Information on all the New RFE's for AOS Medicals

[crazymazy 0]

We had received the "RFE for medical" on our newly filed AOS - We set a info pass appointment at our local office here in Houston, TX to try to get my husband's medical out of his POE packet as advised by the National office.

It was very informative and thought I would post new thread for all that are getting this.

Seems the national center has started using "contract" people to check in the AOS packets. They are given a "check list" on the forms to check off for this filing. If any of the forms on the check list are missing - they kick it out and thus we receive the "RFE" - which is considered by the USCIS office as a generic "RFE" Your file has not even been looked at at this time by any real immigration person at this time.

The "contract" workers are not aware of the special circumstances of a K-1 with the medical being in the POE packet. They just see the form missing and kick out your filing.

The lady we meet with called and gave my husband's alien number to a "real" immigration person - who will go and pull his medical from his POE packet and we are to check back in about a week. IF his medical is there - they will just keep processing his application and we should check back in about a week to find out about his status.

We will follow up with a letter to the National center with this information requesting that they look into his POE packet for the "missing" medical.

Hope this helps with clearing some of the massive RFE we are receiving,

Edited February 12, 2010 by crazymazy

[~Jackie~ 30]

Thanks for posting that !

[baron555 934]

We had received the "RFE for medical" on our newly filed AOS - We set a info pass appointment at our local office here in Houston, TX to try to get my husband's medical out of his POE packet as advised by the National office.

It was very informative and thought I would post new thread for all that are getting this.

Seems the national center has started using "contract" people to check in the AOS packets. They are given a "check list" on the forms to check off for this filing. If any of the forms on the check list are missing - they kick it out and thus we receive the "RFE" - which is considered by the USCIS office as a generic "RFE" Your file has not even been looked at at this time by any real immigration person at this time.

The "contract" workers are not aware of the special circumstances of a K-1 with the medical being in the POE packet. They just see the form missing and kick out your filing.

The lady we meet with called and gave my husband's alien number to a "real" immigration person - who will go and pull his medical from his POE packet and we are to check back in about a week. IF his medical is there - they will just keep processing his application and we should check back in about a week to find out about his status.

We will follow up with a letter to the National center with this information requesting that they look into his POE packet for the "missing" medical.

Hope this helps with clearing some of the massive RFE we are receiving,

So therefore, as the Guides here on VJ state, we K-1 folks should send in the DS-3025 AND an I-693 with only the vaccination information transcribed by a CS.

Once again, Reading The Guides and Following the Guides usually helps.

[Nik+Heather 121]

So therefore, as the Guides here on VJ state, we K-1 folks should send in the DS-3025 AND an I-693 with only the vaccination information transcribed by a CS.

Once again, Reading The Guides and Following the Guides usually helps.

Baron, That doesn't work for everyone either. I assure you that we followed this exact advice to the T, and still got one of these RFEs. As I had suspected, they are not even LOOKING for the freaking things!

[nurminen 0]

I, too, got an RFE for a "missing" medical. I ended up just paying $50 for a sealed duplicate of the K-1 medical results and sending that back with an explanation. A week or two later I received my AP and EAD. So, that might be an option for some of you instead of paying for a new medical.

[Jay&Jo 4]

what can we do to stop this from happening to everyone?? i haven't yet sent off my AOS packet, but have the completed I-693 appropriate parts (after a lot of hard work). i heard some people sent in hi-lighted parts of the I-693 instructions explaining the K-1 situation... is this a good idea. or what about some sort of covering letter saying that the medical is in the POE package??!

[domegirl1978 1]

AMAZING! So non-immigration people are rummaging through our papers and deciding our fate.....sounds like they REALLY know what they are doing....

Oh and NIK....I did call my state representative....I sent in the forms today to open an inquiry for USCIS to actually LOOK for my medical...just to cover my butt in case they don't accept my I-693 that I send them Tuesday.

Is it true that there are special operators to deal with congressional inquiries when calling USCIS? I ask because let's say they look at my new I-693 and decide to deny me....I assume that the inquiry will be started next week by the Congressman's office so would that give me a buffer to not be denied or change that decision?

[menina 50]

what can we do to stop this from happening to everyone?? i haven't yet sent off my AOS packet, but have the completed I-693 appropriate parts (after a lot of hard work). i heard some people sent in hi-lighted parts of the I-693 instructions explaining the K-1 situation... is this a good idea. or what about some sort of covering letter saying that the medical is in the POE package??!

I did all of that and have not heard anything or received an RFE. At least one person with my same timeline has already received an RFE, so I am hoping the fact that I sent the letter explaining along with a higlighted copy of the guidelines is sufficient. I suggest doing exactly that when you file. Surely by now seeing the number of RFEs issued for medical, someone there will wake up and realize that the contract workers need to be retrained. Then again...we are dealing with the government here. Does this mean that contract workers are deciding which cases to transfer as well? sigh.

[Nik+Heather 121]

AMAZING! So non-immigration people are rummaging through our papers and deciding our fate.....sounds like they REALLY know what they are doing....

Oh and NIK....I did call my state representative....I sent in the forms today to open an inquiry for USCIS to actually LOOK for my medical...just to cover my butt in case they don't accept my I-693 that I send them Tuesday.

Is it true that there are special operators to deal with congressional inquiries when calling USCIS? I ask because let's say they look at my new I-693 and decide to deny me....I assume that the inquiry will be started next week by the Congressman's office so would that give me a buffer to not be denied or change that decision?

The guy's email signature block is this

Some Guy

Immigration Services Analyst

Congressional Unit

National Benefits Center, USCIS, DHS

XXX-XXX-XXXX (fax)

That is what leads me to believe that there are employees dedicated to answering congressional inquiries. They are also people with access to the physical files (He said he went and looked at ours in the email)

I tried to preempt a medical RFE by writing a short cover letter for the medical (and paper clipping it) regarding the overseas medical to be found in the packet returned at the port of entry. Maybe that's why we got the "alternate" medical RFE - who knows.

Anyway, this information just confirms that it is worthwhile and likely to be successful to try to fight the extra medical if you get one of these.

[Tina&Roland 4]

what can we do to stop this from happening to everyone?? i haven't yet sent off my AOS packet, but have the completed I-693 appropriate parts (after a lot of hard work). i heard some people sent in hi-lighted parts of the I-693 instructions explaining the K-1 situation... is this a good idea. or what about some sort of covering letter saying that the medical is in the POE package??!

We included the I-693 form and mentioned that in our cover letter. There haven't been any problems so far.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

So therefore, as the Guides here on VJ state, we K-1 folks should send in the DS-3025 AND an I-693 with only the vaccination information transcribed by a CS.

Once again, Reading The Guides and Following the Guides usually helps.

Could you point me to exactly where that's stated? I checked the guide and it DOESN'T say that. It says to take the 3025 to the CS for transcription. I think you have failed to understand the guide (and I admit it's a little ambiguous) but what it MEANS is supply to 3025 to the CS so he can transcribe it into the 693.

Here is point 11 from the AOS guide: "I-693, Medical Examination of Aliens Seeking Adjustment of Status. If you are a K-1, K-2, K-3 or K-4 visa holder the I-693 instructions state that you are not required to have another medical examination as long as your Form I-485 is filed within one year of your overseas medical examination. Regardless of if you are exempt from a medical exam, you are still required to complete certain portions of the I-693 and have a Civil Surgeon certify the form (and seal it in an evelope). Specifically, you will complete Part 1 (Information about you) of the I-693 and provide both the form and your DS-3025 (if you have it, proving your vaccination history) and any proof of required vaccinations that were completed prior to entering the US. If you do not have a copy of your DS-3025 you will need to provide sufficient evidence of your vaccination history to the Civil Surgeon (talk to the civil surgeon's office to discuss what vaccination records they accept as proof). If you do not have proof of your vaccination history the Civil Surgeon may insist on re-administering all the required vaccinations prior to completing the I-693. Once the Civil Surgeon has has verified that all required vaccinations have been performed, they will complete form I-693 Part 2 (the vaccination section) and Part 5 (the Civil Surgeon's Certification). They will then seal the form in an envelope and return it to you. "

(Also out of interest, this section needs to be amended in line with the thread below which state a 693 isn't required in ALL cases, in some cases the 3025 will suffice).

If you're referring to the medical thread here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=101202 it says that you send 3025 IN PLACE OF 693 if you're a K1 and your medical was completed in less than a year, and if vaccination were complete.

More to the point, why would you send a 693 AND 3025 if for a K1 they're basically exactly the same thing (i.e. showing vaccination records).

So, no offence, but I think you need to read the guides a bit more because you obviously don't understand the process. In fact head to my thread mentioned in my signature which should explain it to you.

---

To the OP, thank you for this post I will definitely make sure to mention this if it happens to me

Edited February 12, 2010 by Vanessa&Tony

[Weevil 1]

I sent in the DS form vaccination checklist, and so far we have a biometrics appointment and a notice saying our case was transfered to CSC. No RFE (just that weird thing about the AAO...)

[VJnCaramel 0]

I have received my interview letter after only submitting my AOS package with a letter explaining that I took my medical in November and handed a sealed envelope containing med and vac records to immigration officers at JFK on Nov 25 2009.

Interview on March 22, so I will let you know what happens.

[crazymazy 0]

We had not heard anything - so we schedule another info pass to check on his application. Plus we received his biometric appt which we had missed as it was sent at about the time we moved and missed the change of address we put in. So we thought we would just kill all the birds with one stone.

In the meantime - his status had been updated on the US web site and he was approved for the AP but nothing else had been updated.

We had to talk with a different person this time - so it started out having to explain again and what the 1st info pass lady had told us.

This lady said we needed to send letter back stating my husband's medical was in the POE packet BUT prettymuch said the 1st lady was nuts about telling us she had called somone to go pull the medical from the packet - "they do not do this " "blab blab blab"

Then she said if we needed a copy of his shot records to sumbit form G936 and we could get a copy for our records, and also to send back in appt letter asking for reschedule of missed Biometric appt but they also have walk in appts on weds - so if we had the time ( which is like me missing more time from work ) we could take our chances on walk in appt.

At the end of the appointment my husband asked her if she would please just check his application - she gave long sigh - and started typing - then her eyes got big like she was surprised by something - and she said it had been updated and the application is in transit to the California office.

So apparently the 1st lady from the 1st infopass - actually did what she said and his medical was pulled and put with his application - but the uS web site is not updated as yet ( we went in on this pass friday )

After this new lady saw it had been transferred already - she advised us to still follow though with a letter stating he was k-1 and his medical was in his POE package just to avoid any hangups down the road and we will send in EAD paper to reshedule Bio appt.

[NatPatBen 3]

Thanks for the follow-up. Hopefully the second lady learned something new that day.

I had an Infopass apt in Houston a month or so ago regarding our RFE. I'd like to think that the 1st lady you saw had a sufficiently large enough # of people coming for questions about the RFE that she took the initiative to look up what changed & how to fix it. I wish more people were like her with their jobs.