Does my wife really need a new medical exam?

[muddy1112 0]

My wife came from China to the US with me in July on a K-1 visa. We quickly got married and sent in all the paperwork.

For her visa interview in China she was required to undergo a medical exam. She passed the exam, got the visa and we came to the US.

Knowing that she only needed the I-693 vaccination supplement and not the entire I-693 for filing I-485, she appropriately got only the vaccination supplement done by the USCIS-designated civil surgeon.

But now, we've received an initial Permanent Residence/AOS interview date for about one month from now and the interview notice asks that she bring the following:

A completed medical examination (Form I-693) and vaccination supplement in a sealed envelope (unless already submitted).

So she has definitely submitted the vaccination supplement in a sealed envelope, but I was under the impression that an additional medical exam was not necessary.

Does anyone have any thoughts or advice on this? I suppose it would be safer to just get another one, though it would be nice to save the money for something else.

[motu 6]

I am assuming you have the Vaccination worksheet from the doctor that you saw for the K1 - he should have given you a copy. Its DS3025 - I only sent that with the I485; I didn't submit any I693. We just had our interview last Friday - no questions asked about vaccinates or I693! So, maybe you can do the same - if you do not get an RFE - you may be OK like we were. When I didn't get an RFE, I decided to go to the interview without the I693 or another medical exam etc. Good Luck

Edited February 23, 2006 by motu

[jaaaaamas 0]

Well, the interview letter calls for you to bring the vaccination sheets in if not already submitted. So if you sent in your I-693 supplement along with your AOS package, they should already have it. Do you have a copy of the overseas vaccination supplement (DS-3025)? That could be something extra you can bring along, in case. I know when my husband got our I-693 supplement filled out, they gave us a copy of it as well.

Good luck! I think you'll be fine.

[Jasman0717 9]

That is the supplemental that you must go to a civil surgeon to get. Make sure you call around, the pricing can very by a huge amount! http://uscis.gov/graphics/exec/cs/Index.asp

[ccdr14 0]

This is strange and what worries me. I called USCIS just yesterday with a few questions about my wife's AOS. Wanted to make sure everything was correct before sending it in. One of my questions was about her medical. The USCIS person told me that as long as the medical exam she had was NOT over 1 year old by the time I file the AOS, she will not need another one. Also, my wife will not need a supplemental vaccination certificate either, to just submit the copy of her vaccinaction certificate she received from her medical exam prior to her visa interview. SO...it looks like from these posts it's a hit or miss thing.

[muddy1112 0]

Thanks for all the tips everyone.

Just to be clear, my wife DID NOT have any vaccinations or vaccination form DS-3025 done prior to her visa interview in China. All that was needed at that time was a medical exam, which was sealed and presented to the embassy. She did not need vaccinations in order to get the K-1 visa.

To apply for AOS, however, she DID need the vaccinations, which could be documented in "Supplemental Form to I-693." She got the vaccinations and supplemental form filled out by a USCIS-designated civil surgeon upon returning with me to the US. It was clear at the time that she didn't need to have the entire I-693 done because the medical exam she had in China covered that.

Anyway, I feel fairly confident that because she had the medical exam in China less than a year before her initial AOS interview date, she will not need an additional medical exam. I was worried because the interview notice seemed to ask specifically for the I-693 and I'm not sure if the exam she had in China amounted to the same thing as an I-693. I just got off the phone with a "customer service representative" at USCIS and she seemed to think we were ok.

[chiggins 0]

I'm in pretty much the same situation. My AOS interview is coming up, but it has now been over a year since my medical in London. However, when I applied for AOS, it was less than a year. The AOS instructions do state that K-1 fiances do not require a medical exam if the application for AOS is filed within a year of their embassy medical. I'm not sure whether by 'file' they mean applied for or approved/denied. My understanding of the word 'file' is sending in the application, in which case the POE had them weeks before I sent in my application. I spoke to an immigration officer on the helpline and he 'recommended' that I get a new medical, as results are only valid for 1 year and when the interview comes around, and the interviewing officer will be looking at an expired medical exam. I argued that it was less than a year old when I applied, and it wasn't my fault that it had taken so long for them to arrange an interview. He then said it was pretty much up to the officer at the interview as to whether or not I would need another medical.

In your case your wife shouldn't need another medical. On my AOS interview letter it makes no mention of the vaccination suppliment, it just says "I-693 Medical Exam Results (if not already submitted)". It also says to bring a letter from my employer and 2 ADIT photographs (which they no longer accept), which leads me to believe that the letters are generic and are not written for specific cases.

Edited February 23, 2006 by chiggins

[darth bangkok 0]

I don't know the answer to this question either. My wife came to the US on a K1, she had the medical done in bangkok 12/04 or 1/05. After we submitted the AOS, we got an RFE asking for some medical something or other. The only thing I had was the supplement DS 3025, so I sent in the copy of that. Then we got our biometrics appointment, so I guess it sufficed.

But the interview is 3/22/06, so more than one year after the original medical. My letter said the same thing, to bring the I-693 if not already submitted. The website says that it needs to be within one year, but it also says that K1s do not need to do it again.

My wife has been seeing the doctor and has her next appointment on 2/28, so we'll ask him to fill it out. I don't think he's on the civil surgeons list, but it should suffice in case its asked for. But I am not expecting to be asked for it.

[Reba 2]

I had my medical exam done in August 2004, I applied for AOS in April 2005, and just had my interview last week. Somewherein the middle there, I rec'd an RFE telling me to have a medical exam, which I had already done and was not about to spend another $400+ to duplicate it. We called our State Senator (Dole, NC, R) and her office confirmed with USCIS that I had already completed the medical exam and submitted the forms at the POE in October 2004. If they didn't have them, then the error was USCIS and not mine, so I should not be subjected to a second medical exam. USCIS then "found" my file, and I did not need another exam.

My interview well well more than a year after my medical exam, but we were well within the year when we sent in the application, and that's the rule you should go by.

If you've already had a medical exam and its less than a year old when you apply for AOS, then you don't need another. If however your vaccinations were not complete at time of your medical exam, you will need to go to a sivil surgeon to have your vaccinations and appropriate forms filled out to send in with your AOS application.

The interview notice letter is telling you that if you have not yet submitted information about your medical exam AND/OR vaccinations, then you should bring it with you.

Edited February 23, 2006 by Reba

[red_cherry123 0]

This topic is interesting to discuss and learn...as dealing with medical exam seems to lead some of us in confusion. Well...my story goes like this...I had my medical exam for K1 visa in end of April'05 and applied AOS in mid of Dec'05. As to complete my AOS requirements about medical/I-693, I went to see a civil surgeon and we spend $ 250 for filling out the form and had bloodtest + X-ray again, even if, I had it already in my home country, but vaccination is still good according to USCIS civil surgeon. I'm wondering if I need to spend another $$$ just to complete to the next stage aka AOS interview, just to be safe of doing that???

[capederson 0]

Can you print the vaccination supplemental? This is what needs to go with the application for the AOS/EAD- correct? I guess Im a bit confused on where to find the form if we do not need the full exam, just the supplemental- where do we find it at?

[muddy1112 0]

Can you print the vaccination supplemental? This is what needs to go with the application for the AOS/EAD- correct? I guess Im a bit confused on where to find the form if we do not need the full exam, just the supplemental- where do we find it at?

I BELIEVE the USCIS-designated civil surgeon should have that, though he may not initially be aware of it and you might have to be insistent. I don't think you can download that supplemental form from the internet.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Can you print the vaccination supplemental? This is what needs to go with the application for the AOS/EAD- correct? I guess Im a bit confused on where to find the form if we do not need the full exam, just the supplemental- where do we find it at?

here is the form, though the civil surgeon should have it

Appendix A. Supplemental Form To I-693

interesting reading from the CDC

[blah0323 0]

We recently filed our AOS and was told not to submit without the medical exam. One day we will all have the same information.

[one_coolchiq 0]

hI I RECENTLY GOT A LETTER FOR MY INTERVIEW APPT. AND IT SAYS THE SAME THING BUT I'M PRETTY MUCH SURE THAT I DNT NEED TO BRING MY SUPPLEMENTAL AND NOT TO DO THE MEDICAL SINCE WE ALREADY SUBMITTED THOSE PLUS MY MEDICAL WAS NOT OLD I HAD MY MEDICAL LAST MAY 2005 AND MY INTERVIEW WILL BE NEXT MONTH. I'M SURE YOUR OK. GOODLUCK!