Hi there, and need some advice

[skysurfer2007 0]

I am British, and my husband is American, he was stationed over here with the Air Force when we met and married. He is due to return to the US in December, so we have been in the process of applying for my visa. Because we are still in the UK, we are applying to the embassy in London.

We had gotten all the paperwork together, and i was in the process of filling out the form DS-230 when i read the part that states that if any of the following phrases apply to you, you are automatically ineligible for a visa to the US. Well, the first one said "any physical or mental condition that may pose a threat to yourself or others" (not quoted verbatim, obviously!). Well, there's where i've gotten scared, because i have bipolar disorder and although i have never posed a threat to either myself or another individual, if it is one of the conditions they consider to be a problem, then i am automatically denied a visa.

I have e-mailed the embassy, but i cant stop thinking about it, so i decided to ask if anyone else had similar experiences.

Any help would be welcome

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I doubt it would be an outright denial, but considered a condition where more information might be required. You may need to obtain proof that you are no threat to yourself or to any other person nor have you ever exhibited behaviour that could be considered dangerous. You may find it useful to contact one of the Panel Physicians - those designated by USCIS to perform immigration medicals - and ask him/her specifically about your own situation. Ask what evidence he/she would want/need from those who have/are treating you for this condition to show it is not a problem. The panel physician would be in a much better position to give you the answer you need. Good luck.

[skysurfer2007 0]

Forgive me for sounding dumb, but do you have any idea how i would even go about that?

Sorry for being such a pain!

[txladykat 1]

Go here: http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/in...ng_for_med_exam

Select your embassy and it will give you the forms and a list of the panel physicians for your area. I imagine the physician isn't going to just talk to you over the phone. You are going to need to do a medical anyways, which you can do at anytime during the visa process, so you might as well go ahead and get your medical done and speak to the physician at that time about it, this way you can deal with any issues that might arise.

If you look at the FAQ on their website about medical, it asks questions about violent behavior or having been institutionalizd, and since you don't have either of these, I would imagine it isn't a problem, but that isn't for me to decide... They are probably just going to need something from your treating physician on the bipolar.

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/in...#_What_if_the_6

[skysurfer2007 0]

I wasnt exactly institutionalized, but i did have to spend like 3 days in a psychiatric hospital because i had a horrible reaction to a new medication and it made me completely loopy, intensely suicidal etc. But it was actually the medication that did that, not my illness, so i can explain that to the physician i hope

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Have you doctor explain that to the physician in some sort of a letter - it will be official and less likely to cause concern.