Medical only good for 3 months prior to US arrival

[Turbota 11]

I am going through the process of filing an IR-1 (DCF) visa for my wife here in the Philippines.

St Lukes Hospital does her required medical exam prior to her embassy interview.

My wife just informed me that St Lukes told her that once she passes her medical exam, she has no more than 3 months to arrive in the US ... or the medical is out of date.

I asked my wife that if she had an interview 2 months after completing the medical exam, does that mean that she now only has 1 month to get on the plane and arrive in the US?

Her answer was YES ... This is what St. Lukes told her.

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I thought she had no more than 3 months from the date the medical exam is passed to the date of her interview.

And then she had an additional 6 months from the IR-1 visa approval date stamped in her passport till she actually needed to be in the US.

Who is right here? ..... I am now really confused!

Ron,

Philippines

[Scott and Mhay 57]

has your wife undergone treatment for TB? If so, that is why. If not, the medical is good for 6 months in 99% of the time. For us my wife's visa was only good for 4 months after issue because she did an advanced medical. She passed without any problems, but she had to travel within 4 months of the interview. As far as how long your wife has to travel once she gets the visa, she wont know until she gets the visa issued. I have read where it has gone both ways here....some do have 6 months from visa issuance to travel. So there is no hard rule on this.

From US Embassy Manila website: http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwh3218.html

What is the validity of the medical examination?

•Medical examinations are generally valid for 6 months.

Here is SLMC website too: http://www.slec.ph/

[Turbota 11]

No treatment for TB ... But she did need to do the sputum test because they said she had a spot on her lungs. She now has to wait 2 months for the results of the sputum test before they have the option to pass here on the medical.

The way I look at all this is ... As per the Embassy website, her medical exam is valid for 6 months.

Well, I would think the 6 months period starts the day she passes her medical exam (how could they start the 6 months before it's even completed). In my wife's case, that 6 month period would start after her sputum test comes back negative and she is ok'd by St Lukes.

Just seems like the most logical way to look at all this.

Maybe I'm missing something here?

[Turbota 11]

And I also was led to believe by others that the 6 months period for her medical exam is from the day she finishes her medical to the day they stamp her passport with the immigration visa ... Her medical can't be older than 6 months when the visa is actually issued.

Then I was told that once the visa is issued and stamped in her passport, she has a 6 month period that she must enter the US.

Hey, maybe I'm dead wrong on all this?

Edited March 22, 2011 by Turbota