IR5 Visa and TB testing experience and procedure.

[chi6488 94]

I am writing this thread to help my fellow vietnamese about this process and maybe it will become a permanent to keep updated procedures.

 

My mother in law has been in the states  since Feb. 29th, 2024.  She immigrated as a parent of over 21 US citizen.  I flew to vietnam and traveled with her to get to the US last month.

 

Normal paperwork with USCIS until medical exam.  We got notice to interview and at that point one can schedule the medical exam with interview notice.  

 

Mother in law's son was diagnosed with TB September -October 2023.  Her interview was in november.  We had her visit a doctor in Da Lat and she had what is called Latent TB.  One has the virus but it is not active to be contagious.  It can wake up and she can have TB and contagious.  I do not know who has to do the test because I had another far relative do a K1 fiance and she did not have to deal with TB headaches.  Vietnam with another 10 or so countries have been flagged as high TB countries.  My wife who did the K1 came to US without TB issues.  I think if one is asked being exposed to TB and answers yes or x rays at medical shows questionable stuff then one would have to do the spitum test like mother in law did.

 

She went to medical in saigon and had to stay 3 days to do 3 consecutive days of spitum test.  She  had to go to a facility and gag up spitum to be tested.  She then a few weeks later did her interview. 

 

Interview was simple.  Two questions  Who is sponsoring her and what state does she remember will be living in the US.

 

After 8 weeks she received notice she was negative and sent her passport.  She then received a 2 1/2 month visa to travel.  From what I researched TB spitum test are as follows if after 6 weeks and the cultures are still negative then one gets a negative notice in 8 wks and can travel.  If after 10 weeks and culture has grown more since the 6 weeks then notice received 12 weeks and one has to go through six months of hell to be treated for TB in Vietnam.

 

Now that she has arrived in the US she received 10 yr green card March 27th, 2024.  I took her to apply for a SSN and they declines saying her visa type will be automatically mailed an SSN after green card issued.  I will wait 2 month from now and if not then go apply at SS office.