How long for the I-693 test results and tips from experienced interview goers.

[Ycats 24]

Hello, we recently received an email saying that our interview will be scheduled soon but we have not yet received the mail for that, we are waiting patiently as we can. But my question is, we have not yet taken the medical and were told to bring it to the interview. We were wondering, how long does it normally take for the doctor to complete the form and test results. We are going to try and schedule that appointment as soon as possible, but we still do not know when the interview is. Anyone have any stories to share about how long the medical took to be filled out and test results completed? I will guess that it is not on the same day.

 

Thank you in advance for your help! Also, any links to good tips for preparing for the interview would be greatly appreciated. There are always a million website with info, but it would help to hear or see what people who already took the interview actually experienced. Thank you also.

[eckoin 211]

Your case is ready to be scheduled for interview, or the interview has been scheduled? 

 

The time to get the completed I-693 back depends on the medical office. Call up the one you'll go to and ask them. If they send your lab results to a totally different lab, the turnaround could be a couple of weeks or a couple of days. Mine took a week total. Also depends on how busy they are, that is, when is the earliest appointment date. 

[Ycats 24]

7 hours ago, eckoin said:

Your case is ready to be scheduled for interview, or the interview has been scheduled? 

 

The time to get the completed I-693 back depends on the medical office. Call up the one you'll go to and ask them. If they send your lab results to a totally different lab, the turnaround could be a couple of weeks or a couple of days. Mine took a week total. Also depends on how busy they are, that is, when is the earliest appointment date. 

We have not yet received the actual schedule for the interview, just an email that says we should be receiving a mail about the schedule soon.

[eckoin 211]

15 hours ago, Ycats said:

We have not yet received the actual schedule for the interview, just an email that says we should be receiving a mail about the schedule soon.

OK, so your interview has been scheduled. That means that it'll be set for 3-6 weeks from the day of the email. In that case, you should definitely schedule your medical ASAP, considering the holidays and all. It could take up to 3 weeks for the civil surgeon to complete it, depending on the bloodwork turnaround at the lab they use (and holidays don't help there either). Plus, if you need any additional vaccinations, you should get them before the interview and include those records in the sealed I-693, or well, the civil surgeon will. 

Edited December 22, 2018 by eckoin

[USC4SPOUSE 506]

On 12/21/2018 at 7:00 AM, Ycats said:

Hello, we recently received an email saying that our interview will be scheduled soon but we have not yet received the mail for that, we are waiting patiently as we can. But my question is, we have not yet taken the medical and were told to bring it to the interview. We were wondering, how long does it normally take for the doctor to complete the form and test results. We are going to try and schedule that appointment as soon as possible, but we still do not know when the interview is. Anyone have any stories to share about how long the medical took to be filled out and test results completed? I will guess that it is not on the same day.

 

Thank you in advance for your help! Also, any links to good tips for preparing for the interview would be greatly appreciated. There are always a million website with info, but it would help to hear or see what people who already took the interview actually experienced. Thank you also.

The I-693 will be less expensive if you have your immunization records with you. You would just present the records to your Civil Surgeon and they will transcribe the information.

 

If you do not have your immunization records with you, then it would be cheapest to get the blood work done through your insurance. Your physician would likely bill it as a "yearly medical". Then, you would take the lab results to the Civil Surgeon, and they would transcribe the information. 

 

USCIS does not regulate what Civil surgeons may charge for completing the I-693 form. Therefore, it is worth trying to get as much done on your own first. Definitely shop around and compare rates. 

 

All the best,

 

USC4SPOUSE

[eckoin 211]

16 hours ago, USC4SPOUSE said:

The I-693 will be less expensive if you have your immunization records with you. You would just present the records to your Civil Surgeon and they will transcribe the information.

 

If you do not have your immunization records with you, then it would be cheapest to get the blood work done through your insurance. Your physician would likely bill it as a "yearly medical". Then, you would take the lab results to the Civil Surgeon, and they would transcribe the information. 

 

USCIS does not regulate what Civil surgeons may charge for completing the I-693 form. Therefore, it is worth trying to get as much done on your own first. Definitely shop around and compare rates. 

 

All the best,

 

USC4SPOUSE

That's a great point.  Also to add from my experience:

 

I had my Canadian immunization records (that apparently anyone can request through the school board--so it was just a printout from my school... it worked).  However, as a child, I received the first MMR as three separate vaccinations, and I didn't have a record of my recent Tdap.  The civil surgeon suggested I get another MMR just in case, and another Tdap, somewhere else because he doesn't accept insurance and it would be more expensive through his office.  I stopped by a CVS Minuteclinic and got both of those, and he included the records in my I-693 envelopes.

 

So if your insurance covers vaccinations 100%, like many do, and you don't want to do bloodwork (my pregnancy bloodwork cost $900, before my deductible was met, so I'm always paranoid), you could just get the required vaccinations anyway, there's no harm.  If you're not sure which are required, you could ask the civil surgeon what's "age appropriate" and what isn't.  For example, MMR and Tdap are definitely "age appropriate" to get as an adult, DTaP of course isn't.  

 

But I suppose if you needed to get every single vaccination from scratch, that might take a while if you need 2+ doses of each, so bloodwork may be the better route.

[Ycats 24]

Thank you for all of the advice!