Process For Medical Results Expiration Prior to Entering The United States

[Jason and May 79]

Manila. USEM.

My wife's visa issuance was delayed due to an expired Qatar PCC (not actually expired, because it was issued less than 2 years ago and she has not left the Philippines since it was issued but the consular officer is requiring an unexpired copy). Qatar takes 2 to 3 months to issue. Last time, it took them a full 2 months. We don't expect the embassy to be fast about reviewing it and issuing her visa. Her medical will expire January 15. 

If her visa is in hand by, say, January 12, and she won't enter the U.S. on or before January 15, what do we do? I understand she will need an updated medical, but how does this work? Do they give her the results in a sealed envelope since her visa is already in hand, or is her visa technically expired and she must restart the process again? If the latter is the case, then should we get an updated medical by mid-December if she still doesn't have her visa in hand so that it will not expire? This whole thing is sort of incredible. She was told that even though she had her interview, and all the other documents were verified, and she has a 221g for the Qatar PCC, if any other documents have expired by the time she sends her Qatar PCC, she must also update those. It's like a rolling refusal. Well, it feels like it anyway. But off the sniveling and on to taking care of the business. I get it. Her visa isn't issued until it's issued, and this will require administrative review. 

TIA, all. 

[Crazy Cat 41,832]

4 minutes ago, Jason and May said:

If her visa is in hand by, say, January 12, and she won't enter the U.S. on or before January 15, what do we do?

If she has not traveled by the expiration date on the issued visa, it (the visa) will expire.  At that point the consulate can, at their discretion (if the visa holder could not travel due to circumstances beyond their control) re-issue the visa.  It would require a new medical and possibly fees and an additional interview. 

[Jason and May 79]

1 hour ago, Crazy Cat said:

If she has not traveled by the expiration date on the issued visa, it (the visa) will expire.  At that point the consulate can, at their discretion (if the visa holder could not travel due to circumstances beyond their control) re-issue the visa.  It would require a new medical and possibly fees and an additional interview. 

Thank you for answering, C Cat. 

 

My understanding was that if the medical expires prior to her entering the U.S., the visa also expires regardless of the expiration date of the visa itself. Is this accurate? 

Edited September 24 by Jason and May

[Jason and May 79]

2 hours ago, Crazy Cat said:

If she has not traveled by the expiration date on the issued visa, it (the visa) will expire.  At that point the consulate can, at their discretion (if the visa holder could not travel due to circumstances beyond their control) re-issue the visa.  It would require a new medical and possibly fees and an additional interview. 

But I've also read that in November 2023, USCIS changed their policy that medical exams properly completed and with the accompanying I-693 (I think that's the form) are valid indefinitely, so perhaps we don't have to worry about her medical expiring...? I'm not too familiar with this, and I've seen a lot of posts about medical being good for 6 months, and if it expires before you enter the U.S., even if your visa has not expired, then your visa expires the same date as your medical. 

[Lil bear 4,188]

54 minutes ago, Jason and May said:

But I've also read that in November 2023, USCIS changed their policy that medical exams properly completed and with the accompanying I-693 (I think that's the form) are valid indefinitely, so perhaps we don't have to worry about her medical expiring...? I'm not too familiar with this, and I've seen a lot of posts about medical being good for 6 months, and if it expires before you enter the U.S., even if your visa has not expired, then your visa expires the same date as your medical. 

Not sure what place you read the info you mention .. possibly it is referring to using the medical for Adjustment if Status from a K1 visa .. anyway the following applies to your visa type..

 

 From the NVC website 

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-10-prepare-for-the-interview/step-12-after-the-interview.html

 

When should I travel?

You must arrive in and apply for admission to the United States no later than the visa expiration date printed on your visa. An immigrant visa is usually valid for up to six months from the date of issuance unless your medical examination expires sooner, which may make your visa valid for less than six months.

[J.M. 230]

The visa expiration is directly tied to the medical exam date.  If her medical exam expires Jan 15th, that will also be the expiration date printed on her visa.

[top_secret 2,414]

Since the visa is not already issued pending resolving the 221g, if the medical expired in the interim, US Embassy Manila would have her get a new medical when the 221g was resolved so that they could go ahead and issue the visa.

 

If it was valid but about to expire?  If I recall correctly, @RO_AH 's wife had a valid medical that was expiring in the very short term and the Embassy gave them the choice to issue the visa now and make a mad dash for CFO and the border, or get a new medical before they issued the visa so that it would have a normal expiration timetable.

[Jason and May 79]

5 minutes ago, top_secret said:

Since the visa is not already issued pending resolving the 221g, if the medical expired in the interim, US Embassy Manila would have her get a new medical when the 221g was resolved so that they could go ahead and issue the visa.

 

If it was valid but about to expire?  If I recall correctly, @RO_AH 's wife had a valid medical that was expiring in the very short term and the Embassy gave them the choice to issue the visa now and make a mad dash for CFO and the border, or get a new medical before they issued the visa so that it would have a normal expiration timetable.

This is super helpful. Thank you for answering! 

28 minutes ago, Lil bear said:

Not sure what place you read the info you mention .. possibly it is referring to using the medical for Adjustment if Status from a K1 visa .. anyway the following applies to your visa type..

 

 From the NVC website 

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-10-prepare-for-the-interview/step-12-after-the-interview.html

 

 

When should I travel?

You must arrive in and apply for admission to the United States no later than the visa expiration date printed on your visa. An immigrant visa is usually valid for up to six months from the date of issuance unless your medical examination expires sooner, which may make your visa valid for less than six months.

I was just reading at the USCIS site, but I was probably reading something different than what applies to CR and IR visas. Thank you for clarifying this. It's very helpful! 

[Jason and May 79]

27 minutes ago, J.M. said:

The visa expiration is directly tied to the medical exam date.  If her medical exam expires Jan 15th, that will also be the expiration date printed on her visa.

I appreciate you responding. Thank you! 

[pushbrk 12,872]

3 hours ago, Jason and May said:

Thank you for answering, C Cat. 

 

My understanding was that if the medical expires prior to her entering the U.S., the visa also expires regardless of the expiration date of the visa itself. Is this accurate? 

The visa expiration date will match the expiration date of the medical. The solution is to get and submit a new medical exam prior to visa issue.

[Jason and May 79]

11 hours ago, pushbrk said:

The visa expiration date will match the expiration date of the medical. The solution is to get and submit a new medical exam prior to visa issue.

Thank you, pushbrk! This is helpful. 

[RO_AH 1,659]

On 9/24/2024 at 3:51 PM, top_secret said:

If it was valid but about to expire?  If I recall correctly, @RO_AH 's wife had a valid medical that was expiring in the very short term and the Embassy gave them the choice to issue the visa now and make a mad dash for CFO and the border, or get a new medical before they issued the visa so that it would have a normal expiration timetable.

Yes that is correct. They called my wife. We did not feel we would be able to get out in time (this was during Covid which mad everything more difficult). Our biggest concern was that she was flagged for sputum on the first medical which was a big part of the expiration being so close. Luckily the second medical she was not flagged and we got a new expiration date which gave me time to get a visa to go there and bring her and our 2 sons back.

[RO_AH 1,659]

On 9/24/2024 at 3:29 PM, Lil bear said:

An immigrant visa is usually valid for up to six months from the date of issuance unless your medical examination expires sooner

Yeah, that's total bull. It expires exactly 6 months after you first go in for the medical. This really sucks if you get flagged for sputum because it takes much longer to compete the medical, and like I said, the expiration is tied to when you start the medical not complete it.

Edited September 26 by RO_AH

[Jason and May 79]

I think we might be okay. 

Fortunately, my wife had a really good relationship with her former employer and his wife, and he has some family who work in the Ministry of the Interior. She reached out to him, and voila. He shipped her PCC to her today. DHL estimates delivery by 09/30. 

When she was told to LBC her passport and PCC to the embassy, she says he wasn't given an address; by that, I mean, I guess I'm thinking with my American brain, and here, we would address it to a department at the embassy, like the "Administrative Processing Unit," etc. Does she literally address it to the embassy? Or is this something where with LBC being a courier for the embassy, they will know where/who to deliver it to?