Cuban Medical process help!

[ann and aties 9]

Can someone that has been through the Cuban K-1 visa process help me please? I am having a hard time understanding the medical appointment process - is there a list of approved hospitals? Is there a form? How long does it take to get the appointment? Are there tests taken during the medical? Will my fiance have to travel to Havana for this process? I understand it costs 450 cuc - did you pay that at the time of the appointment? Thank you for your help.

[Wanda and Amel 17]

Hi, Ann. You may want to PM Elizabeth and Yuniel and Heartincuba. They recently went through the medical process as their interviews are coming up on the 15th. But, I do know that each province has approved hospitals because Amel checked into this already. Good luck, my friend.

[Wanda and Amel 17]

Ann, I contacted them both and asked them to respond. You should be hearing something soon.

[HeartinCuba 0]

Hi. We went through this back in June. In packet 3 there is a list of hospitals. They are located in various provinces so I don't suspect your fiance will need to travel to Havana. The hospital my fiance went to was actually in his municipality. We paid $100CUC to get an appointment and results more quickly...if I remember correctly within two weeks. I would schedule quickly as those appointments seem hard to come by. The $400CUC, not $450CUC is due when you go for the Carta Blanca ($150 CUC ). I would say have it available 2 weeks (estimated wait for visa) after your interview. Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. Best wishes.

[HeartinCuba 0]

Just to clarify the $100CUC was paid to expedite the medical appointment and results as we were told it would take a long time to get an appointment going through the normal channels.

[ann and aties 9]

I answered but I don't see my post so I will try again. So apologies if it double posts.

Thanks so much for the clarification, I feel much better. I am going to suggest he pay the $100 "incentive" or a nice gift or something so I won't be so nervous about the timing on this. Again, thanks! VJ folks rock!

[Beau & Digna 5]

Hi. We went through this back in June. In packet 3 there is a list of hospitals. They are located in various provinces so I don't suspect your fiance will need to travel to Havana. The hospital my fiance went to was actually in his municipality. We paid $100CUC to get an appointment and results more quickly...if I remember correctly within two weeks. I would schedule quickly as those appointments seem hard to come by. The $400CUC, not $450CUC is due when you go for the Carta Blanca ($150 CUC ). I would say have it available 2 weeks (estimated wait for visa) after your interview. Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. Best wishes.

I'm so confused...We just had the medical exam for my fiance's son in Guantanamo, and they told us we pay for it at the US Interests Section at the time of the interview. You're saying we pay Cuba directly when we go for the Carta Blanca after the interview? I think we'll bring the money for the medcal exams to the interview just in case. Nothing ever seems consistent with this process in Cuba. My fiances medical is scheduled for September in Havana, so we'll see if we get the same payment information there. This is good information to know, but it would seem like they'd want the medical money in advance of the interview as incentive to pay in the event one was denied a visa.

[ann and aties 9]

How did you schedule the medical appointment,Beau and Digna?

Does my fiance have to bring anything to schedule it or to the medical appointment itself? I am so worried he won't have his in time for the interview. Please let me know how his appointment goes, okay?

[Beau & Digna 5]

How did you schedule the medical appointment,Beau and Digna?

Does my fiance have to bring anything to schedule it or to the medical appointment itself? I am so worried he won't have his in time for the interview. Please let me know how his appointment goes, okay?

Here's a link to the approved medical facilities for the exam, we also had this list included in the "Packet 3" we received from the US Interests Section in Cuba:

http://www.travel.state.gov/pdf/medical/HAV-MED-SPAN-0001-0707.pdf

My fiance physically went to the hospitals in Havana and Guantanamo to schedule the exams...I'm not sure there would be much success scheduling by calling. They want to see the list of hospitals (in the link above), and the letter with the case number indicating you have a visa interview scheduled (In Packet 3 also). My fiance didn't have either of these when scheduling, but showing up in person got the appointments scheduled, and in plenty of time before the interview (I hope...ja ja). It seems there is quite a backlog in Havana, but Guantanamo was easy to schedule, and fast for the appointment. I was in Guantanamo mid-August for our son's medical exam, and we didn't need to bring anything more than what I mentioned above. Although not required until AOS here in the US, we did obtain vaccination records in advance, and it's one less thing to worry about as I'm sure your fiance has almost if not all of them already.

Aside from all the usual waiting...the exam was a piece of cake. They only drew blood, and took chest X-rays...the physician never even saw our son. we actually got through the door, and out of there rather quickly by Cuba standards, but we did bump into a nurse in the family who helped us out a lot.

I'm hoping my fiance gets her results rapidly as well...The appointment is September 13, and our interview is October 24. I know you are worried about the timing (as am I...a little with the backlog in Havana), but I don't think that's reason for visa denial at the interview. I think the worst that could happen would be a slight delay until the medical results are complete.

Best wishes to you two...I know we're ALL "over-worried". Let me know if I can help out more, but I'm just as confused/worried about other things that some of us on our Cuba portal don't seem to be worried about much. Soon for us both...we'll be there for the interview the same week. Take care.

Beau and Digna

[Wanda and Amel 17]

Ann, Beau, it is my understanding that you don't pay for the medical exam to Cuba until you are approved and have a visa. The $100.00 is an "incentive" to the employees to move you along. As you know, everyone in Cuba is trying to make an extra buck on the side.

[Ide & Sam 1]

I am under the impression that even though it is the US that requires the medical exam the Cubans don't charge you for it until you have your visa in hand. Hence why they charge you for it during the carta blanca process. Is this correct ?

Also, how current should the Medical exam be ? I guess we shouldn't worry about getting it too early since there is a backlog haha. Our interview is November 1st. If he gets his medical this month we should be good right ?

[HeartinCuba 0]

I'm so confused...We just had the medical exam for my fiance's son in Guantanamo, and they told us we pay for it at the US Interests Section at the time of the interview. You're saying we pay Cuba directly when we go for the Carta Blanca after the interview? I think we'll bring the money for the medcal exams to the interview just in case. Nothing ever seems consistent with this process in Cuba. My fiances medical is scheduled for September in Havana, so we'll see if we get the same payment information there. This is good information to know, but it would seem like they'd want the medical money in advance of the interview as incentive to pay in the event one was denied a visa.

The $100 is to expedite the medical exam. We were on a tight schedule so he paid someone to do it quickly. The $350 is needed at the interview. the $400(medical exam fee) is only paid if you are approved for a visa. That fee is paid to Cuban government, not US INT.

[HeartinCuba 0]

I am under the impression that even though it is the US that requires the medical exam the Cubans don't charge you for it until you have your visa in hand. Hence why they charge you for it during the carta blanca process. Is this correct ?

Also, how current should the Medical exam be ? I guess we shouldn't worry about getting it too early since there is a backlog haha. Our interview is November 1st. If he gets his medical this month we should be good right ?

I would schedule ASAP. When we inquired about a medical exam date back in late May we were told there wasn't any availability until August. Our interview is this month so we didn't want to chance it...reason for paying to expedite for a June appointment date. Also expect a few weeks to get results back. Make sure the immunization dates are in order.

[Ide & Sam 1]

Cool...he has his medical on the 24th of September !

[Farsider 7]

Cool...he has his medical on the 24th of September !

Best wishes to you both!