I-693A Trouble

[M. 0]

To recap prior threads: my husband only received one copy of his I-693A, which was taken off him at POE. We've been trying to find a civil surgeon in South Jersey to do a new one for him for the last week, with many offices' telephone lines constantly busy/engaged.

Here's the email I received at work from my Husband today:

The first one, the one in Mount Holly, had an annoying shrill old receptionist (who sounds like an elderly Rachel Ray) who wouldn't listen to begin with, and then when I finally managed to explain it in a way she could understand, started yelling at me for suggesting he'd do that when he has patients to see and that it would be a liability he wouldn't want to take on. Am working on the assumption that she is insane and that she probably still misunderstood exactly what I was asking for, so if I don't get any luck from the Camden and Cherry Hill ones then I'll try Mount Holly again and see if I can express myself monosyllaballically enough for her to understand. (I explained several times that I didn't need the shots themselves, just a doctor who could fill in the form saying I'd had the shots if a form listing the innoculation was faxed over from the UK. Despite this, I got the impression she still thought I wanted him to give me the supplemental shots. Which would explain the liability comment, I suppose.)

GAH! This is such a pain in my a$$. I've got everything else for the AOS packet ready to go, and with 31 days till his K-1 expires, I feel like we're running out of time and this one paper that has been holding us up for a week is going to keep holding us up forever.

Edited July 28, 2006 by redtapeknot

[john_and_marlene 162]

To recap prior threads: my husband only received one copy of his I-693A, which was taken off him at POE. We've been trying to find a civil surgeon in South Jersey to do a new one for him for the last week, with many offices' telephone lines constantly busy/engaged.

Here's the email I received at work from my Husband today:

The first one, the one in Mount Holly, had an annoying shrill old receptionist (who sounds like an elderly Rachel Ray) who wouldn't listen to begin with, and then when I finally managed to explain it in a way she could understand, started yelling at me for suggesting he'd do that when he has patients to see and that it would be a liability he wouldn't want to take on. Am working on the assumption that she is insane and that she probably still misunderstood exactly what I was asking for, so if I don't get any luck from the Camden and Cherry Hill ones then I'll try Mount Holly again and see if I can express myself monosyllaballically enough for her to understand. (I explained several times that I didn't need the shots themselves, just a doctor who could fill in the form saying I'd had the shots if a form listing the innoculation was faxed over from the UK. Despite this, I got the impression she still thought I wanted him to give me the supplemental shots. Which would explain the liability comment, I suppose.)

GAH! This is such a pain in my a$$. I've got everything else for the AOS packet ready to go, and with 31 days till his K-1 expires, I feel like we're running out of time and this one paper that has been holding us up for a week is going to keep holding us up forever.

If your vaccinations were complete at the K1 medical, you won't be asked for a supplemental vaccination form. It will be required only if you were missing some vaccinations.

If you are missing vaccinations, the AOS application does not need to be held up while you wait for them. You can file without the supplement and they will either request it later or ask you to bring it with you to the interview.

[M. 0]

If your vaccinations were complete at the K1 medical, you won't be asked for a supplemental vaccination form. It will be required only if you were missing some vaccinations.

If you are missing vaccinations, the AOS application does not need to be held up while you wait for them. You can file without the supplement and they will either request it later or ask you to bring it with you to the interview.

OMG, are you serious? We've been sitting on this AOS application for a week because we thought we couldn't file without the I-693A, and that if we did it'd be held up with an RFE or rejected outright!

(My husband was missing one vaccination, which he had immediately after the exam.)

[Alison 0]

Hi. I'm just filing for my AOS now and we get ours done before the 16th of August. I live in Michigan and I was given this website by KikiDoug (thanks KikiDoug) and it gave me a 5 pages of Civil Surgeons to where I was living, try it and hopefully you can get through to someone. I had to have a vaccination supplement form done because I had a blood test and a 2nd MMR to have everything up to date, the blood test is to see if I was immune to chicken pox, the kids have had it but I never caught from them.

http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/exec/cs/index.asp

Anyway, good luck to finding a civil szurgeon and tell, there is no need for another medical for your husband as he's already had it.

Alison.

[M. 0]

Hi. I'm just filing for my AOS now and we get ours done before the 16th of August. I live in Michigan and I was given this website by KikiDoug (thanks KikiDoug) and it gave me a 5 pages of Civil Surgeons to where I was living, try it and hopefully you can get through to someone. I had to have a vaccination supplement form done because I had a blood test and a 2nd MMR to have everything up to date, the blood test is to see if I was immune to chicken pox, the kids have had it but I never caught from them.

http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/exec/cs/index.asp

Anyway, good luck to finding a civil szurgeon and tell, there is no need for another medical for your husband as he's already had it.

Alison.

We already got that list. Where we live isn't particularly densely populated, so there's only 5 civil surgeons within 1 hour's drive, and we're hoping one of them will work. If not, the next closest after those five is 2 hrs away, and I'm really trying to avoid taking a full day off of work just to pick up a piece of paper. So far, we're getting no where.

[Alison 0]

Oh gosh that so is awful to hear that the civil surgeons there are so far apart. Well I hope you get through to the closest one soon especially at the Mount Holly one and that you get a nicer receptionist who understands better about your situation.

Alison.

[Yodrak 7]

redtapeknot,

Point of clarification: if a vaccination form was 'taken off' your husband at the POE is was a DS-3025, not an I-693A. And as aside I'd be interested in knowing how that happened - the original medical forms were in the brown envelope, I can't imigine why the CBP officer would ask your husband for his photocopy.

In any event, while john_and_marlene's comment is the ideal case it unfortunately does happen that many people do get an RFE for the I-693A even though they have submitted a complete DS-3025 with their AOS application.

In any event, you say that your husband did not get one of his vaccinations until after he'd had his medical exam, so his DS-3025 must be incomplete and he will be required to get an I-693A here in the USA. So I'm curious about 1 thing - you've been delaying submitting the I-485, to get the I-693A, for fear of a delay due to RFE after you submit. What's the difference - self imposed delay up front of USCIS impose delay later on? I personally would get into the queue ASAP and then use the time after to find a Civil Surgeon get prepared to answer the RFE if it comes.

Yodrak

If your vaccinations were complete at the K1 medical, you won't be asked for a supplemental vaccination form. It will be required only if you were missing some vaccinations.

If you are missing vaccinations, the AOS application does not need to be held up while you wait for them. You can file without the supplement and they will either request it later or ask you to bring it with you to the interview.

OMG, are you serious? We've been sitting on this AOS application for a week because we thought we couldn't file without the I-693A, and that if we did it'd be held up with an RFE or rejected outright!

(My husband was missing one vaccination, which he had immediately after the exam.)

Edited July 28, 2006 by Yodrak

[kaydee457 13]

To recap prior threads: my husband only received one copy of his I-693A, which was taken off him at POE. We've been trying to find a civil surgeon in South Jersey to do a new one for him for the last week, with many offices' telephone lines constantly busy/engaged.

Here's the email I received at work from my Husband today:

The first one, the one in Mount Holly, had an annoying shrill old receptionist (who sounds like an elderly Rachel Ray) who wouldn't listen to begin with, and then when I finally managed to explain it in a way she could understand, started yelling at me for suggesting he'd do that when he has patients to see and that it would be a liability he wouldn't want to take on. Am working on the assumption that she is insane and that she probably still misunderstood exactly what I was asking for, so if I don't get any luck from the Camden and Cherry Hill ones then I'll try Mount Holly again and see if I can express myself monosyllaballically enough for her to understand. (I explained several times that I didn't need the shots themselves, just a doctor who could fill in the form saying I'd had the shots if a form listing the innoculation was faxed over from the UK. Despite this, I got the impression she still thought I wanted him to give me the supplemental shots. Which would explain the liability comment, I suppose.)

GAH! This is such a pain in my a$$. I've got everything else for the AOS packet ready to go, and with 31 days till his K-1 expires, I feel like we're running out of time and this one paper that has been holding us up for a week is going to keep holding us up forever.

If your vaccinations were complete at the K1 medical, you won't be asked for a supplemental vaccination form. It will be required only if you were missing some vaccinations.

If you are missing vaccinations, the AOS application does not need to be held up while you wait for them. You can file without the supplement and they will either request it later or ask you to bring it with you to the interview.

This seemed to be the case in our situation also. I cannot understand how one would require a "Supplemental" if one has all the required vaccinations.

I supplied none and was subsequently approved without an interview.

[Buttons 0]

so then i don't send in the i693a, I just send the g325 and the i-485, then i file the ead locally after I receive my noa1 for the i485

This is so confusing, so many conflicting respones ???

Yodrak are you there oh knowledeable one !!!!!!!!!

[Miranda&James 8]

so then i don't send in the i693a, I just send the g325 and the i-485, then i file the ead locally after I receive my noa1 for the i485

This is so confusing, so many conflicting respones ???

Yodrak are you there oh knowledeable one !!!!!!!!!

You can file your AOS and EAD together, you mail them to the same Chicago address. At least, that's what we did and what I've read. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

[M. 0]

redtapeknot,

Point of clarification: if a vaccination form was 'taken off' your husband at the POE is was a DS-3025, not an I-693A. And as aside I'd be interested in knowing how that happened - the original medical forms were in the brown envelope, I can't imigine why the CBP officer would ask your husband for his photocopy.

In any event, while john_and_marlene's comment is the ideal case it unfortunately does happen that many people do get an RFE for the I-693A even though they have submitted a complete DS-3025 with their AOS application.

In any event, you say that your husband did not get one of his vaccinations until after he'd had his medical exam, so his DS-3025 must be incomplete and he will be required to get an I-693A here in the USA. So I'm curious about 1 thing - you've been delaying submitting the I-485, to get the I-693A, for fear of a delay due to RFE after you submit. What's the difference - self imposed delay up front of USCIS impose delay later on? I personally would get into the queue ASAP and then use the time after to find a Civil Surgeon get prepared to answer the RFE if it comes.

Yodrak

Clarification: my husband says he did not receive a photocopy, just a sealed envelope with all of his medical forms inside, which was taken off him at immigration. Not sure why he didn't get a photocopy, but at the time we were more concerned with getting him his K-1 than whether or not he had that photocopy, and as he had to get an MMR booster jab anyway, at the time we figured not having that photocopy after the medical exam was no big deal. We'd just get the supplement filled out when he got to the US.

As far as delaying the I-485 packet, I think getting an RFE was less of a concern than having the package outright returned or rejected, because our understanding was that this was a fairly critical document to have submitted. Obviously, I understand now that this is not the case. Like most of the people around here, I initially joined a lot of different message boards and LJ communities, and as a result, I received a lot of conflicting information. However, now that I've gotten a fairly straight answer, I think I'll be sending that package out first thing tomorrow.

While we're on the subject of the full package, btw, do you happen to know if I need to submit 2 photos for the I-485 & two additional for the EAD if we submit them together? Obviously, it's two separate filing fees, but I wasn't sure if they'd use the supporting documentation and photos from the I-485, or whether I'd need additional copies of the Visa, I-94, and photos.

[Yodrak 7]

Buttons,

Conflicting responses from VJers because of differing experiences with the USCIS - that's where the inconsistency begins.

Did you miss my earlier post in this thead?

Yodrak

...

This is so confusing, so many conflicting respones ???

Yodrak are you there ...

redtapeknot,

Thanks for the clarification. So the medical forms were in a separate sealed envelope than the large manilla envelope, and the CBP officer was correct to take the medical envelope and put it with the other materials.

The two applications must stand alone.

Yodrak

redtapeknot,

Point of clarification: if a vaccination form was 'taken off' your husband at the POE is was a DS-3025, not an I-693A. And as aside I'd be interested in knowing how that happened - the original medical forms were in the brown envelope, I can't imigine why the CBP officer would ask your husband for his photocopy.

...

Yodrak

Clarification: my husband says he did not receive a photocopy, just a sealed envelope with all of his medical forms inside, which was taken off him at immigration. Not sure why he didn't get a photocopy, but at the time we were more concerned with getting him his K-1 than whether or not he had that photocopy, and as he had to get an MMR booster jab anyway, at the time we figured not having that photocopy after the medical exam was no big deal. We'd just get the supplement filled out when he got to the US.

.....

While we're on the subject of the full package, btw, do you happen to know if I need to submit 2 photos for the I-485 & two additional for the EAD if we submit them together? Obviously, it's two separate filing fees, but I wasn't sure if they'd use the supporting documentation and photos from the I-485, or whether I'd need additional copies of the Visa, I-94, and photos.

Edited July 28, 2006 by Yodrak

[Buttons 0]

Buttons,

Conflicting responses from VJers because of differing experiences with the USCIS - that's where the inconsistency begins.

Did you miss my earlier post in this thead?

Yodrak

...

This is so confusing, so many conflicting respones ???

Yodrak are you there ...

redtapeknot,

Thanks for the clarification. So the medical forms were in a separate sealed envelope than the large manilla envelope, and the CBP officer was correct to take the medical envelope and put it with the other materials.

The two applications must stand alone.

Yodrak

redtapeknot,

Point of clarification: if a vaccination form was 'taken off' your husband at the POE is was a DS-3025, not an I-693A. And as aside I'd be interested in knowing how that happened - the original medical forms were in the brown envelope, I can't imigine why the CBP officer would ask your husband for his photocopy.

...

Yodrak

Clarification: my husband says he did not receive a photocopy, just a sealed envelope with all of his medical forms inside, which was taken off him at immigration. Not sure why he didn't get a photocopy, but at the time we were more concerned with getting him his K-1 than whether or not he had that photocopy, and as he had to get an MMR booster jab anyway, at the time we figured not having that photocopy after the medical exam was no big deal. We'd just get the supplement filled out when he got to the US.

.....

While we're on the subject of the full package, btw, do you happen to know if I need to submit 2 photos for the I-485 & two additional for the EAD if we submit them together? Obviously, it's two separate filing fees, but I wasn't sure if they'd use the supporting documentation and photos from the I-485, or whether I'd need additional copies of the Visa, I-94, and photos.

Thanks Yodrak. SO I will send in my i485 g325a and The I693a. Just like you suggested earlier. Then file the ead with my local office once i get the noa1 of the i485

[frndly1 1]

Why don't you submitt the documents at one time therefore you will not have to pay for the biometrics twice?

Buttons,

Conflicting responses from VJers because of differing experiences with the USCIS - that's where the inconsistency begins.

Did you miss my earlier post in this thead?

Yodrak

...

This is so confusing, so many conflicting respones ???

Yodrak are you there ...

redtapeknot,

Thanks for the clarification. So the medical forms were in a separate sealed envelope than the large manilla envelope, and the CBP officer was correct to take the medical envelope and put it with the other materials.

The two applications must stand alone.

Yodrak

redtapeknot,

Point of clarification: if a vaccination form was 'taken off' your husband at the POE is was a DS-3025, not an I-693A. And as aside I'd be interested in knowing how that happened - the original medical forms were in the brown envelope, I can't imigine why the CBP officer would ask your husband for his photocopy.

...

Yodrak

Clarification: my husband says he did not receive a photocopy, just a sealed envelope with all of his medical forms inside, which was taken off him at immigration. Not sure why he didn't get a photocopy, but at the time we were more concerned with getting him his K-1 than whether or not he had that photocopy, and as he had to get an MMR booster jab anyway, at the time we figured not having that photocopy after the medical exam was no big deal. We'd just get the supplement filled out when he got to the US.

.....

While we're on the subject of the full package, btw, do you happen to know if I need to submit 2 photos for the I-485 & two additional for the EAD if we submit them together? Obviously, it's two separate filing fees, but I wasn't sure if they'd use the supporting documentation and photos from the I-485, or whether I'd need additional copies of the Visa, I-94, and photos.

Thanks Yodrak. SO I will send in my i485 g325a and The I693a. Just like you suggested earlier. Then file the ead with my local office once i get the noa1 of the i485

[Yodrak 7]

Buttons,

Points of clarification:

- You will submit I-485 (and I-765, for EAD). The G-325A and I-693A are supporting documents for the I-485, not independent submissions.

- I-765 goes to the same place as I-485, not to a local office. You can submit it before, concurrent with, or after the I-485.

Yodrak

Thanks Yodrak. SO I will send in my i485 g325a and The I693a. Just like you suggested earlier. Then file the ead with my local office once i get the noa1 of the i485

frndly,

There's no paying the biometrics fee twice in any case.

There is no 'biometics fee' for the I-765, despite what the form introduction page on the USCIS web site says.

Yodrak

Why don't you submitt the documents at one time therefore you will not have to pay for the biometrics twice?