RIO DE JANEIRO INTERVIEW APPOINTMENT & MEDICAL EXAMS

[JBRE22022 37]

Hi everyone. Would like to share here what worked for our case in October 2022. Please beware that other countries and others cases in Brazil can be different so please check what is necessary for your case. 

 

Medical examination scheduling
There are four doctors in Brazil in the US consulate panel. They are located in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia and Belo Horizonte. To schedule an appointment in São Paulo, I contacted the doctor office via email and then sent the interview confirmation letter with case number, filled the forms the doctor office sent with our data and sent scans of our vaccination records. In our case we got a date 15 days before the scheduled interview. Before the interview we printed, signed, scanned and sent them a confirmation. We also had 6 3x4cm pictures taken before the doctor appointment. Process varies according to the city. For example, in Brasilia you just send a WhatsApp message and they take care of everything, pictures are digital. 

 

Vaccines
It is very important NOT to take vaccines at least four weeks before the appointment otherwise they might need to wait further before applying the required vaccines. This is specially relevant for the TDAP / DTAP vaccines which have different application schedules in Brazil and the US. Considering some vaccines can take six months to have all doses taken (e.g. hepatitis) this stresses the importance of planning early for the vaccines. 
The required vaccines vary according to each individual and age. It is important to review any records you plan to use because they need to have your name, birthdate, date vaccine taken, lot and name, registration and signature of the professional who administered the vaccine. In my case the vaccines on the vaccination card most Brazilians get at the public health system (carteira de vacinação) were documented well, however some vaccines I had as an adult in private providers were not. If you had taken your vaccines at a private clinic such as Vacinar in São Paulo you can ask them to pull their records and make a letter to the doctors office. The letter must be sent directly to the doctor's office (via email), you can't get it personally or through email and forward. 

 

Medical examination in São Paulo
The panel doctor in São Paulo, CEMEP (Dr. Furbetta) is located at Faria Lima avenue, close to Rebouças avenue. As in any healthcare facility, don't forget your facemasks. We took to the appointment our passports, interview letter, 3x4 cm pictures (6) and vaccine records. There is an examination and an interview at the office. Payment can be made by pix or debit card. They also accept dollar bills, but please confirm with them. You will get also the medical requests for diagnostics and vaccines that you need to take. The required diagnostics vary with age. Children need to do an immune test (IGLA). Adults up to 24 need to do lung x rays, urine tests and blood tests for syphilis (VDRL). Adults older than 24 do not need to do the urine test. There is no fast or other preparation required, however women can't do the urine test during their period. There is no need to schedule the tests or vaccines beforehand. All tests must be be performed at the Fleury unit at Republica do Libano 730 close to Ibirapuera park. They took credit cards. Vaccines must be taken at the ProMatre / Santa Joana immunization center at Republica do Libano avenue, one block from Fleury. They also took credit cards. We did our tests and vaccines in the same day after the doctor's appointment. After we took our vaccines, we sent an scan of the declaration from the vaccination clinic and updated vaccination record to the doctor's office. They took one week to ready the report and send it through email. The lung x-rays went to the doctor's office and need to be retrieved there in 30 days after the examination. You must take then with you if asked by CBP officers when entering the USA.

 

ASC (CASV) Appointment
We could choose to do the ASC (CASV in Portuguese) appointment in São Paulo, Rio, or Brasilia, and did so in São Paulo. It must be scheduled at least one day before the interview. We took the DS-260 confirmation sheet printed from the CEAC system (which is different from the AIS system where ASC appointments are scheduled) and passports. We had our picture and fingerprints taken. We could enter ASC with cell phones turned off.

Interview at Rio de Janeiro consulate
Interviews start very early at Rio de Janeiro consulate. We presented ourselves to the staff on the entrance at Mexico street. There are also lines for non immigrant visas, so it was useful to identify that we were interviewing for an immigrant visa to go to the right line. Electronics including cell phones are not allowed in the building, and you cannot take bags of any kind, just a document folder and printed books. Our appointment was early at 7:20 AM and we were out by 10:00, but of course this varies according to the case and day. At the consulate after we were seated and filed a form with basic information they checked the documentation and then queued the applicants for the first data gathering at one of the interview boots. After that, we wait until the applicant name was called by the consular officer. Our case was an NIW, and although not required it was helpful to have employment letters. Employment letters from future or prospective employers or business associates and documentation about your profession, business or employment in the home country also probably don't hurt.

Passport retrieval at ASC and entry in the USA
Interview was on a Friday and we received an email on Wednesday afternoon that our passports were ready at Sao Paulo ASC. I scheduled an appointment on Friday to pick them up, along with the immigration packages. These must be opened only by the CBP officer when entering the United States. It is a good idea to check the information carefully to make sure there are no typos and the address is right. We packed them along the x-rays in our cabin luggage since you we needed then before retrieving checked luggage. Upon arrival, we went to the non - resident line (same as always) and when asked by the officer gave the immigration packages. We went to the secondary inspection room and waited until processing, then the officer went with us to pick our luggage. Before inspecting them he made a series of questions about personal information and plans in the USA, took a written declaration and asked for an employment letter, so again it was useful to have such information. The visa stamps have an expiration date according to the medical records (usually some months). That's the period you must enter the United States for the first time. Once validated by the officer, the visa stamp works as an I-551 (aka "green card") for up to one year. 

Edited November 3, 2022 by JBRE22022

[JBRE22022 37]

Correcting previous post: the accredited Fleury unit in São Paulo is located at Av Republica do Libano 990, and the immunization clinic at the same avenue, number 732. Driving from Pinheiros / Jardins towards Vila Nova Conceição, the immunization clinic will be right before crossing Av Juscelino Kubitscheck (Ayrton Senna tunnel entrance), and Fleury will be right after. 

[JLVS22BR 98]

On 11/3/2022 at 6:09 PM, JBRE22022 said:

Hi everyone. Would like to share here what worked for our case in October 2022. Please beware that other countries and others cases in Brazil can be different so please check what is necessary for your case. 

 

Medical examination scheduling
There are four doctors in Brazil in the US consulate panel. They are located in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia and Belo Horizonte. To schedule an appointment in São Paulo, I contacted the doctor office via email and then sent the interview confirmation letter with case number, filled the forms the doctor office sent with our data and sent scans of our vaccination records. In our case we got a date 15 days before the scheduled interview. Before the interview we printed, signed, scanned and sent them a confirmation. We also had 6 3x4cm pictures taken before the doctor appointment. Process varies according to the city. For example, in Brasilia you just send a WhatsApp message and they take care of everything, pictures are digital. 

 

Vaccines
It is very important NOT to take vaccines at least four weeks before the appointment otherwise they might need to wait further before applying the required vaccines. This is specially relevant for the TDAP / DTAP vaccines which have different application schedules in Brazil and the US. Considering some vaccines can take six months to have all doses taken (e.g. hepatitis) this stresses the importance of planning early for the vaccines. 
The required vaccines vary according to each individual and age. It is important to review any records you plan to use because they need to have your name, birthdate, date vaccine taken, lot and name, registration and signature of the professional who administered the vaccine. In my case the vaccines on the vaccination card most Brazilians get at the public health system (carteira de vacinação) were documented well, however some vaccines I had as an adult in private providers were not. If you had taken your vaccines at a private clinic such as Vacinar in São Paulo you can ask them to pull their records and make a letter to the doctors office. The letter must be sent directly to the doctor's office (via email), you can't get it personally or through email and forward. 

 

Medical examination in São Paulo
The panel doctor in São Paulo, CEMEP (Dr. Furbetta) is located at Faria Lima avenue, close to Rebouças avenue. As in any healthcare facility, don't forget your facemasks. We took to the appointment our passports, interview letter, 3x4 cm pictures (6) and vaccine records. There is an examination and an interview at the office. Payment can be made by pix or debit card. They also accept dollar bills, but please confirm with them. You will get also the medical requests for diagnostics and vaccines that you need to take. The required diagnostics vary with age. Children need to do an immune test (IGLA). Adults up to 24 need to do lung x rays, urine tests and blood tests for syphilis (VDRL). Adults older than 24 do not need to do the urine test. There is no fast or other preparation required, however women can't do the urine test during their period. There is no need to schedule the tests or vaccines beforehand. All tests must be be performed at the Fleury unit at Republica do Libano 730 close to Ibirapuera park. They took credit cards. Vaccines must be taken at the ProMatre / Santa Joana immunization center at Republica do Libano avenue, one block from Fleury. They also took credit cards. We did our tests and vaccines in the same day after the doctor's appointment. After we took our vaccines, we sent an scan of the declaration from the vaccination clinic and updated vaccination record to the doctor's office. They took one week to ready the report and send it through email. The lung x-rays went to the doctor's office and need to be retrieved there in 30 days after the examination. You must take then with you if asked by CBP officers when entering the USA.

 

ASC (CASV) Appointment
We could choose to do the ASC (CASV in Portuguese) appointment in São Paulo, Rio, or Brasilia, and did so in São Paulo. It must be scheduled at least one day before the interview. We took the DS-260 confirmation sheet printed from the CEAC system (which is different from the AIS system where ASC appointments are scheduled) and passports. We had our picture and fingerprints taken. We could enter ASC with cell phones turned off.

Interview at Rio de Janeiro consulate
Interviews start very early at Rio de Janeiro consulate. We presented ourselves to the staff on the entrance at Mexico street. There are also lines for non immigrant visas, so it was useful to identify that we were interviewing for an immigrant visa to go to the right line. Electronics including cell phones are not allowed in the building, and you cannot take bags of any kind, just a document folder and printed books. Our appointment was early at 7:20 AM and we were out by 10:00, but of course this varies according to the case and day. At the consulate after we were seated and filed a form with basic information they checked the documentation and then queued the applicants for the first data gathering at one of the interview boots. After that, we wait until the applicant name was called by the consular officer. Our case was an NIW, and although not required it was helpful to have employment letters. Employment letters from future or prospective employers or business associates and documentation about your profession, business or employment in the home country also probably don't hurt.

Passport retrieval at ASC and entry in the USA
Interview was on a Friday and we received an email on Wednesday afternoon that our passports were ready at Sao Paulo ASC. I scheduled an appointment on Friday to pick them up, along with the immigration packages. These must be opened only by the CBP officer when entering the United States. It is a good idea to check the information carefully to make sure there are no typos and the address is right. We packed them along the x-rays in our cabin luggage since you we needed then before retrieving checked luggage. Upon arrival, we went to the non - resident line (same as always) and when asked by the officer gave the immigration packages. We went to the secondary inspection room and waited until processing, then the officer went with us to pick our luggage. Before inspecting them he made a series of questions about personal information and plans in the USA, took a written declaration and asked for an employment letter, so again it was useful to have such information. The visa stamps have an expiration date according to the medical records (usually some months). That's the period you must enter the United States for the first time. Once validated by the officer, the visa stamp works as an I-551 (aka "green card") for up to one year. 

@JBRE22022 Thank you very much for such a detailed feedback! Happy to know that everything seems to have gone very well. Since my visa is also a NIW, I have to confess that got a little bit worried about the employment letters that you mentioned, specially when entering the country for the first time. My plan is to run my business from the USA, but I'll catch up with my attorney about these details that you shared. Overall, thanks for all of your contribution throughout this process. Wish us luck to NVC get our interviews scheduled this year! 😂