London Medical - Knightsbridge Doctors

[Justine+David 218]

Yeah, I know, I already found one in my city who will do it for $50. I was just bored and started calling all the Alabama docs to find out who I could add to the list. I'm a dork and waiting around at home for the internet people to hook me up and for the glass people to put a new door in due to the owner's domestic violence event or furniture crashing...not sure which one

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

I noticed your discussion today. Without quoting bits and pieces from different ones, I'll try to answer some of the questions raised.

Do you need HPV? Not anymore. Here's a webpage http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/laws_regs/fed...immigration.htm with three links discussing the change. I've read the whole Federal Register section and the basic summary in the Fact Sheet that you will see links for on that page. My very basic summary is that immunization is changed to only include things that would cause outbreaks because it's contagious...like measles; or for diseases that have been irradicated for the most part in the US that they don't want reintroduced like polio. HPV doesn't fit that new description so they are no longer requiring it for immigrants. It is not widely contagious in the general population like measles and it has not been irradicated like smallpox, polio and TB in the US. You can read the documents linked on that page to see the newly adopted criteria and a longer list of the diseases, etc.

Where does it say you need a medical or immunizations for AOS? The AOS application is the I-485. There are separate instructions. Here's the FORM and here's the INSTRUCTIONS. The instructions tell what is filed with the form. The medical is listed.

Edited December 23, 2009 by Nich-Nick

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Me again. There's more I thought might be helpful. When you apply for a K visa, you are applying to the Dept of State. They issue visas. They approve doctors abroad, called Panel Physicians, to do visa medical exams. Most of the forms you send to the embassy are DS- forms for Dept of State. The Panel Physicians fill in medical forms developed by DOS which all start with DS. You are given a copy of the immunization form DS 3025. The other sheets have the results of your blood tests, mental assessment, chest x-ray, etc. Those are sent to you in the "do not open" brown envelope which you turn in at POE. Those results are supposed to be retrieved and matched up with your AOS application once they receive your application.

When you are in the US, you apply to the USCIS (part of Dept of Homeland Security) for permanent residence (ie AOS or green card.) That's a different part of the US government than DOS that gave you the K visa. They have different rules and forms so think of AOS as starting over and not an extension of K1. Many adjust status from student, worker, visa waiver, refugee, and various other visas. Many have been in the US for years. So they are required to get a medical and immunizations. The USCIS doctors that are approved to do this are called Civil Surgeons and the form they use is the I-693. That's why the instructions may sound confusing to you. Just remember AOS is for masses of categories and not just your K1 category. So AOS candidates are told they need a medical by a Civil Surgeon. But USCIS gives an exception to AOS applicants coming from a K visa because they just got a similar exam from a Panel Physician. (I really think the CSs who tell people they need the full exam are mostly used to people who have been in the US and are adjusting. They haven't fully understood the K visa category and special exceptions and didn't have time to read the memo. )

So what about the shots and forms??

If every required shot for AOS is recorded by the Panel Physician on the DS-3025, you can photocopy the one you got from Knightsbridge and send it in as the vaccination supplement.

If you didn't get all the needed shots recorded on the DS-3025, then somebody official has to do it. In the US, that official person is the Civil Surgeon. So if you go back to NHS after your visa medical and get more shots, or if you get shots by a US doctor, you must have those extra shots signed off by a Civil Surgeon. It's like he copies everything onto one paper (I-693 immunization section). You will pay some fee to get those shots recorded. In my opinion, getting it all done by the time of your visa medical is a bonus. You don't pay extra like you will to a CS to fill in the immunization form. You don't have to search for or drive to or make an appointment or take off work to get to that CS. Have your shots completed by the visa medical and you're done and dusted and don't need an I-693.

Here's a link to 2009 UK AOS people and how long the process took. You will notice the column that says I-693? If it says yes, then they did have a CS do their shot record. Some had to because they got HPV in the US. If it says "no" then those people only sent the photocopy of the DS3025 and got green cards without a for I-693. UK AOS spreadsheet

And here's a link to my post about what you send in for AOS. A lot of people said it was helpful. You could start working on some of those documents while you're waiting for the interview or move to the US. You apply in your new married name, not your maiden name unless you don't intend to go by your husband's surname. Nich's AOS list post

[Ricky+Vanessa 43]

Thank you Nich-nick that's very useful info..........

[FrostyMist 1]

Thanks for that, Nich-Nick. That really helped to clear up some confusion for me and explained things really clearly.

[Justine+David 218]

Yeah, thanks! Now, I've heard that you can get a RFE if you don't get the shots re-recorded by a civil surgeon, is that true?

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Yeah, thanks! Now, I've heard that you can get a RFE if you don't get the shots re-recorded by a civil surgeon, is that true?

Well the "I heard" part is kinda rampant on VJ and you don't always know the source. It's almost like gossip that gets slightly twisted and spun so who knows. All I can say is I know personally of about 30 people who filed from fall 2008 all the way through fall of 2009 who have green cards without an I-693. There are alot of people that post they got an RFE for the medical, but they don't really understand what's going on. (There are fairly clueless people on VJ and others who research and understand it all pretty thoroughly.) Many RFEs were because the medical (in the brown envelope from POE) was not retrieved to match up with the applicants AOS file. It wasn't because USCIS didn't like their immunization form. So they post "Do I need to get a civil surgeon to do my immunization?" (No, they lost your medical and you get a whole medical.) And somebody else posts "I heard that you get RFEs if you don't use a civil surgeon." And there are people who don't know how to interpret the CDC's list of required shots and think because they got the visa, then they must be okay and send the DS3025. (Doesn't work if you're missing any needed shot.)

We were among the first to file AOS after the immunization and TB skin test things changed. Supposedly if your visa medical was after June 1 2008, you had to get a CS to copy your records and you had to have a TB skin test, even if you had an x-ray. It was a confusing uproar. Nick's medical was about 4 days after that cut-off. We made the decision to send in the DS-3025 and skip the CS and the skin test to see what happened. We were tired of spending money and thought it ridiculous to have a skin test in the US, that if positive would require a chest x-ray to check for TB better, when he already had the x-ray that said he didnt have TB. I think it was a case of taking some limited instructions for masses of AOS applicants, when it didn't make sense for a K1 to do that. So that skin test thing died down after a few months of successful GCs for people who "tested" the system. We also thought it silly to pay somebody to copy an immunization list that was already signed off by a US government approved physician. So we didn't follow that new rule either. We were 100% certain that every immunization had already been given and was on the DS-3025. So we decided not to spend another penny unless we got an RFE and we didn't care if we got one. Once you are together and married, it's not the big deal to get that GC 2 weeks sooner or later. You're living in the same house and the separation blues are gone. You will not be denied a GC unless you're a crooked scammer, so don't even start that worry Frosty Mist. It will come sooner or later so just sit back and let it happen.

I does seem like some people who filed in November are getting RFEs. I haven't studied them or read any exact wording of the RFE. Often USCIS RFE documents are "one-size-fits-all" and don't give you a precise reason what they are asking for. Or people will post a summary of why they think they got an RFE and it's not really the real reason. The exact wording of an RFE is the best source to study and follow. That would be an interesting topic to continue to follow. And also to try to determine if the person posting is one of the clueless ones or somebody who has proven to be pretty reliable in their knowledge of the process. Then there's the "I heard" people who pass it on so you really don't know the source.

It is always your choice of how you want to handle your immunization results. I do know I have read volumes of information from USCIS memos, adjudicators field manual, instructions to both Panel Physicians and Civil Surgeons, the Federal Register, and FAQs on USCIS website and there is nowhere I have found that has spelled it out in plain English what a K1 can submit. It's all very generic and applies to those I mentioned earlier who are adjusting from already living in the US for several years. It doesn't go into much detail about K1 exceptions. And I know 30+ K1 people who did what we did and were successful. Study the latest news (not gossip) and decided what you want to do. I would do the same thing all over again exactly like we did. They are not going to deport you either way, so don't fret over it too much.

Edited December 24, 2009 by Nich-Nick

[NikkiUK 1]

Hey guys, I hope you all had a great christmas. I know its a hard time for all of us being apart from our partners but I hope you all had some happiness!

I just wanted to share my medical exam experience.

I got to knightsbridge at 10am this morning and had to fill in a short questionnaire and then wait for 15mins or so. Then I got taken into a room and told to take my top half of clothing off behind a curtain and come out with a robe on. Chest xray was done with the robe on...very quick and non unpleasant in the slightest....actually...the machine was cold on my chest

Then went to another room to wait for the person doing the medical. We had some quick questions that we went through and then I had to have my height, weight and eyesight check done. The woman was lovely and made me feel comfortable. I then had to lay on the bed, still wearing the robe but trousers off too now. She did my blood pressure and checked my chest with the stethoscope. Then blood sample taken and VERY quick check of gender. She was very good. I was really nervous about that part but then I was like 'why was I worried?'. She actually had to take my blood pressure again after that part was over because it was too high the first time coz I was nervous.

I didnt have to have the HPV vaccine which I was very pleased about. I know its not required anymore but I was still wondering if they would try and give it anyway.

So then I paid and spent the rest of the day in London with my mum

Happy new year everyone!

[Think~Pink 0]

Had my medical on Monday a Knightsbridge doctors on Bentnick street

My experience was pretty much the same as everyone elses, nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be...in fact, I was amazed at how relaxed I was.

The building was pretty easy to find...our cab driver knew the general area, but you couldn't miss the building...it's a huge, white building on the corner. I remember there were 2 brass plaques on the walls either side of the door. The plaque on the right side had the word 'Mansions', so we knew we were in the right place.

Press the buzzer, through the door, up the small steps and turn to your right and you are in.

I spoke to a nice Australian lady, who I found out later was the nurse, she took all my paperwork and directed me to the waiting room. There were 5 other people in the room, so we sat down and prepared to wait.

Filled out my questionaire, then I was called in by the nurse. She told me that I had to have the MMR vaccine, even though my GP told me I didn't need it, but I went ahead and had it done there and then, as I didn't want to delay the process any further.

After a friendly chat and a stab in the arm, I was ushered back to the waiting room, then the doctor called me in.

I had the nice Irish doctor, who was very efficient and made feel at ease. I answered a few more medical related questions, signed a form and my photo and had practically the same examinations as everyone else, except he didn't do a gender test, which relieved me a little ;o)

Onto X-ray, which was painless, apart from having to stand in the most awkward position ever lol.

X-ray came back fine and I asked him if it looked normal...he said it did ..and that ws it really. Paid at the hatch and the receptionist told me they would contact me if there were any problems with my blood results, but other than that, everything would be forwarded onto the embassy ready for my interview next week.

All in all, it took an hour and cost £190 for the medical and my MMR vaccine was £35

Spent the rest of the day walking around London until our train was due and that was that...nothing to worry about at all

Edited February 3, 2010 by Think~Pink

[nickandkayte 0]

Make sure you tell them that you have had chicken pox...At least twice. Because its written on my medical documents that I needed Varicella once I got in to the USA... And now I have had to pay $160 twice because no one over here believes I have had chicken pox and shingles. Except some nurses at the community clinic...Shame the CS didn't want to believe me!!

[JMR 3]

Ive got my medical on friday im not 100% sure what I need to take with me.

- Medical Questionnaire

- Vaccination record

- Passport photo (1 or 2?)

- ID

Is that all i need or am i missing something?

[moss 0]

Ive got my medical on friday im not 100% sure what I need to take with me.

- Medical Questionnaire

- Vaccination record

- Passport photo (1 or 2?)

- ID

Is that all i need or am i missing something?

Yep, I had mine today and that's it!

[JMR 3]

Sweet! Hope it went ok!

Thanks,

Jmr

[beatlesrebel 0]

Ive got my medical on friday im not 100% sure what I need to take with me.

- Medical Questionnaire

- Vaccination record

- Passport photo (1 or 2?)

- ID

Is that all i need or am i missing something?

You might ask the doctor for a copy of the DS-3025 (which is the form they fill out for the embassy) when you have your medical. It can make things easier when you file for your adjustment of status. My fiance asked for one and the doctor made sure to provide a copy for free. Good luck!

[yorkshirerose22 4]

I need the MMR, i was going to have done here in england by my doctor coz i can get it for free on the NHS. what do i have to get to prove iv had the jab?