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$130 Immigration Physical Exam Physician, USCIS Medical Exam I-693 in Bronx NYC

On your way toward living in the United States permanently, you need to pass several steps. The USCIS I-693 medical exam is one of those steps. If you are planning to sit for the exam in Bronx, New York, we got you covered. Our services for the USCIS I-693 medical exam in the Bronx, New York are well-ordered, affordable, and hassle-free. Here in Green Card Health we are open Monday to Friday 9.00 AM-5.30 PM with our 25 years of experience. So drop by today and get your USCIS medical exam done by us.

What is the USCIS I-693 exam?

USCIS Full form United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. The USCIS medical exam or green card immigration physical exam is a legal, medical procedure through which your health conditions are thoroughly checked by a nationally certified civil surgeon in the US before granting you permission to live in New York, or any other state in the US as a citizen. This is done to ensure that your health issues are addressed and you pose no threat to the general mass.

I-485 is the form for permanent residence in the US. This form has several sections, one of which is the USCIS I-693 form known as the USCIS I-693 medical exam. This exam is slightly different from the usual checkup from your primary care physician (PCP). The USCIS medical exam requires you to prepare with several legal documents.

Who takes the USCIS I-693 physical exam?

The USCIS medical exam is taken by people who apply for permanent residence in the US. This exam is monitored by a physician who is legally certified to work and treat patients in the United States. These doctors are called civil surgeons. For your immigration medical exam, you will get a civil surgeon’s medical clearance certificate if you pass the USCIS medicals.

What to expect during the USCIS medical exam

The I-693 USCIS medical exam is a four-step process where you need to visit your doctor twice. The first and second steps are the in-person visits to your USCIS medical exam doctor. The third step is to fill the USCIS form. The fourth step is the submission of your results with your visa application.

  • On the first visit, our USCIS medical exam doctor in the Bronx, New York will ask you questions about your health, habits, and lifestyle and go through your medical records.
  • The USCIS medical personnel will examine your ears, eyes, mouth, skin, heart rates, respiratory system, blood pressure, lymph nodes etc.
  • In case you might have any communicable disease, your Physician will give you blood tests and urinalysis. You will be given your samples on the first visit.
  • After two to three days you will be going for a second visit. By then, your blood and urine test results will be out and your doctor will address the issues.
  • Administrative paperwork is done on the second visit.

For the USCIS medical exam, the following list of things will be taken into consideration:

  • Testing for contagious diseases such as tuberculosis (TB), syphilis, leprosy, and gonorrhea. TB test is a must because the test varies from that in other countries.
  • Checking for addiction to harmful drugs such as cocaine, crystal meth, or marijuana
  • Detection of mental illnesses that cause major cognitive distortions and unpredictable behaviors
  • Checking for neurological disorders that prevent you from moving without external help
  • Doing a chest X-ray for pregnant women
  • Women who are menstruating are eligible for the USCIS exam
  • If you are applying from abroad, a chest X-ray is a must.

What to bring to your USCIS medical exam

You must bring the following to the USCIS medical exam center:

  • An unsigned I-693 form
  • A valid photo ID such as a national ID, a passport, or a driving license that proves your nationality. Children aged 14 and younger need to bring their parent’s full name and nationality proof.
  • Vaccination or immunization records
  • A list of the drugs you intake, both prescribed and over-the-counter
  • A complete medical history of past illnesses, surgeries etc.
  • Medical insurance card
  • Exam fees
  • Visual aids such as spectacles, if you use
  • Hearing aid, if you have one

The USCIS I-693 exam fees

The USCIS medical examination fees vary depending on the civil surgeon. But here in Green Card Health, Bronx, New York, it costs $130, which is one of the cheapest rates ever. If you are 15 years or older, you need an RPR test (syphilis screening) for $20 and need to pay a total of $150. Also, if there is any need to do X-rays or any vaccination, the fees must be paid separately.

USCIS Medical Exam Hidden Fees

Even though the green card medical exam is issued by the USCIS, it does not regulate the fees for the exam which varies from place to place. So, you can always look around and pick the one that aligns with your budget plan. The place you choose to do your USCIS I-693 exam makes a great difference. Here at Green Card Health, Bronx, New York, we give you the list of all hidden charges that may be applied along with your USCIS medical exam.

  • Printing cost of the I-693 form
  • Copies of the I-693 form
  • Vaccine administration and charges for needles, syringes, etc.
  • If you need a chest X-ray, then there would be charges for printing and reviewing the report from the radiologist
  • Quantiferon test
  • Physician charges if you are positive for the Quantiferon test
  • Charges for prescriptions for contagious diseases like STDs, if you have one
  • Charges for your vaccination summary
  • Only if your RPR test is positive for syphilis there will be an extra charge
  • Blood drawing charges
  • Photocopy charges
  • If you are tested positive for a disease and need to see a physician, there will be a separate charge
  • Charges for hastening the I-693 form
  • If you need any vaccine from the US, there will be extra charges for each

Here in Green Card Health, NYC, we keep all of the scanned records of green card applicants as per federal law.

How long is the USCIS medical exam?

Our green card medical exam or the USCIS physical exam in NYC takes an hour or a little more to complete. There are 2-3 days between two visits for the test results. The administrative issues are dealt with on the second day.

How to prepare for the USCIS medical exam?

Here are some tips that can help you prepare for the exam:

  • Wear loose clothes as they are more comfortable and you can breathe easily.
  • Stay hydrated. You will be asked to provide a urine sample for the gonorrhea test, and drinking plenty of water beforehand helps.
  • Get enough sleep the night before the exam so you can be in good condition physically and mentally.
  • Manage your emotions so that your stress hormones and blood pressure do not spike and you are in a stable mood during the exam. Being anxious does not help.
  • Avoid hard exercises as they might increase your blood pressure and heart rates and impact your form I-693 test results.
  • Never eat just before the exam. Health experts in NYC recommend fasting for 12 hours at least. So eat well the night before the I-693 exam and go without breaking fast the next day.
  • Avoid salty, sweet, oily, and fatty foods for at least three days before the exam. To keep your blood pressure, cholesterol level and other vitals in check, this is a must.
  • Do not smoke before your I-693 medicals to keep your blood pressure normal.
  • Refrain from consuming alcohol as it leaves you dehydrated. Then, it would be difficult for the Physician to draw blood from you.

List of compulsory vaccines:

  • Diphtheria (DT)
  • Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP)
  • Tetanus (Td)
  • Polio (OPV or IPV)
  • Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)
  • Hepatitis B
  • Varicella
  • Pneumococcal influenza
  • Meningococcal disease
  • COVID-19

Reasons behind failing the USCIS medical exam

There are five primary reasons the USCIS can refuse your green card application:

1. Contagious diseases

If you are tested positive for untreated infectious diseases like tuberculosis, leprosy, syphilis, or gonorrhea, you might infect the whole NYC and worse, the whole US. The USCIS will refuse your green card application. In that case, you need to accept treatment first and get cured before you retake the exam.

2. Drug and/or alcohol abuse

Your urinalysis will reveal the presence or absence of drugs. If you are found to have abused any kind of prescribed or illegal drug, your green card application in New York will be refused. The same will happen in the case of alcohol abuse.

3. Mental or physical disorders

If you are a person with physical or mental disorders such as bipolar disorder, OCD etc, and is left untreated, you will be prone to cognitive distortions and unpredictable behavior. Your green card application will be refused if you leave those disorders untreated.

4. Inability to work and move by yourself

Inability to work and financially support yourself will make you ineligible for a green card. Also, if you have any fatal disease or something that prevents you from moving by yourself, such as polio, you will not be getting a green card.

5. Failure to show immunization records

Suppose you have taken all the vaccines necessary for the green card application. Until and unless you show the record to your USCIS medical doctor, you will be considered medically inadmissible and will fail your USCIS exam.

6. Lying about conditions

Lying about your health condition is considered as healthcare fraud and results in your disqualification for a green card application. So, you must never lie about any of your health issues. Remember to bring your visual and/or hearing aid to the exam.

How to avoid medical admissibility

If you have a minor cold, or a chronic disease that you keep in check, such as diabetes, or have been cured from a contagious disease, the USCIS will not refuse your green card application. Below are some tips for you to avoid medical admissibility.

  • If you have had any infectious disease –tuberculosis, syphilis, leprosy, or gonorrhea in the past, you need to be able to show proof of your treatment and test results, and you need a statement from your doctor that you are cured or your disease is under control.
  • In case you have a history of drug addiction, you need proof of your treatment.
  • In the case of mental disorders, the USCIS I-693 medical exam requires you to show your treatment records for therapy and medication.
  • If you have any other disease aside from the aforementioned ones, you must bring proof of how well you are managing your illness.

If USCIS rejects you for health issues, you can apply for the “waiver of inadmissibility” or, in other words, a government waiver to enter the US. USCIS will get in touch with the Center for Disease Control and Protection (CDCP) and give you a waiver on the condition that you visit a doctor and receive proper care and treatment. This waiver must be filed with the help of a lawyer.

How to choose a doctor for USCIS medical exam

It is essential to choose the right government-certified doctor for your USCIS medical exam. If you are applying for an immigrant visa from outside the US, the US embassy or consulate will provide you with a list of panel physicians. Panel physicians are doctors in your country who are authorized by the Department of State. From there, you choose your doctor. If you are applying for a permanent residence from within NYC or any other states, a US civil surgeon will examine you. If you are currently residing in NYC or any state in the US and are applying for the USCIS medical exam, you have two options –scheduling before the green card application and scheduling after the start of green card application.

  • You can take your USCIS form I-693 medical exam along with your green card application. This is known as the concurrent filing.
  • After the submission of your green card application, you can take the USCIS medical exam and bring it to the green card interview in NYC or any other state. Your exam forms are valid for two years from the date your doctor signed the form.

If you are applying from outside the US, you can set up your USCIS medical exam after the National Visa Center (NVC) sends you the appointment letter for your green card interview. The NVC oversees green card applications outside the United States.

Before you get your appointment letter, you have to find your local US embassy or consulate. They will send you instructions for the USCIS I-693 physical exam and a list of approved doctors of your country. From there, you need to select your doctor. It is best to schedule your USCIS medical exam right after you are sent an interview date. Also, make sure to let the medical office know that you need an immigration medical exam.

Your exam results will be valid for six months unless you have any health condition, for which the validity will be three months. At the end of your I-693 exam, ask your doctor about the expiration dates.

USCIS I-693 medical exam results

After they are done with your assessment, the civil surgeon will complete the I-693 form and put it in an envelope with a seal that must never be tampered with. Then, you will submit this envelope along with your green card application. You will also receive two more copies of your test results –one for your immigration lawyer, the other to keep as your own personal records.

Things to look out for

Sometimes there are organizations that can prey on innocent green card applicants by providing absurdly attractive deals but commit healthcare frauds in the process.

  • If an office provides an inclusive flat fee for the tests (TB, leprosy, gonorrhea, and syphilis), and all vaccines, they are scamming you. Vaccines need to be administered by professionals.
  • If they ask for anything else minus the required legal documents, they can use them against you to hold your clearance certificate or use your information to commit crimes.
  • Look out if the office is not doing several USCIS I-693 medical tests per week. If they are not busy enough, chances are, they do not provide a decent service.
  • The tests for communicable diseases at times can change their requirements with up-to-date tests. Make sure the USCIS medical exam center is a genuine one that follows the requirements.
  • If an exam center asks for your medical insurance, they are scamming you, as the USCIS I-693 exam is never covered by health insurance. This sort of thing will be considered as a healthcare fraud, and your green card application will be denied.
  • If the exam center says that the USCIS medical exam can be covered in one or two days, they are not genuine. It takes two visits for the exam and 2-3 days in between the visits for the blood and urine test results. So, any office that is doing them quicker is not authentic.
  • According to the USCIS, you can go to their website and choose any certified physician and get the paperwork done. So if any office is forcing you to pick their own doctor, they are not an authentic center for the USCIS form I-693 exam.

FAQs:

1. Is there a drug test for the immigration medical exam?

Ans. The USCIS medical exam requires you to do a urinalysis for gonorrhea. But it also tests for the presence of drugs in your body. If you are found to have taken illegal drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, crystal meth, etc., your green card application will be refused.

2. What happens if I am tested positive for TB?

Ans. If you are tested positive for TB, you must go see a doctor and accept treatment or else your I-693 form will be rejected.

3. How long does the USCIS medical exam interview take?

Ans. The USCIS I-693 exam takes around an hour on the first visit. After that, there is a 2-3 days’ gap, after that there is another visit for an hour or so to deal with the test results and other paperwork.

4. How much does the I-693 form cost?

Ans. The I-693 form is free to download and print. Green Card Health will only charge you for the printing. You can also print it at home and bring it to our office.

5. What questions will I be asked at the USCIS medical exam interview?

Ans. The USCIS medical physician will ask you simple questions about your health conditions, including both your physical and mental health issues. You must be honest with your doctor and reveal everything, or else if you are found lying about your health, your green card application will be rejected.

6. What happens if I get an I-693 deficiency notice?

Ans. Form I-693 deficiency notice does not indicate any delay in reviewing your green card application. Rather, it is a reminder to submit a complete and signed I-693 form to the USCIS in the future, either during your green card interview or if there is a Request for Evidence by the USCIS.

7. Is the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for USCIS medical exam?

Ans. As of October 2021, two shots of Pfizer, two shots of Moderna, or one shot of Johnson and Johnson have been made mandatory for COVID-19 vaccine.

8. Can I get the vaccines from my home country?

Ans. Getting vaccines from your home country is allowed as long as you keep records. However, if it is incomplete, we will not take responsibility. Also, any misleading information will result in healthcare fraud, and we will not be responsible for it either.

9. Can I submit my paperwork online?

Ans. No, you must be present at our office like you are required to and make two visits for the I-693 exam.

10. Do you have branches?

Ans. Our only office location is in the Bronx, NYC.