If you Already Interviewed please comment on Tb test

[LovinJA 0]

I've been reading interview reviews and read that a lady in Atlanta have her approval held up until she got her xrays read by a CS to sign off for TB test. As a result, I made my husband an appt. to get his done last week by a CS, since we are in Atlanta. I figure it's not worth delaying our approval if we can go ahead and get it done and have it in case they bring it up. Better to be safe than sorry

Our vaccination supplement was received with no problem in our submitting the AOS, and my husband had his medical in March of this year, but, his medical didn't include a TB skin test. it clearly states on the 693 that a TB test is required now. The CS said we did a smart thing by going ahead and getting it, because she has seen people sent back to her to get it, delaying their process. So, I highly recommend getting it out the way while you're waiting for your interview....

[Magnolia31 0]

Your lawyer told you that the people who get interviews probably had RFE's for income taxes? I can tell you that we had NO RFE for anything and I still needed to go to an interview. From what i have read on VJ since I've come here is that people who have their applications processed thru the CSC usually do not attend an interview. Forgot the reason why but that's how it's been. I'm sure someone else can answer that better but as far as i know, everyone has to attend an interview.

I brought our papers for our AOS interview next thursday to the lawyer yesterday and asked him about the 693 form and the tb test. He said we didn't need any of that because the vaccination forms were accepted when we sent in the AOS papers. I then asked him how long he has been an immigration lawyer. 38 years he said. I also asked why do some people get interviews and others don't and he said it is random usually but sometimes an rfe for income tax can trigger the interview. I'll post next thursday and let you all know how we make out.

Edited August 27, 2007 by Magnolia31

[~krakatoa~ 27]

To the people who have interviewed already can you kindly comment if in the interview you were asked about the tb test. As you can see there is so much discussion these days on if it is needed. Does a civil sugeon need to do it? etc.

So maybe you can begin your post with your interview date and location. Next can you comment on if you had it prior to the interview and if so who preformed it: a civil surgeon or other person. Then let us know if it was brought up in the interview and if you did not the Tb test were you given a RFE. And of course anything else that might be helpful on the topic.

We folks who haven't interview will be very appreciative to have this info in one place to easly decide on if we should consider getting it done prior to interviews and if so by whom.

Thanks again

cshell

I was interviewed for the AOS on July 24, at the San Francisco office. I wasn't asked for the Tb skin test but I did get it done before my interview as preparation, just in case it would be asked. Since I came here on a K-1 visa & the full medical done by the panel physician is still valid for a year, I only had the vaccination record I-693 Appendix plus the results of the negative tb skin test. If the adjudicating officer (AO) was to ask it from me, then I can show the results and I planned to ask the officer what USCIS form to use if they want it official during the interview.

Recalling the interview experience, I did see the AO look through the pages of my previously submitted medical and the vaccination record.

[greenslippers 0]

I did my interview in atlanta and at the end of the interview, the officer stated that the only reason he couldn't approve me on the spot was because my medical examination packet did not include my TB test. He said that their policy has changed about it in the sense that the civil surgeon must be the one that gives you a TB skin test or signs off on a previous one you've had. So if you didn't do one because of a reason other than the one I'll describe below, you should go get it done before your interview and bring the sealed civil surgeon envelope with you to your interview.

So my case is interesting cuz I got the BCG vaccine when I was younger, which predisposes any TB skin test I take to being positive. So when I got my skin test done last, I came up positive. WHen your skin test is positive, a chest xray is necessary to declare whether or not you have TB and whether or not you're contagious. Whichever agency does your chest xray will provide you with a report or letter that states that although your skin test is positive you're not contagious. So in my case, when I went to the civil surgeon to get my exam done (way before my interview, prior to the change of policy) I took the documentation that stated that my ppd was positive and the measurement of how much swelling happened on my skin and that i'm not contagious. With that, the surgeon simply indicated that previous ppd test was taken. Now the difference now as a result of the policy change is that the civil surgeon must state that they saw the documentation and concur with the results. I hope i'm being clear.

After my interview, i went back to the civil surgeon and they said they didn't have to give me a TB test and take me through all that process again they just had to indicate that they concur with the previous ppd result and that i'm fine. Pretty much the civil surgeon MUST say that you're fine. So if you didn't do a TB test when you saw your civil surgeon, and your reason is not similar to mine, you will most likely have to do it for the Atlanta interview so you should get it done before you get there. If you're no sure, call the civil surgeon office and ask if you did it and ask if they reported it in a way that fits the new policy. Remember, If someone other than the civil surgeon did it and it was before the policy change (anyone know the date?) most likely your civil surgeon did not state it in a manner that fits the new policy and will need to do so. Good luck.

PS: I agree that you should do it before your interview so it doesn't delay your process.

[greenslippers 0]

unlike lovingja indicated, my civil surgeon did not have to read my xray. I only provided her with a letter from the city of ny that states that i'm not contagious. That letter is the key not your xray report. If you have xray reports, sure take it but if not then just ge the letter.

PS: for ppl who have positive skin tests, don't go rushing to get another skin test just to avoid the drama because if you are a bcg vaccinated person like myself, it is actually detrimental for your health to keep getting injected with the ppd thing and is actually against the law. You should request a blood test if you know your skin test comes out positive if you don't have and cannot get the supporting document I described in my other post.

Edited September 1, 2007 by greenslippers

[ELW 5]

Thanks greenslippers your info was really useful!

I had my husband get the TB skin test recently, just in case. I was trying to decide whether to bring the results to a civil surgeon to concur, or just bring the govt clinic results to the interview. Now we will definitely see the civil surgeon before the interview. Better safe than sorry!

[greenslippers 0]

Yea don't bother taking your clinic results to the interview. THe IO can look over it but all he'll tell you is that the civil surgeon is the one who has to sign off on it. Cuz I had that same letter with me and showed it to the IO and he said "the civil surgeon needs to sign off on it"

Thanks greenslippers your info was really useful!

I had my husband get the TB skin test recently, just in case. I was trying to decide whether to bring the results to a civil surgeon to concur, or just bring the govt clinic results to the interview. Now we will definitely see the civil surgeon before the interview. Better safe than sorry!

[RosaMystica7 0]

Just to put in what happened with us, we just got approved through CSC and were never asked for a TB skin test. Though they did lose the W2s I'd sent them, at least they lost the easiest thing for me to replace.

Edited September 1, 2007 by Angilla

[ELW 5]

We had our AOS interview on Sept 18 and no one asked for the TB skin test. I was SO relieved! I was very worried because I called some doctors and one place said that "many" people were returning from the immigration department, because they were required to get the TB skin test!

[cshell 0]

I am slow to report back - but my husband had his green card interview back on Oct 17. During the interiew the lady asked about the medical as she was flipping through all the papers. She said that she didn't see it. I said yes it should be there as it was done. Then I kept silent and she never mentioned it again. I assume that she found it. I didn't want to open up any discussion that could lead to Tb or vaccinations in general. But my husband while here in the states went to a clinic (not a civil surgeon) and had done the Tb, AIDS and other sexually transmitted test that are asked for in the US medical. So in our case in Garden City, NY. Tb was not mentioned nor an updated medical. The medical was performed in Aug 2006 in Guyana, AOS filed July 2007, interview Oct 2007. Hope this helps if anyone is still wondering.