TB Skin Tests

[Allie 5]

Allie, you can send the AOS without it.

Like I mentioned, we haven't seen any consistency with this "new requirement" for the TB skin test for K1s or K3s at the AOS stage. There are recent approvals through CSC (without interview) that were never asked for it. There are some interviewees who were never asked for it either but there is a recent crop here of interviewees who were asked for it at the interview.

Thanks, that's good. I'll send it off and wait till the interview and see where it goes from there whether they need it

[TracyTN 237]

There's a definite black hole here, but regardless, it doesn't *yet* seem to impact actually sending in your AOS forms. When it may impact you is if you are interviewed for AOS (if you have not had the test).

In other words, send in your forms as normal. When/if you're scheduled for an AOS interview, go to a CS and have the test.

[lynamon 0]

Yodrak,

Is it really true that RFE's are being given to K1 applicants for a TB skin test when they have had a full medical with chest xrays from a panel physician and are not required another medical for AOS?

If they changed policy requiring TB skin tests, would they not have changed policy as well with the panel physicians?

My confusion comes in that if a positive TB skin test results in a chest x-ray .. doing things backwards is moot and therefore the RFE's are unjustafiable. Forgive me if I appear daft .. just at a very stressful point in this journey

lynamon,

There's an interesting difference between the Tb-related instructions for Panel Physicians, who give the visa medical exams overseas, and the instructions for Civil Surgeons, who give the medical exams here in the USA for adjustment of status.

Panel physicians are required to take a chest x-ray, and if the person has indications of Tb from either their physical appearance or the x-ray then a sputum smear test is required.

Civil surgeons are required to do a tuberculin skin test, and if there is a positive reaction then they must follow up with a chest x-ray. The civil surgeon must read the skin test (which would be unambiguous if the instruction didn't follow that statement with a parenthetical note that says self reports of the reaction are not acceptable).

Yodrak

PS - I'm moving this thread to the AOS forum since the topic is of general interest, and not Canada-specific.

Okay ... I have limited time to utilize our medical system and I have just found out that they do the chest xray at the medial but to adjust status they are now requiring a TB skin test to be done. If I ran to a lab and had it done and took the paperwork down with me would they accept the information not done by a certified US civil surgeon?

[Yodrak 7]

lynamon,

Some applicants for adjustment of status are reporting that they are being required to have a Tb skin test. That's all I can tell you, you can read the posts here on VJ yourself.

The CDC writes the instructions for Civil Surgeons and Panel Physicians, you can find the instructions on the CDC web site.

Yodrak

Yodrak,

Is it really true that RFE's are being given to K1 applicants for a TB skin test when they have had a full medical with chest xrays from a panel physician and are not required another medical for AOS?

If they changed policy requiring TB skin tests, would they not have changed policy as well with the panel physicians?

My confusion comes in that if a positive TB skin test results in a chest x-ray .. doing things backwards is moot and therefore the RFE's are unjustafiable. Forgive me if I appear daft .. just at a very stressful point in this journey

lynamon,

There's an interesting difference between the Tb-related instructions for Panel Physicians, who give the visa medical exams overseas, and the instructions for Civil Surgeons, who give the medical exams here in the USA for adjustment of status.

Panel physicians are required to take a chest x-ray, and if the person has indications of Tb from either their physical appearance or the x-ray then a sputum smear test is required.

Civil surgeons are required to do a tuberculin skin test, and if there is a positive reaction then they must follow up with a chest x-ray. The civil surgeon must read the skin test (which would be unambiguous if the instruction didn't follow that statement with a parenthetical note that says self reports of the reaction are not acceptable).

Yodrak

PS - I'm moving this thread to the AOS forum since the topic is of general interest, and not Canada-specific.

Okay ... I have limited time to utilize our medical system and I have just found out that they do the chest xray at the medial but to adjust status they are now requiring a TB skin test to be done. If I ran to a lab and had it done and took the paperwork down with me would they accept the information not done by a certified US civil surgeon?

[~*Maria*~ 1]

RFE's for TB skin tests are being given to K-3'ers also for AOS. Rather than wait for the RFE i'm calling my nearest CS and booking my appointment to have my TB skin test done. Then if and when the RFE arrives in the mail i can just send the completed TB skin test results back the same day without having to wait for the first available appointment for the skin test and wait the 2-3 days and go back for the skin test results, this way i'll have them ready to send back.

Just hope with me having my BCG done when i was a baby its not going to show up positive. If it does then i guess the CS will more than likely have to do another chest X-Ray. OR Would the X-Ray i have done during my medical exam for my K-3 visa last October be sufficient if i took that with me when i went back to get my skin test results if they happen to be positive??

Maria

[misa 2]

Just hope with me having my BCG done when i was a baby its not going to show up positive. If it does then i guess the CS will more than likely have to do another chest X-Ray. OR Would the X-Ray i have done during my medical exam for my K-3 visa last October be sufficient if i took that with me when i went back to get my skin test results if they happen to be positive??

Maria

I guess that would depend on the CS. Do you still have the xray or the report (saying you're clear of TB) from your foreign medical?

[~*Maria*~ 1]

Just hope with me having my BCG done when i was a baby its not going to show up positive. If it does then i guess the CS will more than likely have to do another chest X-Ray. OR Would the X-Ray i have done during my medical exam for my K-3 visa last October be sufficient if i took that with me when i went back to get my skin test results if they happen to be positive??

Maria

I guess that would depend on the CS. Do you still have the xray or the report (saying you're clear of TB) from your foreign medical?

Yes, I still have my X-Ray from my foreign medical and as for the report then NO we're not given a copy of it , we're just given the vaccination worksheet DS-3025 and the X-Ray.

Just booked my TB skin test appointment for July 18th @ 11am. So i'll take my foreign X-Ray along with me just in-case.

Edited July 13, 2007 by MariaDane

[RosaMystica7 0]

If you can MariaDane, please let me know if your skin test comes up positive due to the BCG. My husband also had the BCG and is worried that, if he has to go for the skin test, it'll come up positive.

Edited July 13, 2007 by Angilla

[Leney 0]

Will/has the TB skin test be required for children as well?

[~*Maria*~ 1]

According to CDC immigrants over the age of 2 years filing for AOS has to have a TB skin test done. Shame the paperwork wasnt amended so we wouldnt get RFE's for skin tests.

If you can MariaDane, please let me know if your skin test comes up positive due to the BCG. My husband also had the BCG and is worried that, if he has to go for the skin test, it'll come up positive.

No problem Angilla i'll let you know soon as i find out.

Maria.

[Magnolia31 0]

Okay ... I have limited time to utilize our medical system and I have just found out that they do the chest xray at the medial but to adjust status they are now requiring a TB skin test to be done. If I ran to a lab and had it done and took the paperwork down with me would they accept the information not done by a certified US civil surgeon?

Requiring TB test? this is the first I've heard of it--Pras did AOS last October, and we didn't need to do TB test.

I was told by my AO at my interview on Wednesday that the CDC has now made it a requirement because of that guy who traveled with TB. Also, just so you know, a chest x-ray will only confirm advanced TB as a skin test will confirm the early stages of TB so perhaps that's why the x-ray is not sufficient enough.

[Magnolia31 0]

Yodrak,

Is it really true that RFE's are being given to K1 applicants for a TB skin test when they have had a full medical with chest xrays from a panel physician and are not required another medical for AOS?

If they changed policy requiring TB skin tests, would they not have changed policy as well with the panel physicians?

My confusion comes in that if a positive TB skin test results in a chest x-ray .. doing things backwards is moot and therefore the RFE's are unjustafiable. Forgive me if I appear daft .. just at a very stressful point in this journey

lynamon,

There's an interesting difference between the Tb-related instructions for Panel Physicians, who give the visa medical exams overseas, and the instructions for Civil Surgeons, who give the medical exams here in the USA for adjustment of status.

Panel physicians are required to take a chest x-ray, and if the person has indications of Tb from either their physical appearance or the x-ray then a sputum smear test is required.

Civil surgeons are required to do a tuberculin skin test, and if there is a positive reaction then they must follow up with a chest x-ray. The civil surgeon must read the skin test (which would be unambiguous if the instruction didn't follow that statement with a parenthetical note that says self reports of the reaction are not acceptable).

Yodrak

PS - I'm moving this thread to the AOS forum since the topic is of general interest, and not Canada-specific.

Okay ... I have limited time to utilize our medical system and I have just found out that they do the chest xray at the medial but to adjust status they are now requiring a TB skin test to be done. If I ran to a lab and had it done and took the paperwork down with me would they accept the information not done by a certified US civil surgeon?

Hi! I went to my interview on Wednesday and was given an RFE for the TB skin test. My AO said it has become a new requirement. There is a link posted somewhere here on VJ which states the new CDC requirement. Although some people seem to be getting approved without it, I myself, would not take any chances. Had I known about this befire my interview, I definitely would have had it done before.

Interestingly, there's a new twist to my case. It's posted here on VJ in the AOS forum.

[Yodrak 7]

Magnolia,

The instruction for Civil Surgeons for Tb testing posted on the CDC website is dated July 1992. I wouldn't call that new.

What may be new applying the Civil Surgeon instruction to visa medical exams.

Yodrak

Yodrak,

Is it really true that RFE's are being given to K1 applicants for a TB skin test when they have had a full medical with chest xrays from a panel physician and are not required another medical for AOS?

If they changed policy requiring TB skin tests, would they not have changed policy as well with the panel physicians?

My confusion comes in that if a positive TB skin test results in a chest x-ray .. doing things backwards is moot and therefore the RFE's are unjustafiable. Forgive me if I appear daft .. just at a very stressful point in this journey

lynamon,

There's an interesting difference between the Tb-related instructions for Panel Physicians, who give the visa medical exams overseas, and the instructions for Civil Surgeons, who give the medical exams here in the USA for adjustment of status.

Panel physicians are required to take a chest x-ray, and if the person has indications of Tb from either their physical appearance or the x-ray then a sputum smear test is required.

Civil surgeons are required to do a tuberculin skin test, and if there is a positive reaction then they must follow up with a chest x-ray. The civil surgeon must read the skin test (which would be unambiguous if the instruction didn't follow that statement with a parenthetical note that says self reports of the reaction are not acceptable).

Yodrak

PS - I'm moving this thread to the AOS forum since the topic is of general interest, and not Canada-specific.

Okay ... I have limited time to utilize our medical system and I have just found out that they do the chest xray at the medial but to adjust status they are now requiring a TB skin test to be done. If I ran to a lab and had it done and took the paperwork down with me would they accept the information not done by a certified US civil surgeon?

Hi! I went to my interview on Wednesday and was given an RFE for the TB skin test. My AO said it has become a new requirement. There is a link posted somewhere here on VJ which states the new CDC requirement. Although some people seem to be getting approved without it, I myself, would not take any chances. Had I known about this befire my interview, I definitely would have had it done before.

Interestingly, there's a new twist to my case. It's posted here on VJ in the AOS forum.

Edited July 13, 2007 by Yodrak

[Sapphire 0]

If you can MariaDane, please let me know if your skin test comes up positive due to the BCG. My husband also had the BCG and is worried that, if he has to go for the skin test, it'll come up positive.

Yes, that's what I heard, that the test may give positive reaction if a BCG or if another test has been recently done. In which case, they do the X-ray.

So we go back the the OP's question, at which I am also interested to find out the answer: if a doctor in the beneficiary's country states that a TB test has been recently done and there was no reaction, will the CS in the States transcript this overseas test?

The reason I'm asking this is that my daughter just had here, in Romania, a TB test which came out negative, and this might cause a positive reaction in the near future, and cause an unnecessary X-ray, which I want to prevent if possible.

For me I don't really care, one extra shot will do But I don't want her exposed to X-ray if not needed.

Tks for the reply, if I had a positive answer, I could try and get something official from the hospital where she was given the test.

[Leney 0]

Seems particularly asinine to me that if your skin test comes up positive you then go for an xray - when people have already had xrays which the uscis have in their possession *bangs head against desk*