Question about Medical...can't get a straight answer...

[Minted7 3]

Is it true if you admit to trying pot once in your life at the medical... it's a automatic denial? These are 2 posts I found ....but I don't know if it's true. I thought it was only if you test positive at the time of the interview.

Posted 21 October 2008 - 03:57 AM

As above, blood tests are used to determine whether you have any STD's, and HIV. Chest x-rays are for TB. Since June, skin tests are being used for TB testing, so I don't really know how much longer they're going to be requiring chest x-rays. As far as blood tests go, they don't do drug testing on your blood unless you've been sent there for specifically that reason. Case in point, someone who disclosed during their medical exam that they had used drugs in the past. The Dr. sent them for blood tests to determine if it was still in their system. However, whether it's in your system or not, if you've disclosed this to the Dr. during the medical, then you're going to be denied your visa, unless you can obtain a waiver.

As for the medical, under no circumstances do you ever admit to using marijuana. Drug testing is at the discretion of the doctor, but if your man admits to it, it is reported, and it doesn't matter how long ago it was, your application is denied and you can't reapply for I think it's 3 years. It doesn't matter what the circumstance, if he was a regular user or took 1 hit, they don't care.

Edited October 6, 2010 by Minted7

[I & G 1]

Agreed!!!

[Minted7 3]

Agree to ? yes its a automatic deny or you have to test positive?

[JoannaV 174]

Is it true if you admit to trying pot once in your life at the medical... it's a automatic denial?

It can be grounds for a denial. It is not an automatic denial.

Depending on what/when exactly the drug use was, it might not even come up. You may be asked about drug convictions, and current drug use, both of which you can say no to.

Some Embassies are stricter about drug-related things than others. The UK is not so bad.

Looking at the questionnaire I had to fill out for the UK medical before arriving, there was a question asking if I had ever misused or abused drugs. I guess you can interpret this in two ways: any illegal drug use is "Misuse" so you should say yes OR that misuse/abuse are not exactly the same as use, and so trying it once in your life does not count. (Same way as drinking alcohol does not mean answering yes to the abuse of alcohol question.) Personally I'd think you'd be ok to say "no" and then only if at the medical you are asked "have you ever in your life tried any drug" you would have to say yes. (The pre-medical form is not immigration related, so wouldn't be viewed as misrepresentation in case you're wondering about that.)

Someone in the UK was denied a visa for a conviction for marijuana possession and not declaring it on their I-94 when visiting America. They prepared to file a waiver but then it turned out that it was a mistake and they shouldn't have been denied because these things happened when they were a minor.

[Used to be broken 147]

Is it true if you admit to trying pot once in your life at the medical... it's a automatic denial? These are 2 posts I found ....but I don't know if it's true. I thought it was only if you test positive at the time of the interview.

? Did you admit this? If so you do might have something to worry about, but it depends on if the Doctor checked a box on the form and noted it. If so it could come up later.

If you are worrying about how to answer at a future medical, think about this.. do you have any medical treatment or police records in your past that will surface to cause a MISREP claim on this issue if you answer NO? If so being truthful is probably the lesser of two evils.

[JoannaV 174]

Sorry, don't know why I thought you were in the UK.

I think the Philippines, for example, is stricter on any drug use. I haven't seen any Canadian actually say "I admitted to using pot once and couldn't get my visa for another 3 years." I've only seen "I saw someone say somewhere that they were denied for 3 years..."

Given that a conviction for drug possession can be waived, the penalty for use (and arrest) is not going to be greater.

Just tell the truth, don't waste time worrying about what might happen until it's happened. (If it takes a little longer for him to get approved, then you will deal with that when it happens. No point in fretting about it right now.) At least once it is all over you KNOW that in 5 years times no-one's gonna say "wait, you lied, that means you need to go away."