London medical for adjustment of status from K-1

[criticalchris 13]

Hey,

So as I understand it, if your medical was complete and you had all the vaccinations, you don't need to fill out or send in any additional medical forms - not even the one some people get a civil surgeon to fill out 2/5 pages of or whatever. Well, I had my medical in London and the guy there told me that I didn't need any extra vaccinations. However, he also said that he was marking my vaccination form as incomplete because there was one vaccination nobody could get/need or something so he had to fill it out as incomplete. However he said it was the same for everyone and my vaccination record was still 'complete', as in does not need any more vaccinations.

Is this right? If I attach a copy of the form he gave me below, can you tell me if I can skip the medical forms for the AOS?

Thanks!

Edited December 3, 2013 by criticalchris

[Boiler 46,181]

You still need it signed of in the US, just nothing additional medically.

[Lynkali 163]

I'm not confident about that TD shot -- that means you haven't had the P (Pertussis, as in TDaP), and there have been people getting RFE's for that. See for example here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/398014-november-2012-filers/?p=6581941

When we went to get the I-693 signed, the civil surgeon specifically pointed out that USCIS has starting requiring the P in the TDaP shot -- they even showed us a USCIS memo they had received -- and although it was our choice, they suggested my husband get a full TDaP to enter on the form, even though he had just had the TD shot 6 months earlier. I agreed because we'd rather avoid RFE if possible.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Hey,

So as I understand it, if your medical was complete and you had all the vaccinations, you don't need to fill out or send in any additional medical forms - not even the one some people get a civil surgeon to fill out 2/5 pages of or whatever. Well, I had my medical in London and the guy there told me that I didn't need any extra vaccinations. However, he also said that he was marking my vaccination form as incomplete because there was one vaccination nobody could get/need or something so he had to fill it out as incomplete. However he said it was the same for everyone and my vaccination record was still 'complete', as in does not need any more vaccinations.

Is this right? If I attach a copy of the form he gave me below, can you tell me if I can skip the medical forms for the AOS?

Thanks!

Your immunization form is completed properly. You should skip seeing a civil surgeon in the US. Mail a photocopy of that DS-3025 with your AOS application. There is always a chance some adjudicator may find fault, but I would wait on an RFE before shelling out more money. Edited December 4, 2013 by Nich-Nick

[Azsara 110]

Hey,

So as I understand it, if your medical was complete and you had all the vaccinations, you don't need to fill out or send in any additional medical forms - not even the one some people get a civil surgeon to fill out 2/5 pages of or whatever. Well, I had my medical in London and the guy there told me that I didn't need any extra vaccinations. However, he also said that he was marking my vaccination form as incomplete because there was one vaccination nobody could get/need or something so he had to fill it out as incomplete. However he said it was the same for everyone and my vaccination record was still 'complete', as in does not need any more vaccinations.

Is this right? If I attach a copy of the form he gave me below, can you tell me if I can skip the medical forms for the AOS?

Thanks!

Hey my form looks the same and they gave me the exact same spiele they gave you about having to mark it incomplete.

I just attached a copy and sent it off with the AoS I didn't figure id need anything else, so hope boiler is wrong

[criticalchris 13]

Your immunization form is completed properly. You should skip seeing a civil surgeon in the US. Mail a photocopy of that DS-3025 with your AOS application. There is always a chance some adjudicator may find fault, but I would wait on an RFE before shelling out more money.

So Boiler is wrong, yeah? Because I did think you only needed someone to sign it if you had new information to be verified (ie completed list of immunisations). If I did get an RFE, how much delay would that add? Because I would have to measure that against the extra time it would take to get the immunisation and then have a civil surgeon certify it.

Edited December 4, 2013 by criticalchris

[Boiler 46,181]

When I did mine, I had a full set of jabs, that is what I had to do. It was just the sign off, not a full medical.

Possible things have changed.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

So Boiler is wrong, yeah? Because I did think you only needed someone to sign it if you had new information to be verified (ie completed list of immunisations). If I did get an RFE, how much delay would that add? Because I would have to measure that against the extra time it would take to get the immunisation and then have a civil surgeon certify it.

I am not going to say anybody is right or wrong. This is information from the I-693 medical form instructions:

What if I am a K nonimmigrant visa holder and already had a medical exam overseas?

If you were admitted as a:

A. K-1 fiancé(e) or a K-2 child of a K-1 fiancé(e); or as a

B. K-3 spouse of a U.S. citizen or a K-4 child of a K-3 spouse of a U.S. citizen; and

C. You received a medical examination prior to admission, then:

1. You are not required to have another medical examination as long as your Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, is filed within one year of your overseas medical examination, and the medical examination did not reveal a Class A medical condition, or if you did have a Class A medical condition, you received a waiver of inadmissibility and have complied with the terms and conditions on the waiver.

2. Even if a new medical examination is not required, you must still show proof that you complied with the vaccination requirements. If the vaccination record (DS 3025) was not properly completed and included as part of the original overseas medical examination report, you will have to have the vaccination report completed by a designated civil surgeon. In this case, you are required to submit the vaccination record and page 1 of Form I-693.

--------

I am saying you properly completed your immunizations so should not have to see a civil surgeon.

The Adjudicator's handbook discussing shots lists Td or Tdap as the requirement but says DT or DTP or DtaP are also acceptable. The last lot are in a dosage for children is the difference. If somebody's adjudicator doesn't know their handbook, then they could tell you anything. But any of those shots is supposed to be okay and many dozens of people have been approved with the Td (not Tdap) and not seeing a civil surgeon to sign off.

Want to know about the bottom section that say "incomplete" and blanket waiver? It is explained in the Technical Instructions for Panel Physicians. Note the part I put in bold says that is almost always checked because some shots will not be medically appropriate or age appropriate.

After reviewing entries in "Part 1. Immunization Record" for all the vaccines, the appropriate box under "Part 2. Results" must be checked.

Vaccination history incomplete: Applicant may be eligible for blanket waiver(s).

Completion of a vaccine series is not required to conclude the medical examination, because such a requirement would require multiple visits to a panel physician and could lead to unnecessary delay in the immigration process. If any of the boxes under the "Not Medically Appropriate" heading was checked, the "Applicant may be eligible for blanket waiver(s) because vaccination(s) not medically appropriate (as indicated above)" box must also be checked. This box will probably always be checked because some vaccines may not be age appropriate for the applicant.

[Lynkali 163]

The Adjudicator's handbook discussing shots lists Td or Tdap as the requirement but says DT or DTP or DtaP are also acceptable. The last lot are in a dosage for children is the difference. If somebody's adjudicator doesn't know their handbook, then they could tell you anything. But any of those shots is supposed to be okay and many dozens of people have been approved with the Td (not Tdap) and not seeing a civil surgeon to sign off.

Nich-Nick, I am in total agreement and you've been so helpful about this and other topics ... but I do wonder if there is newer information available, or if the requirement has only recently been changed: because our civil surgeon said they have been getting a ton of people coming in with RFE's for not having their TDaP (only having DT/TD) just in the last couple months. They even briefly showed us a memo from USCIS saying that TDaP was now a requirement, I couldn't see the date since they just waved it at us.

I hope people DO still get approved with only the TD or DT shots ... but if anyone wants to be safe rather than risk the delay of an RFE, I'm just contributing that there have been reports of RFEs for that, both here on VJ and from civil surgeons. I hope it's just a badly trained adjudicator, but it may not be!

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

I agree that at least one dose of pertussis should be accounted for and the Td would be the 10 year booster so to speak. And pertussis is being pushed recently because of higher incidence. Our state changed immunization requirements for middle school aged kids to include a shot not previously required. And lots of publicity encouraging grandparents to get Tdap if they are going to be around grandbabies.

So I don't disagree with the RFE as such, but I would myself wait until somebody made me go to a civil surgeon by sending an RFE. Some charge so much, insist on another full medical, and can be a real hassle that I would rather go with the DS-3025 and see if it was approved. But I also don't think an RFE at this point changes your life significantly either when you are finally together. Yes, I know 2-3 extra weeks may seem very significant to brand new K1 immigrants, but it's not really. Greencard approval can vary more than that with no RFEs.