR-1/IR-1. We did the medical early because I wanted to be absolutely sure that she wouldnt be flagged for sputum and delay the process. So as soon as we got her passport, I went with her to do st. lukes. You can go any time, just bring the NVC letter that she first received(and 2 copies!!), Passport, and the photos. They are very picky on the photos so make sure she is not wearing earrings -- my wife had earrings on and they made her retake the pictures(there is a place right across the street luckily). She does NOT need an appointment. I would recommend pre-registering online before you go and have her bring 2 copies of the registration paperwork. Bring copies of passport bio page just in case(cant remember if we needed that). Also, Their fee is due in Pesos only, not USD. She will need to stay over-night, as it is a 2 day procedure. We showed up kind of late at around 10:30am, and her first day was finished around 7pm. They scheduled her to return the second day at 2:30pm, and she was done with that by 4pm(they made her come back 2 weeks after for immunization since she was in a bad part of her menstrual cycle apparently?). Even with having to return later the second day they still gave us the chest x-ray CD and a receipt for the immunization schedule so your second day may take longer if she needs the shots done that day.

If everything is clear(no sputum) the medical(and in turn her visa) will be valid for only 6 months, so since you plan to leave as soon as you get the visa/cfo done im sure that is more time that you'll need. And im pretty sure they WILL turn away without the NVC letter in hand as they have so many people to process they cant simply take people off the street to 'make money' as someone else seems to think.

Good luck to you! Also, if you are looking for a hotel nearby we stayed at Best Western La Corona -- The big suite(with hottub, king bed, 2 TVs, Dining room, etc) was only $106/night! Only maybe half a kilometer walk(2 small blocks) away. Any questions feel free to message me.

[David & Diana R 1,005]

Just to add my experience:

We're also a CR-1/IR-1. We did the medical early because I wanted to be absolutely sure that she wouldnt be flagged for sputum and delay the process. So as soon as we got her passport, I went with her to do st. lukes. You can go any time, just bring the NVC letter that she first received(and 2 copies!!), Passport, and the photos. They are very picky on the photos so make sure she is not wearing earrings -- my wife had earrings on and they made her retake the pictures(there is a place right across the street luckily). She does NOT need an appointment. I would recommend pre-registering online before you go and have her bring 2 copies of the registration paperwork. Bring copies of passport bio page just in case(cant remember if we needed that). Also, Their fee is due in Pesos only, not USD. She will need to stay over-night, as it is a 2 day procedure. We showed up kind of late at around 10:30am, and her first day was finished around 7pm. They scheduled her to return the second day at 2:30pm, and she was done with that by 4pm(they made her come back 2 weeks after for immunization since she was in a bad part of her menstrual cycle apparently?). Even with having to return later the second day they still gave us the chest x-ray CD and a receipt for the immunization schedule so your second day may take longer if she needs the shots done that day.

If everything is clear(no sputum) the medical(and in turn her visa) will be valid for only 6 months, so since you plan to leave as soon as you get the visa/cfo done im sure that is more time that you'll need. And im pretty sure they WILL turn away without the NVC letter in hand as they have so many people to process they cant simply take people off the street to 'make money' as someone else seems to think.

Good luck to you! Also, if you are looking for a hotel nearby we stayed at Best Western La Corona -- The big suite(with hottub, king bed, 2 TVs, Dining room, etc) was only $106/night! Only maybe half a kilometer walk(2 small blocks) away. Any questions feel free to message me.

[David & Diana R 1,005]

Wow, thanks for all the info. Only problem is we DO NOT have a letter from NVC in hand yet. Well except for the NOA 1 and NOA 2. We do have the NVC number as well as the "NVC Receipt number". The problem is this. I am guessing (and hoping) if all goes smoothly she will be scheduled for her embassy interview in the next 4 or 5 weeks. She is in Cebu and will be attending some very serious classes at school and will not be able to leave the school or dorm to go to Manila during this time. So what I am trying to accomplish here is to get her to complete the medical this week before her intense classes start so she will not be rushed at the last minute to do this. She cannot miss her school. I pre-registered her at St Lukes already and on the on-line form it states if you do not yet have an embassy appointment date you enter January 1, 1970 in the appointment date field. I have to assume this means that you do not have to have an embassy appointment to take the physical? This make sense to you? I have received most replies that she can go ahead and get the physical exam done as long as she has an NVC number but am not sure what the exact answer is. I guess my best bet is to call St Lukes tomorrow morning when they open and ask. Only trouble is communication is not always the best over the phone. But I would hate to fly my wife up to Manila only to have her turned away by the guards. Maybe I should scan and email her the NOA 1 and NOA 2 so she can show those to the guard???? Any thought about this?

[sunandmoon 450]

Because as far as I know St Lukes is the only medical facility in the Philippines that is certified by the US Government to do this physical. There is not other place...

sorry. poorly worded reponse to statements made by another member. yes, SLEC is the only medical facility authorized by the US Embassy to do medical exams.

[sunandmoon 450]

But I would hate to fly my wife up to Manila only to have her turned away by the guards. Maybe I should scan and email her the NOA 1 and NOA 2 so she can show those to the guard???? Any thought about this?

in the past you could use your NOA2. that's what my wife used when she had her medical. I haven't noticed anyone mentioning it recently.

[Bob & Joana 2]

Wow, thanks for all the info. Only problem is we DO NOT have a letter from NVC in hand yet. Well except for the NOA 1 and NOA 2. We do have the NVC number as well as the "NVC Receipt number". The problem is this. I am guessing (and hoping) if all goes smoothly she will be scheduled for her embassy interview in the next 4 or 5 weeks. She is in Cebu and will be attending some very serious classes at school and will not be able to leave the school or dorm to go to Manila during this time. So what I am trying to accomplish here is to get her to complete the medical this week before her intense classes start so she will not be rushed at the last minute to do this. She cannot miss her school. I pre-registered her at St Lukes already and on the on-line form it states if you do not yet have an embassy appointment date you enter January 1, 1970 in the appointment date field. I have to assume this means that you do not have to have an embassy appointment to take the physical? This make sense to you? I have received most replies that she can go ahead and get the physical exam done as long as she has an NVC number but am not sure what the exact answer is. I guess my best bet is to call St Lukes tomorrow morning when they open and ask. Only trouble is communication is not always the best over the phone. But I would hate to fly my wife up to Manila only to have her turned away by the guards. Maybe I should scan and email her the NOA 1 and NOA 2 so she can show those to the guard???? Any thought about this?

You definitely do NOT need the interview letter as an ir-1/cr-1 applicant. We did our medical feb 25th, so at that time they did not require the letter IF you have the NVC instruction letter(they sent this letter to both of us -- US address and PH address). We used her copy, as it was slightly different from the one I received, but honestly the guards did not look at it that carefully. They did insist on having 2 copies(they left the original in my possession). Unfortunately I cannot confirm if having NOA2 AND the MNL number will get you entry...that is something she may want to call st. lukes and ask. We also read that people were saying it was accepted(I think either on here or somewhere else online) prior to doing the medical, but since we received the NVC letter it didnt really factor for us. The only thing they gave a hard time to us about was wanting something that confirmed the "preference category" which for us was CR-1 and we chose that on the pre-registration but they kept asking for a document that showed it and I instructed my wife to just tell them we are 100% sure that is correct and they eventually dropped it.

Yeah I understand not wanting to send her up to manila to be turned away at the door(that'd be quite expensive especially with booked hotel, airfare/travel, etc). Unfortunately you may have to wait until one of you receives the NVC letter(you'll probably get it first because philippines post office is horrible) as that item is specifically stated as acceptable on st. lukes website -- at least if you want the peace of mind to know that they cant legitimately refuse her at the door.

[madtownguy 164]

Okay, I'm willing to treat this thread like the "rule" of natural selection...

Why don't you link me up to all those people being admitted into St. Luke's without an MNL number. It should be a breeze for someone as smart as you! And while you're at it, I'm sure you wouldn't mind explaining how non-profits can exist even though they obviously don't make money. Then maybe you would care to explain how I'm wrong on #3 when you admit that you "call things appointments that sometimes are not." Sheesh...

What is truly sad is your outright admission that you don't care whether you misinform people, and that you selfishly expect someone else to sweep up after you. Having no regard for others on the Internet is a reflection of who you are in life.

It is the internet, if you don't understand that I'm sorry that you feel that you are the internet police. I am willing to bet you any money that I can get into St Lukes with out an MNL number when you can afford to take the bet talk to me. I would not make the bet for the same thing in the US because people can not be bought as easily. Non-profits make more money than profits, you making that comment just shows how stupid you are. Seriously I just started thinking about starting a non-profit company just to make money. I'm really not sure if you are the USC or the immigrant but either way you have a lot to learn. I've seen you on numerous occasions be a ###### or a #######, it's hard to tell cuz you seem to be in a f-ed up situation I can only feel sorry for the person on the other end.

Hank I appreciate the information you gave me, but regardless I double checked everything and in the end I would have been fine if I told them I was a chicken. I submitted my first paperwork with no pictures, I have a huge red mark in my history and still everything was still easy sailing. You could have told me that I need to jump up and down and sing the macarena and still I would have gotten approved. I do appreciate your help but if I really wanted someone here from any country tomorrow I could have it, just remember it's not what you know it's who you know. I was just trying to give my advice in this post, not everytime I'm going to be correct, I"ve notice before Tahoma being a ###### or ####### and it's about time someone calls them out. I may have grown up with a silver spooon but that doesn't mean I act like a #######, when someone it wrong I simply say hey you are not correct here are the facts. I feel bad for others that feel the need to try to be superior. I gave bad information on the internet, I have been lumped into millions of others who have done the same thing. I could tear you both apart, but in the end Tahoma you look like a ####### well before this thread, and Hank I don't know why you didn't just stay out of it. If you only knew what might have been in store for you. I will throw some pictures up of the world I live in tomorrow, when you realize how far you are from my level then you can try to put me down. It's as if the court jester tried to put the king in his place, what a sad sad mistake. Again Tahoma if you want to take the bet that I can't get an appointment at St Lukes without and MNL. If the bet is under 1000 USD I won't take it that's a chumps bet.

[Hank_ 9,174]

You definitely do NOT need the interview letter as an ir-1/cr-1 applicant. We did our medical feb 25th, so at that time they did not require the letter IF you have the NVC instruction letter(they sent this letter to both of us -- US address and PH address). We used her copy, as it was slightly different from the one I received, but honestly the guards did not look at it that carefully. They did insist on having 2 copies(they left the original in my possession). Unfortunately I cannot confirm if having NOA2 AND the MNL number will get you entry...that is something she may want to call st. lukes and ask. We also read that people were saying it was accepted(I think either on here or somewhere else online) prior to doing the medical, but since we received the NVC letter it didnt really factor for us. The only thing they gave a hard time to us about was wanting something that confirmed the "preference category" which for us was CR-1 and we chose that on the pre-registration but they kept asking for a document that showed it and I instructed my wife to just tell them we are 100% sure that is correct and they eventually dropped it.

Yeah I understand not wanting to send her up to manila to be turned away at the door(that'd be quite expensive especially with booked hotel, airfare/travel, etc). Unfortunately you may have to wait until one of you receives the NVC letter(you'll probably get it first because philippines post office is horrible) as that item is specifically stated as acceptable on st. lukes website -- at least if you want the peace of mind to know that they cant legitimately refuse her at the door.

The interview letter is needed with the K-1 visa for the medical, the Instructions letter from NVC with IR/CR-1

[Chetsky 5]

Also, the one thing I haven't yet seen in your proposed timeline is the CFO seminar. Sorry if I missed it, but don't forget, she cannot leave the country until that is done. And you'll need the visa to do it. SO, either you'll have to 1) do your interview, stay in manila until you get the visa, and then you can do the CFO in Manila (and maybe in Cebu too), or if you were going to Cebu after your interview, come back to Manila, do the CFO before you can leave.

Be aware that there CAN be delays with the CFO. Sometimes they are real jerks. It can turn into an all day thing, so give yourself a little buffer there.

BTW.....CFO can be done early and you only need to return for them to stamp the passport. I sent my wife a couple months ago and she completed CFO and was told just to return with passport after Visa Issued and they would stamp it.

[David & Diana R 1,005]

BTW.....CFO can be done early and you only need to return for them to stamp the passport. I sent my wife a couple months ago and she completed CFO and was told just to return with passport after Visa Issued and they would stamp it.

Yeah thanks she did the CFO already. Would not be surprised if they want more info when she goes back for stamp...they gave her such a run-a-round last time it was ridiculous. But she has her certificate and passport and hopefully VISA in a few month. Now all of a sudden her former High School Principla is trying to give us the shaft. My wife has been attending a private boarding school to get the 3 credits she needs to graduate. All of a sudden the former high school principal wants to have a meeting with my wife and the new high school administrator. Sounds like my wife needs to carry some more cash. Mahalo

[Chetsky 5]

I'm curious how many people have actually entered SLEC and see how they actually operate the facility. The work staff in there are CHAMPS, imagine the sheer volume of people they have to accomodate over a span of time. SLEC is more efficient than clinics and hospitals I've seen stateside. You get what you pay for, in terms of medical service provided, in fact it's a bargain compared to what similar services in the US would cost. My wife who is an RN by profession even commented and how good the staff was, she was surprised by how smooth the process was from start to finish. When my wife and I went to our local Civil Surgeon to get her medical transciption for AOS, the facility here would charge up to $600 for similar services provided NOT including the X-Ray.

As far as the medical process itself is concerned, they won't just let anybody into SLEC, you need to have the proper documentation to enter. The guards will follow the same protocol for every person trying to gain entrance into SLEC. Schedule your interview date, from there you register online at SLEC with the link provided above in an earlier post, then you can print out your SLEC documents and have them ready to present when your wife arrives in Manila. Be aware the process usually takes 2 days to complete and is on a first come first serve basis. People line up around 5am to get a spot in line. You want to leave enough room between your interview at USEM and your Medical exam at SLEC just in case you encounter any problems along the way.

As for the interview, assuming everything has gone well up to that point. If you get approved, then you can have your wife complete her CFO seminar(which is also first come first serve, with limited amount of seatings based on which country) and get the stamp in it at a later date after your Visa arrives. Remember the stage after approval can take time as well, some people are fortunate enough to get the visa as little as 3 days while others on average can take up to 2 weeks, assuming there are no additional hang ups along the way. 2go service will be the courier for the passport. You can always opt to select a branch office where to pick up the passport like MOA(Mall of Asia) or an actual house address. If you want faster service select to pick it up at one of their branches, that's one less step they'll need to make for delivery, it can save a few days from what I've seen, and as far as 2go tracing system is concerned, it's pretty much fail, don't try tracking the package, you'll get very frustrated with how they operate/update status. Just wait until you get a confirmation text indicating your package will be ready for pick-up(usually the next day after the message)

To Dave and Zola,

This is the best post on this feed. This is very good information to those that want to follow the rules. My wife has had full medical exam at St Lukes in September as a private medical exam, so it is possible to have an exam there, however, the process is different when it comes to this exam. St. Lukes is very very careful to follow the rules. If you want your paperwork to be correct at the embassy, I suggest you wait and follow the instructions above. No need to resort to payoffs and bribes at St. Lukes, they are all for the most part very responsible and efficient people. Also the medical exam is not at the same location as other medical exams, make sure you check the embassy website.

[David & Diana R 1,005]

Good news! My spouse and I both called St Lukes today by phone. We were both told that she can come in. Staff at St Lukes says all you need is NVC NUMBER. You do not need the letter from NVC. Of course you need the passport, passport photos, pre-registration forms, ID etc. but SHE DOES NOT NEED NVC LETTER OR APPOINTMENT. This is great! Wife will be going to Manila this week! GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME...

[Chetsky 5]

Good news! My spouse and I both called St Lukes today by phone. We were both told that she can come in. Staff at St Lukes says all you need is NVC NUMBER. You do not need the letter from NVC. Of course you need the passport, passport photos, pre-registration forms, ID etc. but SHE DOES NOT NEED NVC LETTER OR APPOINTMENT. This is great! Wife will be going to Manila this week! GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME...

Let us all know how that works out, It will be good news for all of us if it works.

[Hank_ 9,174]

NVC # or MNL # ?

I find it interesting they post on their website they require those documents and the guard asks to see those documents, for sure am interested in how that goes.

Edited April 8, 2013 by Hank_