July '08 filers

[Talyss 0]

Well I kinda gave up on the I-693. I will send a copy of my vaccins form, the one my french doctor gave me. If they still have my medical folder at the USCIS I will be fine. If they want more I will bring this I-693 at the interview. I have to give 1010$ for the AOS so I will wait for the 110$ for the civil surgeon...

The USCIS website seems pretty clear that the I-693 is needed. Us July filers are likely the first people to suffer from the new requirements they set forth, so even though we've only seen a few RFE's for not having it, it seems like we'll be seeing more. I'll let you know how I get on with Dr. Arnold- $30 isn't bad at all for peace of mind and not risking delays!

We gave up and mailed everything but the I-693 this evening. We just want to get the EAD asap. We sent in the DS vaccination form from the UK medical in place of the I-693 but we'll be mailing the I-693 separately.

What did you do about tuberculosis stuff, Juliette?

Thought I would add my two cents worth.

In the instructions on the new I-693 (which specifies that it includes the updated guidance for vaccines and TST) for K1/K3 visas it says to complete section 1 yourself and get a civil surgeon to complete the vaccine supplement of part 2 and sign off part 5. This is basically the same as the vaccine certificate given at the medical, some countries don't give that certificate and some people haven't completed their vaccines for travel which is why I think there is confusion over whether all K1s need to send the I-693 when doing AOS.

The TST test is in another part of section 2, so a lot of people are interpreting this as meaning they are accepting the x-ray results for K1/K3s. There is only one couple I could find on the boards who were asked to get the TST done at interview.

One thing that people may want to consider before having the TST is whether or not you have had the BCG. If you have the TST done it will probably have to be done by a civil surgeon in order to get the I-693 signed off. Dr Arnold won't transcribe TST results. Several people on the boards have had strong positive reactions to the TST as they have had a BCG as a child, despite having negative chest x-rays they are meant to be spent for further screening to rule out latent TB. Public health departments seem to be too busy to see non-active cases and some civil surgeons seem reluctant to make the decision to sign off the form as clear and are reccomending therapy on the I-693. People are therefore in the quandry of having to prove at interview that they have complied with the treatment.

As a nurse who last had a TST about 6 years ago which was positive following a BGC 26 years before that (long outside the US guidance on when BCG will have run out) I have decided not to have a TST test unless they say I have to as I do not want to take a prolonged course of very strong drugs needlessly and don't fancy searching across several states to find a civil surgeon who understands the implications of BCG to sign me off.

For those that never had a BCG then its not an issue.

[Talyss 0]

Also on the subject of whether or not we even need an I-693 I have found conflicting information on the whether or not it is needed on the USCIS website - the I-485 itself does not specify it, although the I-693 contains instructions on what parts k1/k3 applicants need to complete, and this link says it is not needed if a you are a fiancee visa applicant with a medical in the last year

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...00045f3d6a1RCRD

Edited March 31, 2009 by Talyss

[Rob&Dawn 1]

I sent off the I-693 to Dr Arnold early last week along with the vaccination record from the UK doctors.

When i called Dr Arnolds office the lady i spoke to said the TB test was not a requisit for the I-693 on a K1. So hoping that is the case but if its required later i will get it done, but hopefully it will fly without needing it.

If the information that comes back from Dr Arnold is different i will let you all know.

[Rob&Dawn 1]

I'm still at packet 3 stage. waiting for my fiance to get all his forms and stuff together. He cant get a working printer. doesnt have one at home, work one is no good and even internet cafe one isnt working. He'll have to wait for next weekend to print out all the forms. ugh. Plus still waiting for police reports (he just requested those last week). how long do those take?

I'm pretty much done with my part, well almost, still need to get a couple things, but i'm in no rush if he hasnt even mailed back packet 3. this is frustrating me. Is it ok that we are taking forever to get pack 3 sent back? i know we have a 4 month deadline, but i'm sure we'll have it mailed in by april. I just want to get pack 3 mailed off. i wish i could do that part myself. i'm not a control freak...well, not really haha. Just like to make sure things get done!

I received my police certificate back within the 10days think it only took 7days!

You will be fine holding off on pkt3 for a few weeks, it hasn't been that long since you received it. I know of people that received it and didn't send it back for 6weeks.

[dillon 6]

Conmar got his visa today he will be here next week!

[Talyss 0]

Conmar got his visa today he will be here next week!

Great news! Congratulations

[Ju&Ja 1]

Conmar got his visa today he will be here next week!

Great !!! Congratulations !

For the I-693 stuff. For what I understood, the USCIS has our complete medical file, or is supposed to have it. My doctor in France and the girl at the embassy in Paris told me the same thing : You won't have to do medical in the US because you just did everything that they need. You just have to know that USCIS lose a lot of medical files, so be sure to have all your medical document (Chest Xray + Syphillis results + AIDS results + vaccins record) so you can get a new medical (I think the I-693) in case of.

So I think that as K1 holder we are not supposed to do the I-693 cuz' they have it in our medical folder, the one we carried in the brown envelope.

I will put a copy of my vaccins record and a copy of my Tuberculosis and blood results. If I get lucky it is cool, if I'm not I will do the I-693.

[Aubrey 10]

Conmar got his visa today he will be here next week!

Congrats, so happy your journey is done!

Edited March 31, 2009 by Aubrey

[Rob&Dawn 1]

Conmar got his visa today he will be here next week!

fantastic news.

[Terri and Seb 0]

Conmar got his visa today he will be here next week!

Congratulations!!!

Thanks for all the info Talyss! I didn't consider that some people don't have the DS3025 to submit with their application, I figured everyone did. I agree that there seems to be conflicting information on the I693 and if you look in the stickied thread about vaccination supplement forms, it seems a few people have been RFEd and asked to produce it plus their TB results. These new rules came into effect in July 2008, so we're among the first people to go through AOS since it's been implemented.

All that being said, we've already mailed our packet out with just the DS3025. We're going to pay the $30 to have Dr. Arnold transcribe the form this week and have it ready just in case we get an RFE. If we don't need it, we don't need it. Still not sure what to do about the TB test results, but I'm going to give USCIS a call and ask if a Civil Surgeon has to perform it, or if any physician can. Oh, immigration!

Edited March 31, 2009 by Terri and Seb

[Terri and Seb 0]

USCIS Update:

The man on the phone said it's all up to the discretion of the person reviewing our file. He said lately many people have been asked to require the I863 and many have not. Same with the tuberculosis test. He said not to mail anything at all in unless we get a request for it, as it will likely never make it with our case.

So we'll wait and see!

[PB&JAM 1]

Conmar got his visa today he will be here next week!

Awesome!!!! Congrats!!!! :dance: :dance:

[Ju&Ja 1]

USCIS Update:

The man on the phone said it's all up to the discretion of the person reviewing our file. He said lately many people have been asked to require the I863 and many have not. Same with the tuberculosis test. He said not to mail anything at all in unless we get a request for it, as it will likely never make it with our case.

So we'll wait and see!

Thanks for this information guys, you rock !

[PB&JAM 1]

I received my police certificate back within the 10days think it only took 7days!

You will be fine holding off on pkt3 for a few weeks, it hasn't been that long since you received it. I know of people that received it and didn't send it back for 6weeks.

Thats a relief thanks! OK, so if you guys can remember that far back to what you sent your SO for the interview, I am sending him:

evidence:

about 6 or so IM chats with varying dates, (is that enough?)

cell phone records of our texts for every month since August,

a couple things that say "call ended" on our IM thing (since my call logs werent saved on yahoo for some reason, tho i checked "save history". DOH!), boarding passes from both our visits,

about 10 pictures of us together (some from his 2nd visit here and some from my 2nd visit there)

receipts of purchases I made in England.

Plus he will include cards I sent him for bday, christmas, Valentine's. (I dont want to send the ones he got me...dont want to lose them). a couple "congrats on your engagement" cards we received from ppl.

Is this enough??

Copy of my passport and birth certificate.

New letters of intent

copy of noa2

2 new passport-style photos of me. (he is getting 8 of himself to be safe! )

Affidavit of support, tax transcripts for 2006-2008 and W2s for those years.

Letter from my employer. (I made 24k last year, is this good enough or should i send in bank letter to be really safe?)

paycheck stubs

then he is doing his forms, police records, letter of intent, checklist, passport photos (8!), his birth certificate, his medical, passport.

Ok, sound ok??? Anything else? I sure appreciate it! thanks!

one more Q he had. the photos he needs (2x2inch US size). He said UK size is different. (35mm by 45 mm) Is the latter size ok?

Edited April 1, 2009 by PB&JAM

[Aubrey 10]

I received my police certificate back within the 10days think it only took 7days!

You will be fine holding off on pkt3 for a few weeks, it hasn't been that long since you received it. I know of people that received it and didn't send it back for 6weeks.

Thats a relief thanks! OK, so if you guys can remember that far back to what you sent your SO for the interview, I am sending him:

evidence:

about 6 or so IM chats with varying dates, (is that enough?)

cell phone records of our texts for every month since August,

a couple things that say "call ended" on our IM thing (since my call logs werent saved on yahoo for some reason, tho i checked "save history". DOH!), boarding passes from both our visits,

about 10 pictures of us together (some from his 2nd visit here and some from my 2nd visit there)

receipts of purchases I made in England.

Plus he will include cards I sent him for bday, christmas, Valentine's. (I dont want to send the ones he got me...dont want to lose them). a couple "congrats on your engagement" cards we received from ppl.

Is this enough??

Copy of my passport and birth certificate.

New letters of intent

copy of noa2

2 new passport-style photos of me. (he is getting 8 of himself to be safe! )

Affidavit of support, tax transcripts for 2006-2008 and W2s for those years.

Letter from my employer. (I made 24k last year, is this good enough or should i send in bank letter to be really safe?)

paycheck stubs

then he is doing his forms, police records, letter of intent, checklist, passport photos (8!), his birth certificate, his medical, passport.

Ok, sound ok??? Anything else? I sure appreciate it! thanks!

one more Q he had. the photos he needs (2x2inch US size). He said UK size is different. (35mm by 45 mm) Is the latter size ok?

Andy had pictures and a couple cards, and they didn't want to see any of it (pretty common too, if you read the embassy reviews).

The passport pictures -- if you're not sure, just take those at the embassy. For some reason they made Andy redo his without his glasses, which baffled me since they made him wear them the first time since they're his usual. Most embassies have photo booths there for that.

You only need 1 tax year. Tell him not to volunteer extra (tax years, bank letter, etc) unless they ask for it. The more you provide the more they're allowed to request.

Sounds like you're overprepared. Best of luck!