What is the TRUTH about DS-3025 and I-693

[LuvMyPortuGAL 1]

Help! We are seriously frustrated and confused as to what we need to do regarding the medical exam requirements on the AOS form.

Here is an entry we found on the AOS tips page:

If you are a K-1, K-2, K-3 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. Regardless of if you are exempt from a medical exam, you are still required to complete certain 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 that were 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 re-administering all the required vaccinations prior to completing the I-693. Once the Civil Surgeon has has verified that all required vaccinations have been performed, they 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.

Here is an entry we found on a VJ recommended thread regarding medical exam for AOS:

If the beneficiary's vaccinations were COMPLETED as part of the visa process, IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO INCLUDE FORM I-693 IN THE AOS SUBMISSION. All your medical information is enclosed in the brown envelope which was handed in at the POE. The envelope is then forwarded on to USCIS where it will be consolidated with the I-485 submission, once received. If you received a copy of the Vaccination Documentation Worksheet (Form DS-3025) from your Panel Physician, you may include a copy of that form in your AOS submission in place of Form I-693.

Unless I am missing it, can we please have ONE entry that spells out the requirements clearly? I think, though a great source, VJ drops the ball here and a LOT of time is wasted trying to figure out what is really required. Being the two comments above contradict each other, maybe the incorrect entry can be removed.

Anywayyyyy, my fiance had a full med exam and received some vaccinations (measles and Tetanus and diphtheria) prior to entry. However, we have no DS-3025. So what is it we need to do? Is I-693 required or not?? If we need to have proof of the vaccinations, we have NO IDEA how we would go about getting that being all med exam info was sealed in envelopes and we received copies of nothing.

A straight answer would be helpful.

Thanks to all.

PF

[justucia 0]

If we need to have proof of the vaccinations, we have NO IDEA how we would go about getting that being all med exam info was sealed in envelopes and we received copies of nothing.

you have no vaccination records from home country?

are you able to email place where medical was done and have them fax/email the vaccination records?

[Dakine 26]

Some people get away with just submitting the DS 3025. Others don't and get a RFE to get a DS 693.

In your case since you don't have a DS 3025 you will have to go see a CS and get the I-693. DON'T let the CS do a full medical. Shop around if they say you have to. LOTS will try to rip you off.

Do another post request if anyone knows a good CS in you area.

$50 is high!

Edited January 4, 2010 by Dakine

[LuvMyPortuGAL 1]

you have no vaccination records from home country?

are you able to email place where medical was done and have them fax/email the vaccination records?

Hi. Thanks for any help

Okay, I just talked to fiance as to exactly what happened.

Fiancee says that she had initial exam done. They sais she needs to go and get two vaccinations. She went to another health center and had them done and they entered the newly received vaccination information into her personal vaccination book that all Portuguese citizens are required to have as personal record. She faxed the pages of the book with relevant info to the Dr. that did the initial exam. He completed her records and the next day she went and picked up the sealed envelope to bring to her interview. So other than her Portuguese vaccination book (which is in Portuguese obviously), she has nothing.

We have no idea what the Dr. can provide or fax to us if we were to call and as. Not even sure what to as for. A DS-3025?? Do they know what that is in foreign countries??

So what next?

[justucia 0]

honestly- i have no idea

it makes my head swim

we got an RFE for I693

so my husband just redid a medical exam here in the usa for 180$

we are mailing in a new sealed envelope along with origianal RFE tomorrow

it's a racket

good luck

[Dakine 26]

Hi. Thanks for any help

Okay, I just talked to fiance as to exactly what happened.

Fiancee says that she had initial exam done. They sais she needs to go and get two vaccinations. She went to another health center and had them done and they entered the newly received vaccination information into her personal vaccination book that all Portuguese citizens are required to have as personal record. She faxed the pages of the book with relevant info to the Dr. that did the initial exam. He completed her records and the next day she went and picked up the sealed envelope to bring to her interview. So other than her Portuguese vaccination book (which is in Portuguese obviously), she has nothing.

We have no idea what the Dr. can provide or fax to us if we were to call and as. Not even sure what to as for. A DS-3025?? Do they know what that is in foreign countries??

So what next?

The doctors that give the immigration exams know what a DS 3025 vaccination record is and should have given her one. I'd try calling the doctor that gave her the vaccinations. Faxed copy would be OK

BTW This happens frequently. Are you SURE she dosn't have the DS 3025. Has small print at the bottom of the form saying DS 3025.

Edited January 4, 2010 by Dakine

[Anh map 2,098]

The truth that you are seeking is that there is no 100% answer. The shots given at the overseas civil surgeons can vary and the requirements can change.

For example, there was a change of required vaccinations that occured in mid December that required another VJ member I know to have an additional shot due to the fact that their interview occured a few days after the new requirement went into effect.

Your I-693 was in the brown envelope that contains your files that will be sent to the interviewing officer. Many beneficiaries do get the DS-3025 from the civil surgeon and submit a copy of that with their AOS package. I would contact the civil surgeon that completed the I-693 and request the Vaccination Record.

[Dakine 26]

The truth that you are seeking is that there is no 100% answer. The shots given at the overseas civil surgeons can vary and the requirements can change.

For example, there was a change of required vaccinations that occured in mid December that required another VJ member I know to have an additional shot due to the fact that their interview occured a few days after the new requirement went into effect.

Your I-693 was in the brown envelope that contains your files that will be sent to the interviewing officer. Many beneficiaries do get the DS-3025 from the civil surgeon and submit a copy of that with their AOS package. I would contact the civil surgeon that completed the I-693 and request the Vaccination Record.

From what I've seen the OP hasn't been to a CS yet.

Many beneficiaries do get the DS-3025 from the civil surgeon

Are you talking about foreign immigration doctor? Not a USCIS CS?

[LuvMyPortuGAL 1]

From what I've seen the OP hasn't been to a CS yet.

Many beneficiaries do get the DS-3025 from the civil surgeon

Are you talking about foreign immigration doctor? Not a USCIS CS?

She was directed to have her exam performed by a foreign medical doctor as chosen by the Consulate. I don't know if the foreign doctors that are "approved" by the Consulate are also CS (as they are called in the U.S.).

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

She was directed to have her exam performed by a foreign medical doctor as chosen by the Consulate. I don't know if the foreign doctors that are "approved" by the Consulate are also CS (as they are called in the U.S.).

The doctors overseas approved by the Dept of State are called Panel Physicians. The visa is approved/issued by the Dept of State, which is over foreign embassies. That's why most of the forms are called DS-xxx, ie the application forms and the medical forms.

The USCIS handles adjustment of status. It falls under the Dept of Homeland Security. That's a totally different US government department. Their approved doctors in the US are called Civil Surgeons. Most forms you send to USCIS start with I-xxxx , for immigration I suppose.

And the third US government department involved is the Dept of Health and Human Services. A sub department of it is the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Division of Global Migration and Quarantine (DGMQ) which actually makes up the recommended list of immunizations for Americans. The DHS/USCIS has adopted their required list based on CDC recommendations. A big change in immunization/medical requirements were in the spring of 2008. Then in December 2009, the HPV and zoster were dropped from that "new" list.

So you can see there are three separate US Cabinet departments at work here tweaking their rules and forms. It's not like they all sit down together and make an easy to understand plan. Some of the changes are because one department made a change which has an effect on the other's adopted rules or forms. Sometimes the rules change and it makes the old forms sound confusing or contradictory, but they don't go through the process to change each form. Many forms/instructions work well for typical immigrant categories, but K1s are a little different. They get a "non-immigrant" visa but arrive in the US and turn into an immigrant by marrying and applying for AOS. They had a recent medical exam by a DOS approved panel physician to get the visa. So USCIS tweaks their rules to say "ok, we'll let you use that exam instead of the Civil Surgeon exam we require of people who have been in the US adusting from student, worker, religious, etc visas." But their forms and instructions are one-size-fits-all and thus we get confused about what the K1 rules are.

For most of 2009, this is what worked for most K1 AOS applicants:

(1) No shots were required in order to get a "non-immigrant" visa, BUT if you got every shot appropriate for you that was required for AOS, and if those shots were recorded on the DS-3025 by a Panel Physician, you could send that form (photocopy) instead of having anything done by a CS on the I-693. It worked for dozens and dozens of people.

(2) Or, if you came to the US and still needed a few shots, then your shots from your country plus new shots in the US had to be put on one piece of paper (I-693) and signed/sealed by a Civil Surgeon.

Then just at the end of 2009, a bunch of RFEs came that said to submit "a properly completed I-693." People are again totally confused by that new vague statement. The RFEs came not only to people who who submitted the DS3025, BUT they also came to people who had submitted the signed/sealed I-693 from a Civil Surgeon. So you've got both ways of doing things that worked all of 2009, suddenly being rejected.

Bottom line: There is no clear-cut answer to what you should do. Yes, her immunization records are supposed to be in the POE brown envelope. BUT will USCIS order those to match up with her AOS application or will they "lose" them? Will the contractor opening the AOS application package just see no medical and immediately "bounce" the application because he's not thinking about the K1 exceptions to the main medical exam rules? Does the USCIS really want you to repeat an exam you had a few months ago?

[Maverick64 0]

My fiancee had her medical in November 2009, she also DID NOT receive a DS-3025, but DID receive a paper from the hospital where the medical was conducted that shows she received 3 shots (MMR, Tetanus and one other that I cant think of right now). So I can assume that she can take that paper to the civil surgeon to show correct? Surely they would not require those injections again?

[payxibka 10,045]

What is happening is that the USCIS appears to be in transition from how they previously adjudicated the vaccination requirement to something completely different.... VJ has not dropped the ball, but has highlighted (quite quickly I might add) that this is occuring... The changeover appears to have occured sometime this fall with RFE's happening as early as October/November..... Notice of this changeover first appeared in November. Pretty darn quick....

[justucia 0]

What is happening is that the USCIS appears to be in transition from how they previously adjudicated the vaccination requirement to something completely different.... VJ has not dropped the ball, but has highlighted (quite quickly I might add) that this is occuring... The changeover appears to have occured sometime this fall with RFE's happening as early as October/November..... Notice of this changeover first appeared in November. Pretty darn quick....

i agree

[LuvMyPortuGAL 1]

What is happening is that the USCIS appears to be in transition from how they previously adjudicated the vaccination requirement to something completely different.... VJ has not dropped the ball, but has highlighted (quite quickly I might add) that this is occuring... The changeover appears to have occured sometime this fall with RFE's happening as early as October/November..... Notice of this changeover first appeared in November. Pretty darn quick....

Hi all ..

Thanks for the replies. I think this thread will be helpful to a lot of folks.

Here is what has transpired recently:

1- called medical doctor in Portugal. Secretary said to ask for the DS-3025 is not common and does not sound right and she was told she needs to speak with the doctor who will be in tomorrow. We are NOT happy about this road block.

2 - Called USCIS and they said I can call Customs and Border control to get a copy of the DS-3025 but they are not sure what they will say. She said we should have the I-693 in our application and if she can't get proof of the vaccinations she will need to have a new exam and have the vaccinations done again.

That is all so far.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Here is my straight answer. It will not apply to every case.

I brought my wife and two children from Ukraine (K-1 plus 2 k-2s). They all had all necessary vaccinations before arriving. They took the vaccination records to the medical exam in Kiev where the panel physician at the medical clinic transcribed their vaccination records onto the DS-3025 and gave that to us.

We sent in the AOS for all three people with ONLY the DS-3025. All received green cards without a question asked. We never used a form I-693.