Immigration Medical Exam: Purpose, Cost, And Requirements To Fulfill
Dr. Faika Khan, family medicine doctor and founder of UrgentWay
Immigration medical exam is important if you are looking for immigration to the United States and want to be a permanent resident. It is also known as a green card medical exam and is conducted to ensure public safety and remove any discrepancies for inadmissibility for immigrants.
If you are having a certain disease, you might not be able to get immigration to the United States.
What is the Purpose of Immigration Medical Exam?
In order to protect the people of the United States, the immigrants are liable to go through a medical exam to confirm that they are physically and mentally healthy. It cannot be skipped at any cost or you may not find any alternative to get yourself admissible to the U.S without the exam.
Who Conducts the Exam?
The exam is conducted by USCIS approved civil surgeons within the United States. The duration of the medical exam may last 4 to 5 hours, depending on how surgeons conduct the exam and the tests to be taken.
What is the Cost of Immigration Medical Exam?
The cost of the medical exam may vary, but normally it is charged around $200 to $400.
What Requirements to Fulfill?
For the preparation of a medical exam, here are some of the things you shouldn’t forget.
- Government-issued photo identification or passport
- Report on vaccination and medical examination record
- List of medications that you are taking at the time of the exam
- Tuberculosis certificate from your doctor
- Info about the history of harmful behavior that directly harmed people or animal to provide info to doctors to decide whether the problem was related to medical or psychiatric
- Certificate of clearance signed by a health official or doctor, proving that you were properly treated
- Tuberculosis certificate from your doctor
- Report of any particular condition and special education or supervision requirements
- Written certificate declaring the length of treatment, diagnosis and prognosis only if you have been hospitalized for mental or psychiatric illness
The doctors will also confirm whether you have gone through required vaccinations. Few of them are expressly required by the Immigration and Nationality Act. While others are required by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to certify they are in the interest of general public health. Make sure to have the following vaccinations before getting permission for being a permanent resident.
Mumps, measles, rubella
- Pertussis
- Hepatitis B
- Pneumococcal pneumonia
- Hepatitis A
- Polio
- Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids
- Haemophilus influenza type B
- Varicella
- Rotavirus
- Meningococcal
- Influenza
Completion of Immigration Medical Exam
After the completion of the exam, the doctor will fill the form provided by USCIS to write down the findings and results. The doctor will send the report directly to the consulate. If you are applying for the immigration within the United States, the surgeon will provide you Form I-693, vaccination report, and report of medical examination sealed in an envelope.
Beware, not to open the envelope under any circumstances. Submit the Form I-485 application to adjust status. If you have filed the adjustment of status application before, submit the envelope at the USCIS green card interview. The results of your immigration medical exam is valid for a year.
In case, there are any irregularities in the medical exam, it is the doctor’s responsibility to make recommendations and give a medical opinion. The USCIS or consulate has the authority to make the decision and approval.
About Author:
Dr. Faika Khan is a family medicine doctor and founder of UrgentWay in New York and is affiliated with NYU and Plainview Hospital. She received her medical degree from New York College of Osteopathic Medicine and has been in practice for over 10 years.