TB test

[HOPE11 0]

Has anyone got an approved AOS without a tb test for the medical? I asked because I have heard most have to take a tb test for the AOS. When i took my medical there was no discussion of tb test. Would greatly apprecitae anyone's experience regarding this...

[Hell0W0rld 10]

it's required, the TB skin test is noted on your yellow vaccination booklet.

Tuberculin (TB) Skin Test: All applicants age 2 and older are required to have a tuberculin skin test (TST). Applicants under the age of 2 years may be required to have a tuberculin skin test if tuberculosis (TB) is suspected or if the applicant has a history of contact with a known TB case, or if there is any other reason to suspect TB.

After the skin test, you will have to return to the civil surgeon within 2-3 days to have the results read. If you have a reaction of 4 mm or less, you won't need any further tests for TB, unless you have signs or symptoms of TB or immunosupression. A chest X-ray is required for all applicants when the reaction to the TST is 5 mm or more, including pregnant women.

If the doctor thinks you are infected with tuberculosis, you may have to go to the local health department and more tests may have to be done.

Applicants with Class A tuberculosis must complete a full course of TB treatment before receiving medical clearance by USCIS for adjustment of status.

Sputum cultures and drug susceptibility testing for positive cultures are required for applicants with chest x-ray findings suggestive of active TB disease.

Unless one of the exceptions listed in the Technical instructions apply, the designated physician must administer the TST and can not just perform a chest x-ray directly. If it is done that way, an acceptable reason for omitting the TST must be noted on Form I-693.

[HOPE11 0]

Thank you so much for your reply. I already went to the civil surgen and showed my medical copy and my vaccination record from local health department. I had chest x ray done during my medical which says normal taken last year. The civil surgeon did not administer tb skin test to me. He signed the form and sealed it for USCIS. I guess i just have to wait if i get RFE in the future...

[Calypso 464]

Don't hope for an RFE.

I didn't get a TST either just like some other January 2010 AOS filers.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Thank you so much for your reply. I already went to the civil surgen and showed my medical copy and my vaccination record from local health department. I had chest x ray done during my medical which says normal taken last year. The civil surgeon did not administer tb skin test to me. He signed the form and sealed it for USCIS. I guess i just have to wait if i get RFE in the future...

Don't worry, you won't get one. A TB test is not required if you're AOS from K1 or other types that had a medical for their visa to GET to the US. Some CS's are trying to get money out of people by telling them it's required but the simple truth is it isn't, as a K1 applicant (or other that's had a medical in the last year) only the vaccination transcription is required (and shots if you don't have them).

Edited February 7, 2010 by Vanessa&Tony

[HeatDeath 430]

TB tests seem to be handled differently in different countries. In Canada, the normal practice seems to be to just give everyone a chest xray (unless it's a pregnant woman: they can exempt. I don't know if they get instructed to get a chest xray/TB test from a CS once they deliver and/or arrive in the US though.), and to only administer the skin or sputum tests if something abnormal shows up on the xray.

On the advice of the consulate when they issued me the visa and visa packet, I asked for and received a copy of my complete medical from from the PoE ("The small sealed envelope contains three copies of your medical. You should ask for one of them from the Customs officer when you go to enter the US."). I was mildly concerned to see that the TB test section was blank, except for an indication that the xray was normal. No reason was noted for omitting the skin test. I was worried because I had seen people here report receiving RFEs for missing TB tests. But my AOS was approved in 2 months, transferred to CSC, with no RFE or interview. So it ended up ok.

I don't know how this squares with the technical instructions mentioned above. Several things about the Canadian process seem slightly different. For starters, the medical forms they use in Canada are not numbered DS-3052 or whatnot, and have the instruction "For use only in Canada" printed on them. Just to be safe I had my vaccination worksheet (which was NOT labeled DS-anything, and was labeled "For use only in Canada") transcribed to an I-693 by a local CS upon arrival.

Despite theoretically following common regulations, we know there are significant local variations between policies and practices in different embassies in different countries. This is probably one of those: where the embassy advises the local CS's directly as to what standards of medical examination they're comfortable with, based on local variations. I know TB is virtually unheard of in Canada, and significantly more common in the Philippines, so the embassies have different standards for visa issuance. Hopefully, now that you're in the US and applying through USCIS, same as everybody else, the standards are more uniform and they'll let it pass, like they do with Canadians.

[Otto 83]

** Topic is "Adjustment of Status (Green Card) from Family Based Visas" related; moving thread there.

[Nik+Heather 121]

Agree, that I have read that the TB skin test is NOT required for K-1s, and by the way, this TB skin test on the medical forms is NOT new. The requirement was added in 2008, and hasn't been required for people who entered on a K visa yet. The only thing that has changed is that they have added a different kind of test, but not started requiring it for K visas. There are lots of rumors flying around, and even I speculated that that might be the case, but it's just not being held up in approvals (people without TST have been approved).

[Hell0W0rld 10]

if one have not been tested before, would you want to know if you are infected or not, this test is free at your local health department.

[Nik+Heather 121]

if one have not been tested before, would you want to know if you are infected or not, this test is free at your local health department.

I don't disagree with you that it might be a good idea for some people to get it anyway, but want to know or even prudent proactive action for your personal health doesn't mean it's required for AOS from a K visa.

[rose19 0]

Don't worry, you won't get one. A TB test is not required if you're AOS from K1 or other types that had a medical for their visa to GET to the US. Some CS's are trying to get money out of people by telling them it's required but the simple truth is it isn't, as a K1 applicant (or other that's had a medical in the last year) only the vaccination transcription is required (and shots if you don't have them).

I think so too, because I'm sure that I don't have a TB and I had my xray result but he said I might expose to the people having TB, and then I got a false positive so he required to have another chest x-ray and it comes negative but still he wants me to take a medication for 9 months my gosh, and I ask him is it okey to take that medication because I wanna get pregnant, he said I better not lol and then he signed my I-693 hhhhmmmmm and didn't received any RFE and I'm already approved after 3 months I'm waiting for my ten years green card now I already had my welcome letter...

Edited February 8, 2010 by rose19

[rosamia 0]

I think so too, because I'm sure that I don't have a TB and I had my xray result but he said I might expose to the people having TB, and then I got a false positive so he required to have another chest x-ray and it comes negative but still he wants me to take a medication for 9 months my gosh, and I ask him is it okey to take that medication because I wanna get pregnant, he said I better not lol and then he signed my I-693 hhhhmmmmm and didn't received any RFE and I'm already approved after 3 months I'm waiting for my ten years green card now I already had my welcome letter...

hello, i was reading through, and i am about to file my AOS from K1, last June 2010 i undergo a skin test, sputum test and x ray from a public health and it turned out all negative..now, i went to CS for my I 693 and again conducted a TST for me, i was a bit worried, becoz, what if it turns positive this time, it's and indication i had been exposed...would this be a move for them not to sign my I 693? pls. your quick reply is much appreciated.God bless and thank you!

[sweet angel 5]

hello, i was reading through, and i am about to file my AOS from K1, last June 2010 i undergo a skin test, sputum test and x ray from a public health and it turned out all negative..now, i went to CS for my I 693 and again conducted a TST for me, i was a bit worried, becoz, what if it turns positive this time, it's and indication i had been exposed...would this be a move for them not to sign my I 693? pls. your quick reply is much appreciated.God bless and thank you!

I been to CS before and got this tb skin test. Guess what, i got false positive result( CS said it was 8mm by just looking at it. lol ). So CS required me to do X-RAy again, tho i know i dont have tb coz i passed my medical in PI. So i did X-RAy again, i'm right i'm negative. So CS does not required me any medication. He just signed my I-693, gave me my sealed envelop. I got my GC with no problem at all.

Edited July 8, 2010 by sweet angel

[rosamia 0]

I been to CS before and got this tb skin test. Guess what, i got false positive result( CS said it was 8mm by just looking at it. lol ). So CS required me to do X-RAy again, tho i know i dont have tb coz i passed my medical in PI. So i did X-RAy again, i'm right i'm negative. So CS does not required me any medication. He just signed my I-693, gave me my sealed envelop. I got my GC with no problem at all.

hi,thanks for your reply,what bothers me is that i had gone through all the test last june, and i know this will have aneffect this coming saturday, cause, according to some friends they were not suppose to give me again the shot becoz it will have a false positive response, i am planning to give them my result last june that is negative in TST and my x ray for them to see it.i am in arizona and i already spent about $367 including my 2 kids.$165 for me and $86/kid i add another $30 for titer test for varicella coz St.Lukes did not give me the shot when i took my medical there...anyway, thanks again..God bless!