Is hepatitis B a show-stopper?

[deptrai 0]

Hi all,

My fiancee and I are going for our K-1 interview in HCMC soon (already scheduled), and almost everything is in order, but I have one concern: she is hepatitis-B positive (which is endemic in VN and quite common). She has no symptoms and she's been on anti-virals for 2 months already but her viral load is still significant. We will be coming to HCMC shortly before the interview to take care of the medical exam at benh vien cho ray and get the vaccination assessment, so I don't know yet whether this qualifies as one of the "communicable diseases" that constitute a public-health risk and therefore could adversely affect the visa. I haven't seen it specifically listed anywhere, and it's a treatable although sometimes chronic disease. We could theoretically request that the interview date be moved so that we have more time to treat it into remission, but I'd rather not if it's not necessary.

So I am wondering if anyone has any experience: been denied a visa based on Hep-B, or been accepted despite positive test? Is this even one of the tests in the medical exam? Specifically in VN is of most interest, but I'd be interested in experiences from anywhere. Or if anyone knows of a resource on the web that indicates exactly which diseases qualify (I've researched a little but came up empty-handed other than tuberculosis and HIV being problematic).

Slightly unrelated, can anyone tell me about the medical exam and the vaccination assessment (specifically in HCMC), is it necessary to make appointments or can we just walk in? Is there ever a return visit required? The instructions say to do it 1 week before the interview, but it's a big trip for us and much easier to come there a little closer to the interview.

Finally, does anyone have any experience with rescheduling the interview? Is this common? How long after the initial interview is the new date typically scheduled? Is it considered a negative factor towards approval if an interview was rescheduled?

Thanks very much in advance for any advice!

[Nagishkaw 510]

You may want to check here http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/health.htm

[Kevin&Loan 0]

Deptrai, answers to your questions are:

1. Hepatitis B is vaccine-prevantable diseases. Thus, it will not stop your fiance from getting her visa. Hovever, it must be treated and documented. Please refer to this link for more info. http://www.uscis.gov/propub/ProPubVAP.jsp?...c84cf8ac5f30e91

2. Medical Exam: I keep refering people to IOM office on Pham Ngoc Thach. Much better service and more professional than Cho Ray. There is no need for appointment but you can call ahead if you prefer. However, you do have to return the next day for the X-ray result. My wife had her exam done 1 week prior to her interview. Two things to keep in mind: a. do not have the exam too close to the interview date. Sometimes, delay in getting the exam result will cause delay for your visa and b. your fiancee must have her current vaccination record.

3. You can always reschedule your appointment but it is not advisable. Do you really know how much more longer does it to treat the diseases? So, I'd say you go ahead with the interview and inform the CO of the situation. Of couse, blue slip will be given but at least you know you pass or fail the interview.

I'd like hear what other have to say about this case. This is not a "typical" question I see here often.

[mRx 16]

Hep B is not on the list of communicable diseases, and will not adversly effect obtaining a visa.

[David-Hien 11]

Deptrai, answers to your questions are:

3. You can always reschedule your appointment but it is not advisable. Do you really know how much more longer does it to treat the diseases? So, I'd say you go ahead with the interview and inform the CO of the situation. Of couse, blue slip will be given but at least you know you pass or fail the interview.

I'd like hear what other have to say about this case. This is not a "typical" question I see here often.

It will take her at least 6 months to stop the Hep.B but it's very expensive. This disease is easily to come back if you don't check usually.

Hien

[chuckandkim 0]

Deptrai, answers to your questions are:

1. Hepatitis B is vaccine-prevantable diseases. Thus, it will not stop your fiance from getting her visa. Hovever, it must be treated and documented. Please refer to this link for more info. http://www.uscis.gov/propub/ProPubVAP.jsp?...c84cf8ac5f30e91

2. Medical Exam: I keep refering people to IOM office on Pham Ngoc Thach. Much better service and more professional than Cho Ray. There is no need for appointment but you can call ahead if you prefer. However, you do have to return the next day for the X-ray result. My wife had her exam done 1 week prior to her interview. Two things to keep in mind: a. do not have the exam too close to the interview date. Sometimes, delay in getting the exam result will cause delay for your visa and b. your fiancee must have her current vaccination record.

3. You can always reschedule your appointment but it is not advisable. Do you really know how much more longer does it to treat the diseases? So, I'd say you go ahead with the interview and inform the CO of the situation. Of couse, blue slip will be given but at least you know you pass or fail the interview.

I'd like hear what other have to say about this case. This is not a "typical" question I see here often.

Listen to what Kevin and Loan say! It will not be a show-stopper. But need to show you have started the treatment. Read up! I must agree with Kevin, this is not your normal everyday Q&A. Good luck and I think you should be concern but not overly worry.

Chuck and Kim

[deptrai 0]

Thanks for all the advice!

Based on the reading you all suggested, I think I have a handle on it. I am still concerned but we will try to do the medical exam and use the advice the doctor gives us to decide how to proceed. I suppose that in the worst case they will make us wait until the treatment runs its course and then present documentation of a clean test, but we'll see. Unfortunately, we don't have great medical records since we usually use a public clinic in Ha Noi that doesn't provide much, but we'll get what we can and try to have the doctor sign a letter with the details of her diagnosis and treatment prior to going to HCMC.

For others who are interested, I have prepared the following list of relevant links (some of these are also in other posts above and the general ones are in the guides and FAQs, but they bear repeating):

1. Diseases which render the applicant ineligible can be definitely found here:
   http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/diseases.htm#communicable
   (note that some of these are easily curable with antibiotics, so hope is not necessarily lost if you have one)
   
2. Diseases against which the applicant must be vaccinated are listed here:
   http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/diseases.htm#vaccine
   and here:
   http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/ty...tml#Vaccination
   and here:
   http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_1331.html
   and here (in a quotation of the immigration law itself: search on "disease"):
   http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/ineligib...gibilities_1364
   
3. The actual immigration law is here; the act setting out the health inelligibility (also quoted in some of the other pages listed above) is here. The law seems to have a specific list of the vaccines, but not the communicable diseases (it only offers TB and HIV as examples).
   
4. Lots of info on the medical exam here:
   http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/health.htm
   

Since there seems to be interest, I will try to post a follow-up to indicate what more we find out about this as part of the medical-exam/vaccination-assessment/interview.

Thanks again, and I hope that anyone with additional info will continue to post.

[deptrai 0]

Followup: it was not a problem.

I figured that it must be a common occurrence since Hep-B is endemic here, but I wrote up a letter for her doc to sign in English and TV, saying that he had diagnosed her with Hep-B, prescribed treatment, and she is responding. We then took that with us to TPHCM for the vaccination assessment and to the medical exam, but it turned out not to be necessary. In fact, it seems that they are only worried about the "communicable diseases of public health significance" -- the "vaccine-preventable" diseases are much less important, and they just want you to get vaccinated against them.

In the end: went to interview and got pink sheet (passed, I guess, but I'll feel better when I see the visa in her passport).

Thanks again for all the help, this is definitely the best site for US visas.

[kitkat1 5]

Great information and congrats!