St. Luke's Medical Exam

[Tahoma 2,292]

Thank you so much Tahoma. I will take your advice. I am applying for CR-1 and my husband paid for the affidavit of support and immigrant visa fees to the NVC so I don't think I have to pay to BPI but I'm sure K-1 filers do. Although I need the CFO counseling. Thanks very much again.

Walang anuman!

Oops...I didn't notice that you are a CR-1er. You do not have to pay the K-1 visa fee!

[marriedtomrg 141]

SLMEC always takes your passport. They forward it to the Embassy along with your medical results.

If the results will be valid for 6 months I'd like to take it in advance. I am applying for CR-1 visa so I don't have to adjust status in the US.

I already had chicken pox before but not sure about the tetanus and measles vaccines. I do not suspect that I have TB since I don't have the symptoms. I worked as a medical technologist last July and was assigned in Microbiology section so I had been exposed. But I had my chest xray done last July also but it's negative. But I still want to make sure and have peace of mind that is why I wanted to have it done in advance.

Thanks for your advice about going there around noontime. I was thinking of going there at 3AM because I read somewhere that a lot of people will be there already. If they'd give priority numbers how come I'd still finish everything if there are lots of people ahead of me? I wasn't able to ask what are those results that have 3 months validity. That's why I emailed them to ask how true is this.

I would really like to have everything done in advance but I'm also worried if they'd keep my passport. What if they will lose it?

[marriedtomrg 141]

It's so much easier when you have your CFO guidance counseling requirement done through St. Mary's (SMEF-COW) at Katipunan, QC instead of CFO head office. The staff are friendlier, and CFO has a satellite office at the back of their building (they are both in the same compound).

No appointment is required at St. Mary's. If you want to do it in advance, you can complete the guidance requirement first and they will issue you a blue certificate of completion.

Once you have your visa in your passport, you can return to St. Mary's compound and go straight to the CFO satellite office at the back. They will give you a green certificate of completion (it looks like a big check), and your CFO sticker.

Here's the link to St. Mary's: http://www.smef-cow-phil.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=62&Itemid=68

Thank you so much Tahoma. I will take your advice. I am applying for CR-1 and my husband paid for the affidavit of support and immigrant visa fees to the NVC so I don't think I have to pay to BPI but I'm sure K-1 filers do. Although I need the CFO counseling. Thanks very much again.

[Angeli 5]

Walang anuman!

Oops...I didn't notice that you are a CR-1er. You do not have to pay the K-1 visa fee!

Haha! It's okay. My flight to Manila is tomorrow. God-willing I will arrive safely at 12:30pm and have my counseling in the afternoon and medical exam on Wednesday and Thursday. Oh dear, the chest xray - my greatest fear!

SLMEC always takes your passport. They forward it to the Embassy along with your medical results.

I'm a bit apprehensive about this because my case is not yet completed at the NVC so it may awhile til they can schedule my interview. What if they will misplace and lose my passport. But Tahoma said there's never been an issue like that before so I guess I should just trust them.

It's so much easier when you have your CFO guidance counseling requirement done through St. Mary's (SMEF-COW) at Katipunan, QC instead of CFO head office. The staff are friendlier, and CFO has a satellite office at the back of their building (they are both in the same compound.

Sounds nice! But I'd stay near SLEC so PRISM is closer than SMEF-COW. I hope they won't treat me bad.

[Tahoma 2,292]

Haha! It's okay. My flight to Manila is tomorrow. God-willing I will arrive safely at 12:30pm and have my counseling in the afternoon and medical exam on Wednesday and Thursday. Oh dear, the chest xray - my greatest fear!

I'm a bit apprehensive about this because my case is not yet completed at the NVC so it may awhile til they can schedule my interview. What if they will misplace and lose my passport. But Tahoma said there's never been an issue like that before so I guess I should just trust them.

Sounds nice! But I'd stay near SLEC so PRISM is closer than SMEF-COW. I hope they won't treat me bad.

I just now remembered that I read here on VJ that St. Lukes will allow you to keep your passport when you complete your medical. All you need to do is request it during your medical. They will return your passport to you, and it will be your responsibility to bring your passport to your interview.

Yes, the chest x-ray was our greatest fear also. Chinook did fine, but her friend was required to return to St. Lukes and to leave her sputum samples for the smear test and the two-month TB culture. After waiting so long to get to this point in the visa journey, it must be very difficult to wait another two months while waiting for the result of the TB culture.

Chinook completed the CFO seminar at PRISM. She said that PRISM is just easy. The difficult seminar is the one in Cebu.

Good luck with everything!!!

[Angeli 5]

I just now remembered that I read here on VJ that St. Lukes will allow you to keep your passport when you complete your medical. All you need to do is request it during your medical. They will return your passport to you, and it will be your responsibility to bring your passport to your interview.

Yes, the chest x-ray was our greatest fear also. Chinook did fine, but her friend was required to return to St. Lukes and to leave her sputum samples for the smear test and the two-month TB culture. After waiting so long to get to this point in the visa journey, it must be very difficult to wait another two months while waiting for the result of the TB culture.

Chinook completed the CFO seminar at PRISM. She said that PRISM is just easy. The difficult seminar is the one in Cebu.

Good luck with everything!!!

Maraming salamat Tahoma and marriedtomrg for sharing what you know. I must say that I'm a nervous wreck right now thinking about the chest xray. But come what may, I must face whatever the result is. With God's help I can be strong. Godbless.