Have DS-3025, need I-693 (RFE), medical within last year?

[passthehatchet 1]

Background: UK citizen, entered US on a K-1 visa, married, filed for adjustment of status, received an RFE last Friday (26th July).

I've called around all of the five civil surgeons within a one hour radius of me and tried to find a civil surgeon willing to provide me with an I-693. I had a medical completed in the Knightsbridge Clinic in London last October (within a year) and have my completed DS-3025 form from them, as well as my chest X-ray still. My "results" say "Vaccination history incomplete - applicant may be eligible for blanket waiver because vaccination(s) not medically appropriate.

Both the civil surgeons over here who said they will do it want to insist on giving me a medical again (one of whom said that the cost of medical + vaccinations can cost up to $600). Their reasons for this are that "they don't usually just transcribe over without doing a medical" and "my medical is invalid because it was conducted outside the US."

I was sure I didn't need to repeat the medical as it was carried out within one year by a USCIS-designated medical practitioner. Can anyone advise?

[passthehatchet 1]

By the way, the RFE says:

Submit a properly completed and signed Form I-693... for the applicant on Form I-485. The medical examination must be conducted by a civil surgeon who has been designated by the USCIS. The medical must be dated within one year of filing Form I-485.

If you have already submitted Form I-693, either all pages of Form I-693 are not present or all the pages are not of the same revision date.

[passthehatchet 1]

Sorry for the triple post, but in response to this thread, my DS-3025 fulfils all of those criteria and yet I have still been issued this RFE.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

What else does your RFE say? Anything about "not forwarded from DOS?"

[passthehatchet 1]

Nothing of that sort. It's basically asking for an I-693 because I did not submit one as I was informed by my lawyer (who I am, suffice to say, no longer working with) that I did not need to submit one.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

There are a few scenarios here. If you want complete help, please type the exact text of the RFE so the forum can decipher which part of the medical requirement is not being met. I know the rules and I am trying to help, but before going off on the wrong path, I think it's better if you type the exact RFE.

I know you said your DS-3025 is good, but did your lawyer send it in with your package? Did the lawyer send in a I-693?

What exactly did the lawyer send? Did s/he send in a I-130 perchance?

Edited July 29, 2013 by Harpa Timsah

[passthehatchet 1]

Thanks for the reply Harpa. To answer your questions, we did not send in an I-693. We sent in the DS-3025 as well as the other vaccination evidence (list of vaccinations from my local GP, note from hospital detailing my tetanus shot). Is the problem perhaps that my entire vaccination history needs to be detailed entirely on the DS-3025, when it's currently also on other paperwork?

We sent an I-485, copy of passport, copy of visa, copy of I-129F, copy of I-94, copy of birth certificate, copy of the marriage certificate, G-325A x 4, passport photo x 4, an I-864, an I-765, and an I-131.

Full RFE text is below:

Submit a properly completed and signed Form I-693... for the applicant on Form I-485. The medical examination must be conducted by a civil surgeon who has been designated by the USCIS. The medical must be dated within one year of filing Form I-485.

If you have already submitted Form I-693, either all pages of Form I-693 are not present or all the pages are not of the same revision date.

• Medical examinations using the 10/11/11 revision date, the medical must be on or after 11/01/11.
• Medical examinations using the 1/15/13 revision date, the medical must be on or after 4/28/13.

All pages of Form I-693 must be present and of the same revision date.

To aid your civil surgeon on your medical exam, take a copy of this letter to your appointment.

To obtain names and telephone numbers of designated civil surgeons in your area, go online to http://www.uscis.gov/ or call USCIS' National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283. You may need to provide your zip code. Have a pen or pencil ready to write down the list of civil surgeons in your area.

Do not submit chest x-ray films with your medical exam.

Submit your medical with this letter. Do NOT hold your medical until your I-485 interview.

For more specific information, see Form I-485 instructions, page 4, "7. Medical Examinations". For the most current version of Form I-485 and Form I-693, including the instructions, go to "Immigration Forms" at http://www.uscis.gov or call (800) 870-3676.

Edited July 29, 2013 by passthehatchet

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Thanks, that helps.

So... technically a K-1 entrant should have the vaccinations transcribed onto the I-693. There is a thread I can link here that has a list of CS's who know about this and are willing to do the transcription. Some don't know about it and fear losing their status and therefore insist on the full medical. You can find ones who do know about it, though. It should cost like $25.

Sometimes people get away with just sending the DS-3025 but others get asked for the transcription.

What I find weird about your RFE though, is that there is no reference of your overseas medical at all... Usually if this is the issue it says "our records indicate you had an overseas medical" or "if you had an overseas medial in the past year, blah blah blah... Please provide transcription" but yours says nothing like that. It reads like there is no foreign medical at all, so I wondered if the lawyer sent I-130 by mistake, but that's not it (thanks for confirming).

You mention a tetanus shot, was that before or after your medical?

What is in the ellipses you have after "Submit form I-693"

So I guess your choice is just get the transcription and hope it works (I would also write a letter saying "I had an overseas medical blah blah"). Or you could get a whole new medical. It should cost $200 or less (that $600 is nonsense).

Edit: Here is the thread about CSs who know about the transcription. http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/231026-civil-surgeons-who-dont-rip-you-off/

I requested this thread be moved to the AOS from K-1 forum for more input. Good luck.

Edited July 29, 2013 by Harpa Timsah

[passthehatchet 1]

You're correct that there is no mention of the overseas medical, however I have my chest X-ray CD and a receipt from the Knightsbridge Clinic. Am I being too optimistic to assume that if they don't mention it, there's no problem with it?

The tetanus shot was before my medical - received 14th June 2012, and medical carried out 24th October 2012.

My apologies, in the ellipsis is "Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record."

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

I read they were changing the RFE wording to be more simple. Maybe this is one of the new ones (not sure when they are starting that).

I think it's a little weird they don't mention the overseas medical. But, if they lose it usually they say "it wasn't forwarded." That's all I know. Hopefully others will chime in on whether you just need the transcription of the full deal again.

If you put UK in your country profile I bet Nich-Nick will be more likely to respond (through going to country portal), and she keeps up on the medical issues really well.

[passthehatchet 1]

I fear I know the answer already, but is there any way of finding out whether or not they have my medical on file?

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

I'm here. I agree with Harpa that the RFE wording is shorter than has been in practice the last couple of years. I'm familiar with the progression of medical RFEs for about 5 years now. They went from vague to fairly decent. Are we back to vague?

I know of hundreds who have been cleared for AOS without an I-693. It doesn't mean your adjudicator is familiar with the nitty gritty details in their handbook. We all know people who are in jobs who slack off.

Since you haven't done a timeline yet, can you say if you got this immediately after filing, so it was likely generated by a contractor assembling the folder and looking for missing pieces. Or have you waited months and this is the real USCIS adjudicator looking at your file. Did you get any notification of transfer of the case anywhere? Trying to figure out where the file and adjudicator are.

And finally if you could scan and post your DS-3025, I could look at it and see if I see anything unacceptable. Many people think theirs is fine but it isn't. Just your mention of Tetanus makes me wonder because it is not a Tetanus shot that is required. It is Tdap or Td covering the pertussis and diphtheria as well as tetanus. So do a scan and let's see what you submitted. Your doctor details and forms don't count, so don't post them.

[AnotherLostSoul 167]

$8684.20?????????????? Really????????????? That is how much you ended up spending for this entire process? C.r.a.p....I'll shut up about the $2000. LOL:D

I'm here. I agree with Harpa that the RFE wording is shorter than has been in practice the last couple of years. I'm familiar with the progression of medical RFEs for about 5 years now. They went from vague to fairly decent. Are we back to vague?

I know of hundreds who have been cleared for AOS without an I-693. It doesn't mean your adjudicator is familiar with the nitty gritty details in their handbook. We all know people who are in jobs who slack off.
Since you haven't done a timeline yet, can you say if you got this immediately after filing, so it was likely generated by a contractor assembling the folder and looking for missing pieces. Or have you waited months and this is the real USCIS adjudicator looking at your file. Did you get any notification of transfer of the case anywhere? Trying to figure out where the file and adjudicator are.

And finally if you could scan and post your DS-3025, I could look at it and see if I see anything unacceptable. Many people think theirs is fine but it isn't. Just your mention of Tetanus makes me wonder because it is not a Tetanus shot that is required. It is Tdap or Td covering the pertussis and diphtheria as well as tetanus. So do a scan and let's see what you submitted. Your doctor details and forms don't count, so don't post them.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

$8684.20?????????????? Really????????????? That is how much you ended up spending for this entire process? C.r.a.p....I'll shut up about the $2000. LOL:D

That includes form fees of course, plus-- priority mailings, medical, coach to London, hotel in London, marriage license and certificate copies, and a huge chunk to ship belongings over. We didn't have lawyer fees and airfare wasn't included. And the UK fees in £ were converted to $ back when a £200 medical = $400, so exchange rate wasn't favorable. I had a spreadsheet I added to anytime we spent money having to do with immigration all the way to US passport. Worth it!

[passthehatchet 1]

Hi Nich-Nick, in response to your questions:

Are we back to vague?

Yes, I'd say we are. As Harpa noted, it isn't clear from the RFE whether or not they even have my medical on file. I'm assuming that as they requested the form and not a medical, they just need the I-693.

Since you haven't done a timeline yet, can you say if you got this immediately after filing, so it was likely generated by a contractor assembling the folder and looking for missing pieces. Or have you waited months and this is the real USCIS adjudicator looking at your file. Did you get any notification of transfer of the case anywhere? Trying to figure out where the file and adjudicator are.

My AOS packet was received on 27th June 2013, and the RFE is dated 23rd July 2013. I have received no notification of transfer, other than the I-797Cs I received to notify that me that the paperwork had been received, and to schedule my biometrics appointment (biometrics taken on 19th July 2013).

And finally if you could scan and post your DS-3025, I could look at it and see if I see anything unacceptable. Many people think theirs is fine but it isn't. Just your mention of Tetanus makes me wonder because it is not a Tetanus shot that is required. It is Tdap or Td covering the pertussis and diphtheria as well as tetanus. So do a scan and let's see what you submitted. Your doctor details and forms don't count, so don't post them.

My DS-3025 was marked "Vaccine History Incomplete", however since starting this topic I travelled across to Marshall, MN and got it transcribed to an I-693 hassle-free. After looking at my vaccination history and transcribing over, the civil surgeon marked it "Vaccine history complete for each vaccine, all requirements met."