i was wondering if anyone had any advice on what the medical exam entails? this is the scariest part of the whole process for me because i'm terrified of needles! i wanted to know if my yellow card would be enough proof of my vaccinations? it has dates and which vaccines were administered, but doesn't say at which institution. it has no official stamps or anything that would authenticate it. i'm dreading having to have them all again if that's the case!

i also read that they do a visual check for any STD's - and was wondering how invasive this might be? also, could anyone tell me how much we can expect to pay for the whole thing? any info would be greatly appreciated!

Hi there. My then fiance had his medical in South Africa. I believe it was around $150. Sorry, I forget what that is in Rand. He had his yellow card, but there are some vaccinations which are required that are not on the yellow card. And unfortunately, he was stuck with needles and it did hurt quite a bit (as in afterwards). I would talk to the doctor about your fears and have someone supportive go with you if at all possible. Plus different people have different reactions to vaccinations. I have never had problems with soreness or anything.

If you could, can you post what happened at your medical exam when you finally get it done? I'm curious to know what my fiance will have to go thru. He's not fond of needles either!

thanks i will just have to be brave LOL. i will be sure to post the whole experience on here once i have been!

hi there, from a fellow south african now living in New York as of Jan '07.

I came over here on a K1 visa and went for my medical in Joburg. Here is everything that I went through and have come know once here in the USA:

The medical isn't too bad, although I don't fear needles or that kinda thing. Before I went to the doctors I was kinda worried about how invasive it was gonna be ( as I'm female ) But it didn't turn out to be too bad.

RIght, at the medical they do the normal things that a doctor would do if you are a new patient. Asks you questions about your medical history ie. Cancer in the family, any illnesses you have had, hospitalizations etc...
They take your blood pressure, check your eye sight, height and weight, check your joint movements and body reflexes ( knees, shoulders, that kinda thing )

Then they do take your blood, if I remember correctly, they took 2 vials of blood, one for HIV testing and the other for sphillis ( however you spell it ) He checks your vaccination card, if you have one. Any vaccinations that you are needing he will give you. You need to have had a recent Tetnus shot, if you haven't he will give you that too.
Now the tetnus shot is not the greatest, I will admit that. I had to have mine done here in the US, at first it's not bad, but a few hours later and for the following couple of days you feel like you have a dead arm, it's sore to move it. My husband had to help me get dressed and undressed, coz I couldn't lift my arm up, not that I was complaining about that part

They also send you to get a chest x-ray done to check for TB. And that is pretty much it, you will have to return a few days later to pick up your results, watch them put it all together and put it into your envelope with the x-ray, it also needs to be sealed with the dotcors stamp on it once closed. This envelope will be taken from you once arriving into the USA by the immigration guys at the airport. they will leave you with your x-rays to keep.

If you can, ask him for copies of ALL your documents, I'm thinking that they won't wanna give you all those copies but try coz you will need them if the same thing happens to you as it did me. Which I will get too shortly. BUT if anything get the copy of your vaccination form, they are DEFINITELY allowed to give you that and you WILL need it once adjusting status here in the US.

Now I will start to tell you my story of the issues I am having to deal with here now.
First off, I'm not sure they will do this for you as it is not asked for for the K1 visa process but it can't hurt to ask, coz you will have to have it done once here, and rather pay RANDS than $$$$. Ask them to give you a TB Skin Test, coz that is one of the things that they are sending out RFE's for.

Another issue that I am having, and this one is a huge and costly thing. Somewhere between the airport that I arrived at (JFK) and my case being transferred to California, they have LOST my medical forms. That is where your copies, if you can get them, will come in handy.
I am now having to go for a full medical here again, due to their stupidity, at my own expense, therefor delaying my case. I tried getting the doctor in SA to fax me copies of all my forms, and they won't do it. They say they can only send it to the US Embassy in Joburg and they will in turn forward it on. But I don't have time to waste, as I just wanna get this all over and done with, or at least until I can file for permanent residency without conditions, so that my husband and I can really live in peace and not have to worry about all this stuff.

Once you are here and are adjusting status you will need to get your vaccinations transferred onto the I-693A form, whatever area you will be in, phone around to get the best price, some places will wanna charge you for a full medical, but you won't need it if you have your vaccination copy from the SA medical.

Ok, now that I have gona on and on. I will end my reply. Please fell free to ask me any more questions if you are needing help or anything.

Good luck.

The medical in total cost about R600-00 in cash, for the vaccinations, medical and stuff. Discovery health didn't cover cover all of it, that was the portion that i had to pay. +-

Ha Ha that is funny - I work for Discovery Health.

Your post has really helped me too thank you very much. Now I also know what to expect.

Where in SA were you from?

Was that only the amount you had to pay in? You dont know how much it was in total? The x-rays I know can be pricey...

Hi!

My husband just went through the medical this past Thursday. It wasn't so bad, but he did get stuck with some needles and have to give some blood. The embassy will send you a list of doctors you can choose from (2 in joburg, 1 in cape town and 1 in durban, I think). We used Mark Singer in Joburg (near edenvale).

The first up was the chest x-ray. That was R270 and took about an hour. After paying and getting the film, then we had to head to the doctor's office. There Darren had a physical exam (nothing too strenuous) and got his vaccinations (took about 30 mins but the waiting room was packed - very busy place). Darren did take his yellow vaccination card with him, but he still had to get 4 new vaccinations (they combined them into 2 shots). He also had to have blood drawn. The doctor's cost was R450 (had to be paid in cash) plus the vaccinations (will vary depending on what you need) R340.

I don't know anything about the TB skin test... that is a new one on me.

The doctor kept all the forms and xrays and then we trotted back to the hospital to pay for blood test R152. We still have to go back to pick up the results, so we'll see if that is the end of it.

Darren got sick immediately after his vaccinations - just a cold. But within a day and a half he was sniffling and sneezing. May not be the cause, but who knows!

I hope this helps calm your fears a little. I wouldn't be too worried!

Good luck!
~Karen

My question is when you do the biometrics is that another medical exam? If so, can you use the medical tests that were taken in the fiance's home country?

Biometrics is the finger printing I believe and they do that at the POE.
I think it is also done at AOS.