TDAP Vaccine Booster for AOS

[Rebecca95 1]

I hope this is in the right section! I apologise if not, but I'm worried that I can't proceed with my AOS application without this booster shot.

 

I went to my medical appointment in London and all was well apart from the fact I was missing my TDAP 10 year booster vaccine. I was offered it at the medical but I'd have to pay a price I was unable to afford at that time, and was told I could get it when I travel to America next. I'm now in America, recently married and am looking into the AOS forms and looking to get this vaccine. Me and my husband have called around every medical place in our town and everywhere is either stating that they don't have it, or only have it for children. How am I supposed to get this vaccine at age 26? I've received all 3 other vaccines for this, but am required to get the booster I did not receive when I should've. My husband did some research and he thinks I don't need the polio vaccine as I've already received it before and I don't need a booster, and should just be able to get the vaccine for tetanus and diphtheria, but we have no idea if this is true or where we can get it from.

 

Thank you in advance.

[SalishSea 17,828]

5 minutes ago, Rebecca95 said:

I hope this is in the right section! I apologise if not, but I'm worried that I can't proceed with my AOS application without this booster shot.

 

I went to my medical appointment in London and all was well apart from the fact I was missing my TDAP 10 year booster vaccine. I was offered it at the medical but I'd have to pay a price I was unable to afford at that time, and was told I could get it when I travel to America next. I'm now in America, recently married and am looking into the AOS forms and looking to get this vaccine. Me and my husband have called around every medical place in our town and everywhere is either stating that they don't have it, or only have it for children. How am I supposed to get this vaccine at age 26? I've received all 3 other vaccines for this, but am required to get the booster I did not receive when I should've. My husband did some research and he thinks I don't need the polio vaccine as I've already received it before and I don't need a booster, and should just be able to get the vaccine for tetanus and diphtheria, but we have no idea if this is true or where we can get it from.

 

Thank you in advance.

TdAP does not include polio.  The P is for pertussis (whooping cough).

[K1visaHopeful 2,814]

Is your DS3025 marked as complete or not?

[arken 4,197]

Not sure how much was the TDap fee over there but it now became more expensive. Now you have to go through a USCIS approved civil surgeon for i693. They will have their own administrative fee on top of any vaccination fees.

[Wuozopo 4,293]

2 hours ago, Rebecca95 said:

I went to my medical appointment in London and all was well apart from the fact I was missing my TDAP 10 year booster vaccine. I was offered it at the medical but I'd have to pay a price I was unable to afford at that time, and was told I could get it when I travel to America next.

Since you didn’t get the shot at your visa medical, you will now have to find a civil surgeon who can sign off your shots on an official USCIS form I-693. Call around and try to find one who will just do the shot part. Most will tell you that you require doing the full medical exam and a TB test. They can charge anything they want $250..$350… so do ask the price before committing to an appointment.  https://my.uscis.gov/findadoctor
 

2 hours ago, Rebecca95 said:

I've received all 3 other vaccines for this,

Can you name what you mean by this? Do you have a record of having a pertussis shot anytime in your life? If so, you don’t need Tdap (Tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis) , but can get Td (Tetanus/diphtheria) for the booster. What does your shot record say exactly?

CVS offers both https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/services/vaccinations-and-injections/N-d8Z3a3joZd5 also

H-E-B https://www.heb.com/pharmacy/services/immunizations

Walgreens https://www.walgreens.com/pharmacy/immunization/immunization_index.jsp

 

BUT even if you get a shot at one of those clinics, a Civil Surgeon still has to sign off your paperwork (Form I-693). Try to find one who won’t make you do the medical over. Your visa medical is still valid and a new one is not required by USCIS. 

 

 

[Rebecca95 1]

Sorry if anything in my main post is unclear, my head's all over the place trying to figure this out.

 

22 hours ago, K1visaHopeful said:

Is your DS3025 marked as complete or not?

I don't believe so because I opted to not receive the missing vaccine at my London medical. 

 

20 hours ago, arken said:

Not sure how much was the TDap fee over there but it now became more expensive. Now you have to go through a USCIS approved civil surgeon for i693. They will have their own administrative fee on top of any vaccination fees.

Thank you for clarifying this, it's become more clear to me now that I'll need to go through a civil surgeon no matter what. Which is a pain because the closest one to me is almost 2 hours away from where I'm currently living.

 

19 hours ago, Wuozopo said:

Since you didn’t get the shot at your visa medical, you will now have to find a civil surgeon who can sign off your shots on an official USCIS form I-693. Call around and try to find one who will just do the shot part. Most will tell you that you require doing the full medical exam and a TB test. They can charge anything they want $250..$350… so do ask the price before committing to an appointment.  https://my.uscis.gov/findadoctor
 

Can you name what you mean by this? Do you have a record of having a pertussis shot anytime in your life? If so, you don’t need Tdap (Tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis) , but can get Td (Tetanus/diphtheria) for the booster. What does your shot record say exactly?

CVS offers both https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/services/vaccinations-and-injections/N-d8Z3a3joZd5 also

H-E-B https://www.heb.com/pharmacy/services/immunizations

Walgreens https://www.walgreens.com/pharmacy/immunization/immunization_index.jsp

 

BUT even if you get a shot at one of those clinics, a Civil Surgeon still has to sign off your paperwork (Form I-693). Try to find one who won’t make you do the medical over. Your visa medical is still valid and a new one is not required by USCIS. 

 

 

I really appreciate this advice! I'm hoping I'll be able to find a civil surgeon that will only do my shot(s). I'm looking at my records and I was vaccinated 3 times as a baby against diphtheria/tetanus/whooping cough & polio (it's all on the same line, assuming it's all one vaccine). What I'm missing is the 10 year booster apparently, which was noted at my medical back in London.

[Rebecca95 1]

As a brief update, me and my husband have been calling around the "civil surgeons" on the USCIS website and we're having a really tough time. They're either retired, not actually civil surgeons or they only do the medical and not the vaccinations. I'd be willing to get the vaccinations at a CVS or somewhere like that and then contact a civil surgeon to sign off on it, but a) we don't know if I'll be getting the absolute right vaccine needed for my AOS and b) we don't know if they'll charge just to sign off on the DS3025. I'm situated in West central Texas(?) and the nearest big city is approx. 4 hours away from me and I'm worried that I might have to travel that far out for the vaccine or for them to sign off on it because the USCIS website is listing doctors who aren't actually authorized to do these things for the AOS.

[Wuozopo 4,293]

1 hour ago, Rebecca95 said:

 

I really appreciate this advice! I'm hoping I'll be able to find a civil surgeon that will only do my shot(s). I'm looking at my records and I was vaccinated 3 times as a baby against diphtheria/tetanus/whooping cough & polio (it's all on the same line, assuming it's all one vaccine). What I'm missing is the 10 year booster apparently, which was noted at my medical back in London.

Yes, the UK gives children 4 shots in one. You have been immunized for pertussis (whooping cough) and are done for life on pertussis. Thus for now you need the Td which is what most need. It is the Tetanus that expires after 10 years, but tetanus/diphtheria is how the shot comes in the US. if you could scan the shot part of you DS3025’ it would be helpful to see how they filled it in.

 

1 hour ago, Rebecca95 said:

I'd be willing to get the vaccinations at a CVS or somewhere like that and then contact a civil surgeon to sign off on it, but a) we don't know if I'll be getting the absolute right vaccine needed for my AOS and b) we don't know if they'll charge just to sign off on the DS3025.

You can get the shot anywhere and take all your jab records to a Civil Surgeon. Or you can have the Civil Surgeon give the shot.
NOTE: Civil Surgeons don’t sign off on the DS3025. That ship sailed when you left your visa medical without a shot. A civil Surgeon starts over with a clean form (I693) and combines all the proofs of shots you have had or get from him. You must be there in person. Yes the ones that will do only the shot page will charge a fee for the paperwork even if you got the shot elsewhere. 
Study form I-693 and it’s instructions 

See page 12,13 for the vax page https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-693.pdf

See page 8 of the instructions https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-693instr.pdf where it says

3. What if I am a K nonimmigrant visa holder and already had a medical examination overseas?

 

Something important to note: Because you didn’t get signed off as “complete” in London, it’s like you are starting over. That DS3025 form is useless for your AOS application because the shots weren’t completed. So you may need additional shots that you wouldn’t have needed before. As of October 1 you need proof of 2 Covid vaxxes and it ‘s now flu season so a flu shot. If your visa medical was before Oct 1, then they would have waived the flu shot as “not flu season”. Now it is flu season and you have to go by what is required this time of year since you are starting over on a new date of record.. So make sure you have the Covid jabs and a flu shot so they can be added to your I-693.
 

Stay tuned for one more thing. I’ll let you absorb this stuff first.

[Rebecca95 1]

39 minutes ago, Wuozopo said:

Yes, the UK gives children 4 shots in one. You have been immunized for pertussis (whooping cough) and are done for life on pertussis. Thus for now you need the Td which is what most need. It is the Tetanus that expires after 10 years, but tetanus/diphtheria is how the shot comes in the US. if you could scan the shot part of you DS3025’ it would be helpful to see how they filled it in.

 

You can get the shot anywhere and take all your jab records to a Civil Surgeon. Or you can have the Civil Surgeon give the shot.
NOTE: Civil Surgeons don’t sign off on the DS3025. That ship sailed when you left your visa medical without a shot. A civil Surgeon starts over with a clean form (I693) and combines all the proofs of shots you have had or get from him. You must be there in person. Yes the ones that will do only the shot page will charge a fee for the paperwork even if you got the shot elsewhere. 
Study form I-693 and it’s instructions 

See page 12,13 for the vax page https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-693.pdf

See page 8 of the instructions https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-693instr.pdf where it says

3. What if I am a K nonimmigrant visa holder and already had a medical examination overseas?

 

Something important to note: Because you didn’t get signed off as “complete” in London, it’s like you are starting over. That DS3025 form is useless for your AOS application because the shots weren’t completed. So you may need additional shots that you wouldn’t have needed before. As of October 1 you need proof of 2 Covid vaxxes and it ‘s now flu season so a flu shot. If your visa medical was before Oct 1, then they would have waived the flu shot as “not flu season”. Now it is flu season and you have to go by what is required this time of year since you are starting over on a new date of record.. So make sure you have the Covid jabs and a flu shot so they can be added to your I-693.
 

Stay tuned for one more thing. I’ll let you absorb this stuff first.

Thank you once again for this information, it's a huge help. I received 2 doses of the pfizer vaccine in the UK before leaving so hopefully my NHS vaccination card is accepted. I'll be sure to look into getting my flu shot before my TD vaccine. We've thankfully managed to find a certified civil surgeon in a town 2 hours away from where we are and are due to get this whole thing sorted on Tuesday. What else should I be prepared for?

[Wuozopo 4,293]

1 hour ago, Rebecca95 said:

Thank you once again for this information, it's a huge help. I received 2 doses of the pfizer vaccine in the UK before leaving so hopefully my NHS vaccination card is accepted. I'll be sure to look into getting my flu shot before my TD vaccine. We've thankfully managed to find a certified civil surgeon in a town 2 hours away from where we are and are due to get this whole thing sorted on Tuesday. What else should I be prepared for?

Did you ask if they will certify your vaccinations without doing a full medical exam and what that will cost? Sometimes the special rules for K1s are not even know by civil surgeons. They do a lot of people who live/work in the US on work visas and think every body has to have a medical exam because most do. K1s are small minority of those adjusting status. Those work or student visa peopl didn’t just arrive after having a full medical exam abroad like a K1. 

Now that you understand about shots, civil surgeons, and all. Do you know you can file for AOS without an I-693? You will still have to see a civil surgeon and bring the sealed I693 to your interview. So if this is too much hassle now, you can put it off if you like. If you wait until April 1, then it won’t be flu season so no flu shot required. It’s an option.
 

Here’ what USCIS says:

 

Save time by filing Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, with Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. USCIS generally considers a completed Form I-693 to retain its evidentiary value for two years after the date the civil surgeon signed Form I-693, as long as the date of the civil surgeon’s signature is no more than 60 days before the applicant filed Form I-485.

You are not required to file the Form I-693 at the same time you file Form I-485, and many applicants bring their completed Form I-693 to their interview. However, some applications may not require an interview. USCIS makes decisions to waive interviews on a case-by-case basis.

Filing Form I-485 and Form I-693 at the same time may eliminate the need for us to issue an RFE to obtain your Form I-693. This may also help avoid adjudication delays if we decide that you do not need to be interviewed.

[Rebecca95 1]

3 hours ago, Wuozopo said:

Did you ask if they will certify your vaccinations without doing a full medical exam and what that will cost? Sometimes the special rules for K1s are not even know by civil surgeons. They do a lot of people who live/work in the US on work visas and think every body has to have a medical exam because most do. K1s are small minority of those adjusting status. Those work or student visa peopl didn’t just arrive after having a full medical exam abroad like a K1. 

Now that you understand about shots, civil surgeons, and all. Do you know you can file for AOS without an I-693? You will still have to see a civil surgeon and bring the sealed I693 to your interview. So if this is too much hassle now, you can put it off if you like. If you wait until April 1, then it won’t be flu season so no flu shot required. It’s an option.
 

Here’ what USCIS says:

 

Save time by filing Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, with Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. USCIS generally considers a completed Form I-693 to retain its evidentiary value for two years after the date the civil surgeon signed Form I-693, as long as the date of the civil surgeon’s signature is no more than 60 days before the applicant filed Form I-485.

You are not required to file the Form I-693 at the same time you file Form I-485, and many applicants bring their completed Form I-693 to their interview. However, some applications may not require an interview. USCIS makes decisions to waive interviews on a case-by-case basis.

Filing Form I-485 and Form I-693 at the same time may eliminate the need for us to issue an RFE to obtain your Form I-693. This may also help avoid adjudication delays if we decide that you do not need to be interviewed.

Thank you for this, my husband is trying to get us to submit all the forms together as he's apparently read that the interview can be waived if we submit all the correct forms at once (I-693 being one of those) even though it's not guaranteed that the interview will be waived. Still, we'd really like to get all the forms sent off at the right time. We spoke with someone on the phone regarding the civil surgeon and they're in fact only charging us for the vaccine and not a full medical exam.

 

I was lucky enough to be able to get my flu shot tonight from CVs but the problem is that I forgot to find out a way to provide proof that I received that flu shot as I didn't already have an account with CVs, lol. So now that's something I have to figure out before I see the civil surgeon I assume. Thank you so much once again, you've been a huge help. Hopefully all of this confusion will be over after Tuesday.

[Yu1988 3]

On 11/4/2021 at 1:51 PM, K1visaHopeful said:

Is your DS3025 marked as complete or not?

My Fiancé's DS-3025 marked "K visa applicant voluntarily completed vaccination requirement", but under "Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis" only row Td marked "D". I am wondering if we can just include a copy of this DS3025 form in the AOS submission in place of Form I-693, or should he get Tdap vaccine and find a civil surgeon to complete and sign From I-693? Thanks! 

[K1visaHopeful 2,814]

D means you were given a waiver.

You do not need to do anything except submit a photocopy of your complete (yes it's complete as it's marked complete) DS3025 with I485.

[Yu1988 3]

5 minutes ago, K1visaHopeful said:

D means you were given a waiver.

You do not need to do anything except submit a photocopy of your complete (yes it's complete as it's marked complete) DS3025 with I485.

Thanks! What about the COVID vaccination? We haven't submitted the I-485 application and now COVID vaccination is required for applications submitted after Oct 1st?  

[Wuozopo 4,293]

5 hours ago, Yu1988 said:

Thanks! What about the COVID vaccination? We haven't submitted the I-485 application and now COVID vaccination is required for applications submitted after Oct 1st?  

You were “complete for AOS” on the date of your medical exam according to the requirements valid on that date. Since you were signed off as complete by your panel physician, you are done despite new rules put in place at a later date.  
 

If you went to a Civil Surgeon for an I-693 now, you would have to meet today’s requirements (Covid) and it would supersede your previous report, so go with what you have which is valid.