Last Minute Civil Surgeon Questions!

[~ameriptian~ 54]

I will be adjusting status from a K1. We have an appointment at a CS's clinic today at 1:00 p.m. I have a few questions:

- The fee is $175 (not including possible shots). Is that reasonable? (We live in FL)

- The nurse asked me twice over the phone: "Do you mean medical exam for USCIS or immigration exam? They are different.".. What's the difference? I have a feeling she doesn't know what she was talking about!

- I had a medical exam in Cairo that's still good until Oct. 2010. How can I verify these information to the doctor? How does he receive my-still-good medical exam?

- I was told over the phone that If I'm able to bring the results of the medical exam I had in Egypt they can check something, but we are still paying the full fee of a whole new medical exam. If my visa medical exam is still good, why should I have a new one?

- What should I expect at the civil surgeon's clinic?

We printed out the I-639 instructions and are planning on showing it to the CS. Hopefully someone will understand!

Thanks in advance,

Aya

[Bernie C 24]

My wife went to the Civil Surgeon yesterday. The fee was $50.00 USD. All she needed to have done was the translation of the vaccinations to the I-693.

When I first called they wanted to schedule a two day appointment for the medical exam, I had to explain that it was not required and we only needed the vaccination portion completed.

Just to be safe, I printed the instructions and highlighted the applicable sections.

Many of these CS's don't know alot about the requirements for K-1 applicants so it is up to us to educate them.

[katie & sifa 25]

We paid $35 for transcription and a little extra for the vaccines that he needed (I priced them at the health department and the CS actually had them cheaper!) We had to explain the situation over the phone multiple times and even when we got to the office it took FOREVER to get them to understand what we needed. Even then, Sifa went back to get the shots & the nurse started drawing his blood for a syphilis test!

We did bring anything we had as proof of his medical exam in December...the receipt showing he paid for it, his chest x-ray, his vaccination worksheet...pretty much anything we could think of to show he already had a medical exam less than a year ago in Kenya.

You might try making a few calls to see if anyone DOES know what you're talking about & will charge you less/not make her go through a full medical. There's a pretty good listing here of CS's other VJ members have had success with: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/231026-civil-surgeons-who-dont-rip-you-off/page__hl__civil%20surgeons

[arya 22]

You only need your vaccinations transcribed onto I693, not the whole medical. Did you shop around different surgeons? Some of them will try to make you do another medical which costs a lot of money. When I did mine, I paid 35 dollars for transcription. Try to call other surgeons before your appt, and see if they will do transcription alone. Good luck

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

The CS does not need to see your Cairo medical exam nor do you need to verify to him that you had it. The medical form has different sections. You are not asking him to fill out anything medical involving bloodwork, tuberculosis, etc. You are only asking him to put all your immunization records in one section of the form and to advise you of any you are lacking. You should download the latest copy of the I-693, fill in your biographical information in the first section and take it with you. Print a spare copy even. If his office is not up to date, they may not have the latest forms.

[jimnlena 8]

Definately look aroung we got quotes as high as $800 here in Dallas. (We got transcription done for $35)

[~ameriptian~ 54]

Thanks everyone for the input!

We digged for the visa medical exam receipts and luckily found them. We have shot records translation as well.

We still went to the appointment (arrived there an hour early). They wanted to do a whole new medical exam that includes x-ray test and blood test. We showed them the K1 I-693 instructions, but still were told that I have to have a new medical exam since I don't have my previous medical exam to show them the results!

I also needed to get some shots..all in all the cost would have been close to $700!! That's absolutely ridiculous!! I don't understand how these civil surgeons are certified by USCIS, if they don't know the basic instructions of the medical exam for each visa type! And how come their prices vary too much!

We ended up doing nothing today away from the 2-hour drive to and from the clinic. We have an appointment on Monday at the health department in our city to get the shots there. All should cost around $250.

Don't know what we should do to find someone who understands the medical exam for K1 holders instructions!

Aya

[jimnlena 8]

Thanks everyone for the input!

We digged for the visa medical exam receipts and luckily found them. We have shot records translation as well.

We still went to the appointment (arrived there an hour early). They wanted to do a whole new medical exam that includes x-ray test and blood test. We showed them the K1 I-693 instructions, but still were told that I have to have a new medical exam since I don't have my previous medical exam to show them the results!

I also needed to get some shots..all in all the cost would have been close to $700!! That's absolutely ridiculous!! I don't understand how these civil surgeons are certified by USCIS, if they don't know the basic instructions of the medical exam for each visa type! And how come their prices vary too much!

We ended up doing nothing today away from the 2-hour drive to and from the clinic. We have an appointment on Monday at the health department in our city to get the shots there. All should cost around $250.

Don't know what we should do to find someone who understands the medical exam for K1 holders instructions!

Aya

I found this list it may help!

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/231026-civil-surgeons-who-dont-rip-you-off/page__st__30

[~ameriptian~ 54]

I found this list it may help!

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/231026-civil-surgeons-who-dont-rip-you-off/page__st__30

Thank you Jimnlena!

I already went through every page of that thread! We live over a 100 miles away from the CS in Florida that was mentioned in the topic. All depends on how long my husband is willing to drive! J/K

Aya

[JD63 4]

That seems like about what I had to pay. I could have done it for less at the university medical center, but it was a two month wait to see the travel nurse because "she's the only one who knows the vaccine stuff"

Since my wife didn't have record of MMR or Varicella as a kid we had to do titers for the vaccines, before he would sign it, which cost an extra 200 dollars. All in all it cost around $300, which I was kind of forced into paying since I needed to get it filed. Anyway, I don't have an option of shopping around since there's only two in town.

[arya 22]

Didn't you guys have to have you vaccinations done back home for the original interview? When I went for my medical in Canada, I had to have all vaccines done before the medical so when I got here, all I had to do was transcribe the vaccinations. I don't know how it is in other countries, just thought I'd ask.

[~ameriptian~ 54]

That seems like about what I had to pay. I could have done it for less at the university medical center, but it was a two month wait to see the travel nurse because "she's the only one who knows the vaccine stuff"

Since my wife didn't have record of MMR or Varicella as a kid we had to do titers for the vaccines, before he would sign it, which cost an extra 200 dollars. All in all it cost around $300, which I was kind of forced into paying since I needed to get it filed. Anyway, I don't have an option of shopping around since there's only two in town.

Seems we will have to do that too. It just feels bad that we know we are being ripped off our money and kinda forced to do it, when civil surgeons/nurses don't understand what they are doing in the first place!

Did your wife have to have a pregnancy test? The nurse said yesterday said that I have to have one that would cost $25 alone!

Aya

[~ameriptian~ 54]

Didn't you guys have to have you vaccinations done back home for the original interview? When I went for my medical in Canada, I had to have all vaccines done before the medical so when I got here, all I had to do was transcribe the vaccinations. I don't know how it is in other countries, just thought I'd ask.

I had two shots in my medical exam in Cairo (not sure what they were for though). I have most of my vaccinations documented and translated. I just need a few more shots that weren't documented and I should be having them at the health department clinic/office in our city on Monday. If I knew what we are facing now when I had my medical exam for the visa last october, I would certainly have had the rest of the shots in Egypt and had them documented and translated!

Aya

[katie & sifa 25]

Didn't you guys have to have you vaccinations done back home for the original interview? When I went for my medical in Canada, I had to have all vaccines done before the medical so when I got here, all I had to do was transcribe the vaccinations. I don't know how it is in other countries, just thought I'd ask.

Some of the shots are a series. My husband had the first round of shots in Kenya, and he had to get a few more (like the 2nd in the tdap series) to do AOS. You can get your visa as long as the shots are up to date at the time of the interview, just can't AOS unless they are complete.

[arya 22]

Some of the shots are a series. My husband had the first round of shots in Kenya, and he had to get a few more (like the 2nd in the tdap series) to do AOS. You can get your visa as long as the shots are up to date at the time of the interview, just can't AOS unless they are complete.

That makes sense. I didn't know you have to get 2 tdap shots, I only got one before I came here. But maybe it's not required for my age group.