Updating AOS Medical Guides

[Kevin&Leilei 1]

Unfortunately, I read only the guide before heading off to my local civil surgeon. (The only one who didn't insist my wife needed another medical, that is.) The doctor wasn't sure exactly what was needed, so he filled out my outdated I-693A that I found (the guide said we needed one), and only part 2 of the I-693 that he printed out for us. Now that I wised up and started reading the AOS forum, I'm seeing that I need part 1, 2, and 5 of the I-693, (sealed in an envelope by the doctor?) which is not mentioned at all in the guide. So now I'm going to have to go back, and have him do it again, and pay for another office visit.

My point: Please revise the AOS guide!

[rsn 135]

Unfortunately, I read only the guide before heading off to my local civil surgeon. (The only one who didn't insist my wife needed another medical, that is.) The doctor wasn't sure exactly what was needed, so he filled out my outdated I-693A that I found (the guide said we needed one), and only part 2 of the I-693 that he printed out for us. Now that I wised up and started reading the AOS forum, I'm seeing that I need part 1, 2, and 5 of the I-693, (sealed in an envelope by the doctor?) which is not mentioned at all in the guide. So now I'm going to have to go back, and have him do it again, and pay for another office visit.

My point: Please revise the AOS guide!

Sounds like the civil surgeon you went to see is an idiot. Consider using Dr. L E Arnold. That office will do all transcriptions via mail-order for $30 and walk you through the process - very helpful people.

[youtube 0]

Unfortunately, I read only the guide before heading off to my local civil surgeon. (The only one who didn't insist my wife needed another medical, that is.) The doctor wasn't sure exactly what was needed, so he filled out my outdated I-693A that I found (the guide said we needed one), and only part 2 of the I-693 that he printed out for us. Now that I wised up and started reading the AOS forum, I'm seeing that I need part 1, 2, and 5 of the I-693, (sealed in an envelope by the doctor?) which is not mentioned at all in the guide. So now I'm going to have to go back, and have him do it again, and pay for another office visit.

My point: Please revise the AOS guide!

yes

be sure you have the sealed envelope for the vaccination in hand. check with the civil surgeon that the USCIS authorizes in your area.

He will check to be sure you have all the shots and up to date. some with insist on another physical (to make extra money).

If you had the shots done in China, he will transfer it. we still need boosters.

[Kevin&Leilei 1]

Sounds like the civil surgeon you went to see is an idiot.

Maybe so, but every office I called in my area required a detailed explanation, and they acted like they still didn't understand what was needed.

yes

be sure you have the sealed envelope for the vaccination in hand. check with the civil surgeon that the USCIS authorizes in your area.

He will check to be sure you have all the shots and up to date. some with insist on another physical (to make extra money).

If you had the shots done in China, he will transfer it. we still need boosters.

She had three shots in China, and the civil surgeon we saw here in the US determined she needed two more. He was just fuzzy on what was required, paperwork-wise.

[rebeccajo 14]

No offense meant, but why would you just dial up the Guide and go strictly by it?

That's what the forums are for. So you can check what's 'happening now'.

This isn't a paid-for service around here you know.

[TBoneTX 45,863]

No offense meant, but why would you just dial up the Guide and go strictly by it?

That's what the forums are for. So you can check what's 'happening now'.

This isn't a paid-for service around here you know.

In gentle rebuttal, this is exactly what the Guides are for, isn't it? The default answer from posters in every forum is "read the Guides." Granted, not every Guide can be instantaneously updated (and some can't be, until certain procedures shake themselves out and become clear), but this I-693 stuff has been confirmed for a while, hasn't it?

[rebeccajo 14]

No offense meant, but why would you just dial up the Guide and go strictly by it?

That's what the forums are for. So you can check what's 'happening now'.

This isn't a paid-for service around here you know.

In gentle rebuttal, this is exactly what the Guides are for, isn't it? The default answer from posters in every forum is "read the Guides." Granted, not every Guide can be instantaneously updated (and some can't be, until certain procedures shake themselves out and become clear), but this I-693 stuff has been confirmed for a while, hasn't it?

Yes it has. It needs changed for sure.

I couldn't even tell you what is in the Guides anymore. There was a very very very long time around here where they went unedited and there was lots of incorrect information in them. I became discouraged and gave up.

But I never approached our case that way - from a "Guide" standpoint. I always read to the "next step ahead" and prepared myself by researching many websites.

[Kevin&Leilei 1]

No offense meant, but why would you just dial up the Guide and go strictly by it?

That's what the forums are for. So you can check what's 'happening now'.

This isn't a paid-for service around here you know.

I've been here long enough to see hundreds of people be told to go read the guides, so that's what I did. I got frustrated trying to find a civil surgeon who would answer the phone or who didn't insist we needed another medical, so when I finally got hold of one who told us to come on in, no appointment needed, we just went. I wrongly assumed he would know what to do.

[rsn 135]

No offense meant, but why would you just dial up the Guide and go strictly by it?

That's what the forums are for. So you can check what's 'happening now'.

This isn't a paid-for service around here you know.

I've been here long enough to see hundreds of people be told to go read the guides, so that's what I did. I got frustrated trying to find a civil surgeon who would answer the phone or who didn't insist we needed another medical, so when I finally got hold of one who told us to come on in, no appointment needed, we just went. I wrongly assumed he would know what to do.

There are a lot of people on here who used Dr. L E Arnold for their AOS medical transcriptions and advice. Forget all of the other civil surgeons and stick with that one. I myself called a few others and got the impression that they are either crooks, ignorant, or ignorant crooks.

[nutmeg 0]

Total agreement with TBone and Kevin & LeiLei. What, indeed, is the POINT of having apparently generalized yet "OFFICIAL"/ "STANDARDIZED" guides if we are ultimately going to be referred to a seemingly endless number of threads in the forums that often contradict the "official" version referred to by default? Giving kudos to those who have the time, energy and/or money (i.e., money in the sense that you're apparently not having to make it by working a full-time job) to spend all day on VJ and/or other sites and read ahead to the "next step" is beside the point here, because whether you are merely skimming or you are up to your neck in subscriptions to different threads related to your question, you can't help but notice certain vague or flat-out incorrect tips in the guides.

On that note, I've also noticed (and am currently feeling perplexed by) the lack of info and the incorrect info in the AOS guides as to the medical requirements. What to do if you have NO COPY of medical "check form" cited by guides, NO DS 3025, and NO RECORD of immunizations/ vaccinations from your SO's country? Will Dr. Arnold's transcription service be of any use in this case? Or will we just have to pay for immunizations here in Colorado? And how do we know exactly what immunizations are needed when all the civil surgeons give different answers, which in turn differ from the USCIS website?

No offense meant, but why would you just dial up the Guide and go strictly by it?

That's what the forums are for. So you can check what's 'happening now'.

This isn't a paid-for service around here you know.

In gentle rebuttal, this is exactly what the Guides are for, isn't it? The default answer from posters in every forum is "read the Guides." Granted, not every Guide can be instantaneously updated (and some can't be, until certain procedures shake themselves out and become clear), but this I-693 stuff has been confirmed for a while, hasn't it?

[pushbrk 13,043]

Total agreement with TBone and Kevin & LeiLei. What, indeed, is the POINT of having apparently generalized yet "OFFICIAL"/ "STANDARDIZED" guides if we are ultimately going to be referred to a seemingly endless number of threads in the forums that often contradict the "official" version referred to by default? Giving kudos to those who have the time, energy and/or money (i.e., money in the sense that you're apparently not having to make it by working a full-time job) to spend all day on VJ and/or other sites and read ahead to the "next step" is beside the point here, because whether you are merely skimming or you are up to your neck in subscriptions to different threads related to your question, you can't help but notice certain vague or flat-out incorrect tips in the guides.

On that note, I've also noticed (and am currently feeling perplexed by) the lack of info and the incorrect info in the AOS guides as to the medical requirements. What to do if you have NO COPY of medical "check form" cited by guides, NO DS 3025, and NO RECORD of immunizations/ vaccinations from your SO's country? Will Dr. Arnold's transcription service be of any use in this case? Or will we just have to pay for immunizations here in Colorado? And how do we know exactly what immunizations are needed when all the civil surgeons give different answers, which in turn differ from the USCIS website?

No offense meant, but why would you just dial up the Guide and go strictly by it?

That's what the forums are for. So you can check what's 'happening now'.

This isn't a paid-for service around here you know.

In gentle rebuttal, this is exactly what the Guides are for, isn't it? The default answer from posters in every forum is "read the Guides." Granted, not every Guide can be instantaneously updated (and some can't be, until certain procedures shake themselves out and become clear), but this I-693 stuff has been confirmed for a while, hasn't it?

Updating the guides is a sore point and has been for a long time. I'd like to see the words "virtually obsolete" precede "K3" in the K3 guide title too, since in the real world, we spend the majority of the time in the K3 forum telling people just that. Deserves it's own topic, of course but people need to realize the purpose of this website is to make money for the owners through pay per click advertising it provides the platform for. Maybe they should think of spending some of that money hiring professionals to update the guides. Just a thought. Of course, that would cut down on the traffic and ad clicks. :-)

Edited October 7, 2009 by pushbrk

[Captain Ewok 1,900]

I would be more than happy to update any of the guides asap if you can point me in the right direction. Just refer me to the page and what is wrong, and if you know, what the right reply should be. This forum here is specifically for these types of requests. Often people may comment on out of date into in other locations however I probably wont see it unless it is here. I am not offended if you find a million little nits -- if anything I will be excited to get them all fixed!

[Captain Ewok 1,900]

I checked the I-485 Instructions and it states K1 and K2 holders having had a medical in the last year need only submit a vaccination supplement and not the entire medical report. Based on this, what should I be looking to change, add or remove in the AOS guide to make it more clear?

[Captain Ewok 1,900]

Revised.... please advise on one area that is "gray" so to speak: Can a complete DS-2035 sent in the brown envelope (all vaccinations completed) trump the need for an I-693 to be filed with the AOS package or needed at the interview?

New text in the AOS guide reads (will update if the above question is answered "yes"):

I-693, Medical Examination of Aliens Seeking Adjustment of Status. If you are a K-1, K-2, K3 or K-4 visa holder the I-693 instructions state that you are not required to have another medical examination as long as your Form I-485 is filed within one year of your overseas medical examination. You will, however, be required to complete portions of the I-693 and have a Civil Surgeon certify the form (and seal it in an evelope). Specifically you will complete Part 1 (Information about you) of the I-693 and provide both the form and your DS-3025 (if you have it, proving your vaccination history) and any proof of required vaccinations not completed prior to entering the US. If you do not have a copy of your DS-3025 you will need to provide sufficient evidence of your vaccination history to the Civil Surgeon (talk to the civil surgeon's office to discuss what vaccination records they accept as proof). If you do not have proof of your vaccination history the Civil Surgeon may insist on providing the required vaccinations prior to completing the I-693. Once the Civil Surgeon has has verified that all required vaccinations have been performed, the will complete form I-693 Part 2 (the vaccination section) and Part 5 (the Civil Surgeon's Certification). They will then seal the form in an envelope and return it to you.

[Captain Ewok 1,900]

I removed a section in the AOS guide about the medical (was not applicable anymore) and have now added this section to the K3 and K1 Guides which will help give people a chance (and reminder) to get a solid copy of their vaccination records overseas at the medical exam in case they need them (don't have the DS-2035 and need proof of vaccinations):

NOTE: Tip Regarding Vaccination Records

The K-1/2 beneficiary will be required by the embassy to have a "medical" done prior to the visa interview. Part of this interview will require that previous vaccinations are documented and potentially additional required vaccinations performed. Once this is complete the doctor will note this on a DS-2035 form that will be sent to the embassy. During the medical appointment request an official copy of the vaccination records from the physician (or a copy of the completed DS-2035 if they will give it to you) as this will be helpful to have on hand in the future (specifically it can be helpful when filing for Adjustment of Status if your DS-2035 form is not available).