Chicago Civil Surgeons and Medical Questions - RFE

[CurbsideProphet 0]

Hi Folks,

I've been swimming around in the I-693-related posts on here for the last 45 minutes (including the pinned FAQs) and am only ending up more confused. Help, please!

Here's the scoop:

We submitted our I-485 AOS packet a few months ago but did not have the vaccination stuff completed prior to the packet submission. (We did this on purpose at the advice of a lawyer, actually. Essentially we needed to be in process for the EAD/AP before we could get all of the appointments and such taken care of for the I-693.) Our EAD and AP were approved a handful of weeks ago and we just received the expected RFE for the I-693. Now we're trying to figure out how to respond to it.

My husband had his K-1 medical exam at the consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, in March. He shouldn't need a medical exam, but it seems like all of the Chicago-area Civil Surgeons I talk to don't know much about what they're supposed doing. (Actually, a lot of the doctors listed on the CS Finder at uscis.gov are either no longer serving in that capacity or aren't even reachable by the listed telephone numbers. Ugh.)

A few questions for you all, then.

1. Does anybody have experience with a Chicago-area Civil Surgeon that you could recommend? We live just northwest of downtown but would go anywhere north of the city if someone is good.

2. My husband is missing a couple of the required vaccinations. Does he need to see a CS in order for the CS to tell him which vaccinations to get (or whether they're "medically inappropriate" for him)? If not, can my husband just go to a community health center with a list and say "Hey, give me these shots?"

3. Do Civil Surgeons give vaccinations and complete paperwork all in one visit or should we anticipate more than one?

4. Will he have to have a TB skin test even if he had a chest x-ray at the exam in Mexico? Since he was not given a copy of his exam results how will he prove to the CS that he's already had chest x-rays?

This all seems so silly by now. Let's just get the show on the road already!

Thanks for your help.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

What many people do is get the shots they need at a health department or private doctor. Make sure it has some kind of "formal" documentation like name of clinic, address, phone number and signed. You should also have a DS3025 from the medical in Mexico showing any previous shots or history of disease. Then people send their immunization documentation to Dr. L.E. Arnold in Austin, TX who will fill out the I-693 immunization section for a $30-$35 fee and send the sealed document back to you by Priority Mail. You call the office and leave your number. They will get back to you to talk you through all you should send them. People choose Dr. Arnold because of all the problems you stated with civil surgeons.

I personally wouldn't worry about the TB test. It doesn't seem to be the "issue" that was rampant last fall. Many, many people have been approved without a TST. Your medical records from Mexico state that you do not have TB and that seems to satisfy USCIS. And TB skin tests are not immunization. They would be part of a full medical exam, just like a test for veneral disease or AIDS.

You can also choose to get the immunizations and forms done by a Civil Surgeon in one day. TST would mean a trip back to read the results, but I don't think you need it.

You can read all that is required by age, gender in this document straight from CDC who makes up the rules. There are very detailed bits of information in the footnotes that should answer any questions you have after looking at the chart on page 2.

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5753-Immunization.pdf

Edited August 3, 2009 by Nich-Nick

[CurbsideProphet 0]

What many people do is get the shots they need at a health department or private doctor. Make sure it has some kind of "formal" documentation like name of clinic, address, phone number and signed. You should also have a DS3025 from the medical in Mexico showing any previous shots or history of disease. Then people send their immunization documentation to Dr. L.E. Arnold in Austin, TX who will fill out the I-693 immunization section for a $30-$35 fee and send the sealed document back to you by Priority Mail. You call the office and leave your number. They will get back to you to talk you through all you should send them. People choose Dr. Arnold because of all the problems you stated with civil surgeons.

I personally wouldn't worry about the TB test. It doesn't seem to be the "issue" that was rampant last fall. Many, many people have been approved without a TST. Your medical records from Mexico state that you do not have TB and that seems to satisfy USCIS. And TB skin tests are not immunization. They would be part of a full medical exam, just like a test for veneral disease or AIDS.

You can also choose to get the immunizations and forms done by a Civil Surgeon in one day. TST would mean a trip back to read the results, but I don't think you need it.

You can read all that is required by age, gender in this document straight from CDC who makes up the rules. There are very detailed bits of information in the footnotes that should answer any questions you have after looking at the chart on page 2.

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5753-Immunization.pdf

Thanks so much; this is very helpful.