question about medical for AOS

[suzique3 0]

Ok this has been probably been asked and answered before, so I do apologize. but I was just wondering on all the information I have been reading it states that you are to send in the medical in a sealed envelope. Now is that not in that sealed envelope that you give the immigration when you come over (POE). Also, from what I have read they do not give this to you even if you ask. so my question is how do you get a copy? Do they send it to you?

I just want to make sure that I make this as smooth as possible and any information would be great. Thank you,

[moroccogirlny 100]

Ok this has been probably been asked and answered before, so I do apologize. but I was just wondering on all the information I have been reading it states that you are to send in the medical in a sealed envelope. Now is that not in that sealed envelope that you give the immigration when you come over (POE). Also, from what I have read they do not give this to you even if you ask. so my question is how do you get a copy? Do they send it to you?

I just want to make sure that I make this as smooth as possible and any information would be great. Thank you,

You should have received a copy for yourself of your vaccinations from the medical you had in your country. It's recommended to have a Civil Surgeon sign off the I-693.

[suzique3 0]

You should have received a copy for yourself of your vaccinations from the medical you had in your country. It's recommended to have a Civil Surgeon sign off the I-693.

I did not receive anything except the sealed envelope (which I gave them at our interview) and the x-rays. so does that mean i have to go and get another medical $$$$$$$$$. and what the heck is a civil servant anyhow,(you think I should know this but unfortunately I don't)

[moroccogirlny 100]

I did not receive anything except the sealed envelope (which I gave them at our interview) and the x-rays. so does that mean i have to go and get another medical $$$$$$$$$. and what the heck is a civil servant anyhow,(you think I should know this but unfortunately I don't)

If you can contact the doctor who did your k1 exam and get a copy sent to you (form DS-3025)so you would not have to do duplicate vaccinations. A civil surgeon is a medically trained, licensed and experienced doctor practicing in the US who is certified by USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Service). If you can't get a copy of your vaccinations you will need a complete exam by a Civil Surgeon. To find one close to you click on this link and enter your zip code Civil Surgeon

[suzique3 0]

I have found it I went thru every piece of paper ( I think i have kept everything right from the start ) Ok that means I have yet another question - sorry- does this mean since I received this from the panel physician do I have to get a cival surgeon to sign off on this or is it ok?

[philabride 0]

I didnt even include my vaccination information, but my AOS was approved without RFE. I guess they had everything they needed in the envelope

I submitted at POE.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

I have found it I went thru every piece of paper ( I think i have kept everything right from the start ) Ok that means I have yet another question - sorry- does this mean since I received this from the panel physician do I have to get a cival surgeon to sign off on this or is it ok?

This is sort of a gray area. The VJ guides recommend getting the I-693, I presume because so many people have gotten an RFE without it.

If you had a complete medical within a year prior to coming to the US (which a K1 visa holder almost certainly has had) then you aren't required to get another medical before submitting the AOS package. However, panel physicians in foreign countries are permitted to pass the intending immigrant for the medical without necessarily administering all of the required vaccinations. It is permissible for some of the vaccinations to be obtained after the intending immigrant arrives in the US, and before submitting the AOS petition.

The DS-3025 is the panel physician's transcription of your vaccination records. There are a couple of check boxes at the bottom of the form - one says "complete" and the other "incomplete". If the "complete" box has been checked then, in theory, you only need to submit a copy of the DS-3025 with the AOS package. If the "incomplete" box is checked then you need to see a civil surgeon in the US to get your vaccination records transcribed to an I-693 form, and get any remaining vaccinations or have the civil surgeon certify that they aren't required in your case. The only parts of the I-693 that need to be filled out are part 1 (your biographical info), part 2 (the vaccination record), and part 5 (the civil surgeon's signature and stamp). The I-693 is placed in a sealed envelope by the civil surgeon, and given to you to submit to USCIS.

This is where it get's messy.

Many people who've had a medical and complete vaccinations before coming to the US have submitted only the DS-3025 and have received RFE's from USCIS requesting an I-693. There isn't any point arguing the requirements with USCIS. If they say you need an I-693 signed by a civil surgeon then you must provide it or you aren't going to get a green card. In many cases, you'll be paying a civil surgeon what seems to be an obscene sum of money for simply transcribing your vaccination records to the I-693 form, signing the form, and sealing it in an envelope. The VJ guides don't waffle on this point - they say to get the I-693 regardless.

There are other problems that arise with the medical and I-693 that could result in an RFE. Too often, USCIS will claim they don't have a copy of the medical report. How it gets lost between the consulate and USCIS is a mystery to me, but it seems to happen a lot. Another problem that occasionally comes up arises from a conflict between the USCIS requirements and the CDC requirements for tuberculosis screening. Consulates in many countries won't do a tuberculin skin test (TST) because a large percentage of the population in their country have been exposed to the virus, and will give a positive test result. Instead, they just do a chest x-ray, which is the accepted secondary level screening method for TB. Some civil surgeons will insist you need the skin test, even if you've already had the chest x-ray.

I have a personal aversion to RFE's, and hope to never get one for any reason. I read about the RFE's for various reasons regarding the medical, vaccinations, and I-693. I opted to pay the civil surgeon to go ahead and do the complete medical, and fill out every section of the I-693. It was expensive (though not as expensive as many I've seen here), but a fair sum to pay for a little peace of mind.

[engineer21 51]

I opted to pay the civil surgeon to go ahead and do the complete medical, and fill out every section of the I-693. It was expensive (though not as expensive as many I've seen here), but a fair sum to pay for a little peace of mind.

Jim, can you tell me if my i-693 is too expensive

I am just wondering if my CS played me or not

The way he said how much he was charging made it sound like he was giving me a discount..

BUT it was $300 nonetheless. Did we get robbed?

It was for TB skin test, Blood test, MMR and Td/Tdap vaccines.

For the other vaccines he ticked the "not age appropriate box"

Also, my mom can't find my immunization records so I didn't provide any to CS, and don't have any now.

No RFEs on i-693 for me..But will this be asked for at my interview you think?

Thanks!

[arya 22]

When you make your move, you can look through the thread that has many civil surgeons all around the country listed in it, and call around and ask if they can only transcribe your vaccinations on the I693. It should not cost a lot of money, I got mine transcribed for 35 dollars. He'll tell you if you need extra vaccinations.