Vaccination Requirements

[Que Saudade 284]

Hi fellow VJ'ers.

So, in reading all the instructions on the Government websites, the requirements for vaccinations prior to issuance of K1 is confusing.

On this link http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_2994.html#7 under medical and vaccination requirements, it says that K applicants are encouraged, but not required to have all vaccinations. However, that they are required prior to AOS.

So, with this information, it appears that any further vaccination requirements can be met here in US while working towards AOS.

Does anyone have any FACTS (not opinions) regarding this? I am yet to find a definitive answer. If anyone can provide any further links for me to research, that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much.....

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Joseph had not finished his vaccinations before the interview and still got his visa, he did however have to have the rest of them before AOS.

[Penguin_ie 5,998]

We've had a few members on here who were pregnant at the time of interview and finished their vaccinations in the USA. Keep in mind that compared to most countries, vaccinations in the USA are very expensive.

[YuAndDan 153]

A K-Visa is a NON-Immigrant visa, like any other non-immigrant visa does not require vaccinations to be done to get the visa. HOWEVER later when adjusting status from NON-Immigrant to IMMIGRANT after marriage, the vaccinations WILL be required.

If doing vaccinations for adjustment of status later, will need to get an I-693 vaccination record done and attached to the adjustment of status paperwork.

Vaccinations is a requirement of immigration.

A whole thread pinned in AOS forum.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/101202-faqs-forms-i-693-and-ds-3025/

Edited January 16, 2011 by YuAndDan

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Hi fellow VJ'ers.

So, in reading all the instructions on the Government websites, the requirements for vaccinations prior to issuance of K1 is confusing.

On this link http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_2994.html#7 under medical and vaccination requirements, it says that K applicants are encouraged, but not required to have all vaccinations. However, that they are required prior to AOS.

So, with this information, it appears that any further vaccination requirements can be met here in US while working towards AOS.

Does anyone have any FACTS (not opinions) regarding this? I am yet to find a definitive answer. If anyone can provide any further links for me to research, that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much.....

The facts are these, SOME countries have their own requirements that aren't actually requirements for the Visa. For instance, the I-134 does NOT require tax returns, but some countries require tax returns to be included with the financial info.

Just with the I-134 you'll have to check your countries requirements by looking on your countries website, posting in the forum for you country here, OR there may be some info in the embassy section of this website.

In Australia the medical and vaccinations ARE required (this is because we treat the K1 as an immigrant visa, some countries do that and you will find the info for the K1 listed under "immigrant" visa, not "non-immigrant" on their website(link to our info here: http://canberra.usembassy.gov/fiance_niv_appl.html you'll see while it says "non-immigrant" it's under the immigrant section)). I wasn't given any choice and had to take my vaccine records with me to the medical appointment and any missing shots were administered there and then. As with AOS, the vaccinations don't need to be 100% complete though, they just need to be up-to-date at the time of filing. For instance, I filed when the HPV vaccine was still required (it isn't any longer) and it is a 3 shot vaccine at 0, 3 and 6 month intervals. Lets say I didn't know it was required and I only had the first shot, I still need two shots, and the second isn't for 3 months, and the next for 6! They cannot make you wait until all shots are complete. That's why there's a box called "insufficient time interval" so in my hypothetical case they would have selected "insufficient time interval" next to that particular shot, rather than "complete" and I would still have received my visa because I was up-to-date at the time.

Make sense?

So here is the embassy info for Brazil: http://www.visajourney.com/consulates/index.php?ctry=Brazil&cty=Rio%20De%20Janereiro you can see they provide links to the website that appears out of date. Here is the new link: http://brazil.usembassy.gov/application-requirements/fianc-visas.html and you can see that your embassy too treats the K1 as an intending immigrant visa. Here is the list of forms: http://brazil.usembassy.gov/interview/forms-for-fiancee-visas.html which leads to this medical info: http://brazil.usembassy.gov/interview/forms-for-immediate-relatives-and/or-employment-based-petitions/medical-examination-instructions.html which state the immunisations ARE required.

So there is your answer. For Brazil, immunisations need to be up-to-date in order to get the Visa as Brazil treats it as an immigrant visa.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

A K-Visa is a NON-Immigrant visa, like any other non-immigrant visa does not require vaccinations to be done to get the visa. HOWEVER later when adjusting status from NON-Immigrant to IMMIGRANT after marriage, the vaccinations WILL be required.

Just to correct you here, as I stated in my lengthy post above, country requirements are different. While your answer is technically correct for the visa itself, it does not deal with the differences in country.

Just like I cannot say that there are no tax returns required for the I-134 (which is true), many countries do things differently. Immunisations is another one of those things.

If doing vaccinations for adjustment of status later, will need to get an I-693 vaccination record done and attached to the adjustment of status paperwork.

Also, with AOS an I-693 is not ALWAYS required. It is entirely dependent on whether the DS-3025 is complete at the time of filing AOS and whether more shots are required. As each country deals with the immunisation issue differently, that means some people will have completed DS-3025's (like Australia for example) and therefore an I-693 might not be required.

**Edit - in the case where the k1 applicant got their K1 visa without the need for immunisations they would most certainly need an I-693. The good thing about Brazil is they actually appear to "cap" the fee at US$130 for the medical.. which is a LOT better than the AU$400 I paid for my medical and shots in Australia, and what some people pay in the US... so it might work out better for the OP to have the shots done in their home country.

Edited January 16, 2011 by Vanessa&Tony

[Inky 1,111]

Back when I had my medical in 09, I got my tetnus booster free from my doctor ( in canada ) because I was due for it anyways. When I went to the medical they said I had to get the first vaccination for HVP ( at that time it was still on the list and was required ) The doctor told me if I refused it They would not complete the medical and fwd my refusal to the embassy in turn denying my visa. So I had to have the first HPV shot to complete my medical or no visa. - Just my experience

When it came time for AOS, I went to the civil surgeon to get a 693 done up because I knew there were 2 more HPV shots needed from the series. The doctor signed it off as completed vaccination history ( I ended up not sending in the 693 ) only sent in the vaccination copy I had gotten from the medical in Montreal and was approved for my green card without even a whisp of request for the missing shots. (glad tho because I did not want the rest of the HPV shots, didn't want it in the first place.) - again just my experience

[Que Saudade 284]

Thanks so much for all of the replies.

So, maybe to help any other people out there, we called the Dr (in Sao Paulo) responsible for the medical exam for Brazil. He said that Hep B, MMR, Varicella and Tetanus/Diptheria is definitely required. He did not say anything about the others...... ???

However, we do have an answer. I also emailed the Consulate in Rio and will post their response for anyone concerned.

Good Luck All.

[YuAndDan 153]

Thanks so much for all of the replies.

So, maybe to help any other people out there, we called the Dr (in Sao Paulo) responsible for the medical exam for Brazil. He said that Hep B, MMR, Varicella and Tetanus/Diptheria is definitely required. He did not say anything about the others...... ???

However, we do have an answer. I also emailed the Consulate in Rio and will post their response for anyone concerned.

Good Luck All.

In our case only MMR, Varicella and Td. HepB was not.

What is required is determined by age and the CDC in the USA.

[Que Saudade 284]

In our case only MMR, Varicella and Td. HepB was not.

What is required is determined by age and the CDC in the USA.

While you are technically correct, each consulate is different for obtaining the K1 Visa, after that, we have to go by what is determined by USCIS before AOS. You can read above to see what we were talking about.

Some consulates let you defer until reaching US, others will not. This is a consulate by consulate deal. Bottom line, before AOS, ALL vaccinations must current.

[Rafa&Jus 0]

I just did the exams in Sao Paulo, I don´t know if it´s the same doctor as yours, mine was Dr. João Jorge.

He just asked for the vaccines you mentioned on yours post, and that was it, no big problems, honestly vaccines are the least you have to worry about in this process.

When I went to the Dr´s appointment my vaccine sheet wasn´t clear enough for him, so he asked me to get a new one, and mail or fax it to him later, so if for some reason your fiance doesn´t have all of them at the time she goes to the appointment, they will tell her to take the ones they need and fax them later..That doesn´t mean she should go there without taking them...

Also, it´s true she will need other ones for AOS, usually HPV, wich is pretty expensive here in brazil, so I would recommed her to take those there in USA...

I hope I have helped, and if you need any clarifications, don´t hesitate to ask.

[Inky 1,111]

HPV is no longer required for immigration as of last year.