Questions on I-601 vaccine waiver

[curiousimmigrant3 10]

Hello everyone, I have my doctors appointment next week and the US visa interview at the end of the month. I just found out that me and my 6 year old daughter would need to be FULLy vaccinated before the medical exam. I didnt know this was mandatory and I just came across this form I-601 which is a waiver from the vaccine. It’s my understanding that this form costs about $1k per person and adds another 18 months into the process, is that correct? 😮

 

Would there be another possibility than this? I dont wanna have to pay $2k for that… could we perhaps get a letter from a local doctor saying WHY we’re not apt for the vaccines?

 

my daughter is actually fully vaccinated— except for the flu vaccine and covid. I’m also fully vaccinated even with the covid vaccine but in my country of residence the US requires another shot within the last 12 months. My 2nd and last shot was about 2-3 years ago maybe. And the problem with presenting my vaccine history is that I dont have the book anymore!!! It was from when I was a child and it’s been decades I’ve seen it

 

ANY TIps  on how to go from here? I have other 2 american children (recentle born within the last 20 months, exactly when we first applied for the marriage visa) and my reasons not to vaccinate are moral and religious. But as I mentioned, it doesnt make sense to pay $2k to attest that AND also wait another almost 2 years… 

Or is there a waiver to the waiver 😅 so we dont have to pay for the I-601v

[TBoneTX 46,273]

Thread is moved from the K-3 Process forum to the Waivers forum.

[milimelo 4,572]

RFK Jr has just been confirmed as HHS secretary so I'd postpone your medical exams until April (I think that's when they no longer require flu shot for exam) and wait for the covid-shot requirement to be removed from immigrant medicals. If the covid shot is not available anyway in your country, the local med doctor performing exam should give you blanket waiver on it. 

 

Or you can go the I-601 waiver route but that's $$$ and time.

Edited Thursday at 06:48 PM by milimelo

[appleblossom 3,298]

8 hours ago, curiousimmigrant3 said:

Hello everyone, I have my doctors appointment next week and the US visa interview at the end of the month. I just found out that me and my 6 year old daughter would need to be FULLy vaccinated before the medical exam. I didnt know this was mandatory and I just came across this form I-601 which is a waiver from the vaccine. It’s my understanding that this form costs about $1k per person and adds another 18 months into the process, is that correct? 😮

 

Would there be another possibility than this? I dont wanna have to pay $2k for that… could we perhaps get a letter from a local doctor saying WHY we’re not apt for the vaccines?

 

my daughter is actually fully vaccinated— except for the flu vaccine and covid. I’m also fully vaccinated even with the covid vaccine but in my country of residence the US requires another shot within the last 12 months. My 2nd and last shot was about 2-3 years ago maybe. And the problem with presenting my vaccine history is that I dont have the book anymore!!! It was from when I was a child and it’s been decades I’ve seen it

 

ANY TIps  on how to go from here? I have other 2 american children (recentle born within the last 20 months, exactly when we first applied for the marriage visa) and my reasons not to vaccinate are moral and religious. But as I mentioned, it doesnt make sense to pay $2k to attest that AND also wait another almost 2 years… 

Or is there a waiver to the waiver 😅 so we dont have to pay for the I-601v

Assume you mean your ‘reasons not to vaccinate are NOT moral and religious’?
 

Really we need to know your consulate to help properly (pls fill in your timeline), for instance at my consulate the flu vaccine requirement was waived for all of us as it’s only required in winter months. 
 

As for your vaccine history, as part of the medical you have to provide your medical records, so it should be on there. If not you can get titre tests done to check for immunity. 

Edited Thursday at 09:26 PM by appleblossom

[curiousimmigrant3 10]

On 2/13/2025 at 10:24 PM, appleblossom said:

Assume you mean your ‘reasons not to vaccinate are NOT moral and religious’?
 

Really we need to know your consulate to help properly (pls fill in your timeline), for instance at my consulate the flu vaccine requirement was waived for all of us as it’s only required in winter months. 
 

As for your vaccine history, as part of the medical you have to provide your medical records, so it should be on there. If not you can get titre tests done to check for immunity. 

No, my reasons not get get vaccinated are both moral and religious, and very sincere. I feel very strongly about this. 

 

i’m in Spain, right now the flu shot goes until April apparently. We were hoping to go to the us to start the greencard process in the summer. I believe it would greatly impact the timeline of the visa being approved if we waited until april for the flu shot to be waived….

 

 

besides, the flu and the covid shot are the main ones. However, they also require vaccine against chickenpox which while I have gotten chickenpox so I’d have the antibodies, my daughter is 6 and never took this vaccine nor do i want her to take (any). So it wouldnt make sense to wait just for the flu…

 

i also dont have the time to wait nor the money to apply for the i-601, it seems like a waste of money. Thus, I wonder if there would be any other way?

 

my medical interview is tomorrow, i’ll update once i hear what they have to say

[appleblossom 3,298]

5 minutes ago, curiousimmigrant3 said:

No, my reasons not get get vaccinated are both moral and religious, and very sincere. I feel very strongly about this. 

 

 

OK, you said you both had been fully vaccinated other than flu and Covid though? Hence I assumed that was a typo. People who apply for a waiver citing religious grounds usually haven’t had any vaccines at all (or if they have, only as young children, none as adults - and they haven’t given any to their children). 

 

Some consulates don’t do the varicella vaccine and so it’s waived - it was for us in London as it’s not given in the UK. I’ve no idea about Madrid but you may find the same thing, they’ll soon tell you if you are missing any vaccines though and if so you’ll be given the choice of getting them done, or a waiver. 

 

Good luck. 

 

 

[Boiler 46,242]

It sounds like you are doing the Greencard process now and will enter with an immigrant visa?

 

Also that you are not Spanish?

 

Anyway they can do a titre test to see what you have had and need.