What is the TRUTH about DS-3025 and I-693

[MRStee 19]

I wouldn't waste my time. Why would CBP have a copy of your form? They don't make and keep copies. They forward the whole envelope to CIS. They will just tell you that CIS probably lost it and there's nothing they can do about it.

To the OP,

I agree with what the secretary said, it is not common to request a DS-3025 from the panel physician. That's because they usually give you one, without having to ask. That clinic is obviously clueless as to what the procedure is.

Since you have no paperwork to prove anything, you don't really have many options at this point. Your only options are either to send the AOS without an I-693 and wait for an RFE or go to a CS and have them do a titer test (checks which vaccies she already had) and then do the ones she's missing. The CS will then fill out an I-693 for you to include with your AOS. Keep in mind that she doesn't need to do a full medical, but many CS's will try to convince you that she does. All she needs is to get the required vaccines completed and have parts 1, 2, and 5 of the form completed.

I took a copy of our I-693 with me and the CS said they had to use the one they have. The envelope was pretty thick so I believed they filled it all out and sealed the envelope. They did give us a completed copy of the DS-3025 and charge us 35.00. He needed no shots, no exam.

Edited March 30, 2010 by MRStee

[MRStee 19]

Exactly! We had issues when calling and asking for a copy of the medical exam results; they wouldn't release them. But based on another's suggest, we emailed the medical center & asked for a copy of the vaccinations given. They emailed us the DS-3025 and I saw that same thing at the bottom: Give Copy to Applicant. That made me wonder why they didn't give it when my husband (then-fiance) was there, since he asked for it.

ok nat.. disregard my previous post!

[MRStee 19]

Hi All,

I'll try to be to the point here, I'm extremely frustrated at USCIS (and am obviously not alone.)

I entered the US on a K1 Fiance November 06, 2009. My husband and I married in December of 2009. My AOS/EAD/AP package (including my DS-3025) was received March 01, 2010. I got a RFE for DS-2053 and/or I-693. My medical exam was done in Canada on March 18, 2009, less than a year old at time of AOS/EAD/AP application thus it was to my understanding that my DS-3025 was sufficient.

I have contacted the civil surgeon in Canada where I had my K1 medical performed, they said that DS-2053 and I-693 do not exist in Canada and that I must get another medical performed by a US civil surgeon. Yeah, not happening on my watch.

Should I just ask for a complete copy of my Canadian K1 medical exam and approach a US civil surgeon to transcribe it to a sealed I-693?

Should I take the copy of the DS-3025 that I have to a US civil surgeon to transcribe it to a sealed I-693?

Thanks for any help!

i asked for a copy of my husbands complete medical and they said they cannot give it to me as it is property of the government.. Good luck.

[prettyunique 1]

In order to for the CS to transcribe the vaccination on the I693, they need something like the DS 3025 (vaccination record) or even your spouse's personal vaccination record. The DS 3025 is a good resource to take to the CS but they will also accept any personal records as well (like in my husband's case) The CS just need to know what vaccinations they have had. If it is in a different language, call and see if they would accept a notarized translated version.

[Vivi6 12]

I just want to say it's OUTRAGEOUS to pay $1010 to get a green card and then get RFEs for medical records that were received by USCIS at POE. They get lost??? Oh, come on. Plus since you are not supposed to open that envelope at POE, how can you know that they put all the necessary info there? If they make mistakes, we, the applicants, still pay for it and this is something I am finding hard to come to terms with. I paid 240 euros for my med exam at the Panel Physician's office (160+1 extra shot for measles) and I honestly feel like I should refuse to pay more to get another one if I get a RFE. I only sent my DS3035 and I seriously hope it will be enough. If not, I know I have no choice but I at least get to vent here on VJ right?

Good luck to All!

[Dakine 26]

I just want to say it's OUTRAGEOUS to pay $1010 to get a green card and then get RFEs for medical records that were received by USCIS at POE. They get lost??? Oh, come on. Plus since you are not supposed to open that envelope at POE, how can you know that they put all the necessary info there? If they make mistakes, we, the applicants, still pay for it and this is something I am finding hard to come to terms with. I paid 240 euros for my med exam at the Panel Physician's office (160+1 extra shot for measles) and I honestly feel like I should refuse to pay more to get another one if I get a RFE. I only sent my DS3035 and I seriously hope it will be enough. If not, I know I have no choice but I at least get to vent here on VJ right?

Good luck to All!

I wish you luck. If you checked you may have foumd a civil surgeon that did the I-693 for less than $50. Saves the worry and hassels of RFE.

They sometimes don't send a RFE but call you on it at the interview. You'll have to do the CS trip after the intervoew. Look at the bright side! If you're lucky you may not even have a RFE or interview.

Edited March 30, 2010 by Dakine

[Vivi6 12]

I wish you luck. If you checked you may have foumd a civil surgeon that did the I-693 for less than $50. Saves the worry and hassels of RFE.

They sometimes don't send a RFE but call you on it at the interview. You'll have to do the CS trip after the intervoew. Look at the bright side! If you're lucky you may not even have a RFE or interview.

I understand and that's a great fee for medical, what I am saying is that I should not be paying a dime for USCIS' inefficiency after I already gave them $1010 and after a full, passed medical exam in Italy that costed me 200 euros. Hopefully since I filed 2 weeks after I got here my medical hasn't gotten lost yet...

[Baltar 0]

This is my experience with this obnoxious RFE -

My wife did her medical on nov 30th in Mumbai. They gave her a copy of her DS3025 which I included in the original AOS application.

She did her interview, passed, got K3 visa, came to USA as shown on my signature.

I filed her AOS, they RFE for I693 or DS2053. I tried calling the place where she did her medical, but no one had a clue.

I did call my congressman - when I told them that USCIS lost my wife's medical and is asking me for it, the first word from her mouth is - they should be looking for it, not bothering me about it - which I completely agree with. She then said to mail a letter explaining everything and include a copy of the RFE. They were more than ready to help me, but I figured to try the embassy and if that fails, then i'll mail the congressman.

I called the US embassy in Mumbai, got past the idiot gatekeepers by asking for a supervisor.

I told the supervisor that USCIS lost my medical and are asking me for it. I told him that I need a DS2053 to send to them.

He told me to send a email with the K3 case number and copy of RFE letter. I did this, and about 2 days later, he emailed me

copies of the entire 2053 packet and preety much everything that had my wife's name on it from the place she did her medical.

I printed all of it out, shoved it in an envelope with the original RFE letter, sent it to USCIS.

Yesterday I got a letter in the mail from USCIS telling me my wife's interview date for the AOS is April 28th and I have to be there.

You may want to try contacting the consulate that handled the interview, and if they cant do it, then you contact your congressman, and next the ombudsman. There's no reason to pay a cent more for uscis's screwup - we already paid them over 1,000 and paid to do a medical overseas.

If USCIS made it so that the medical was given back to us after the POE entry, then there wouldn't be a problem. That, or give us 2 sealed envelopes - one for POE, one to keep until AOS is filed. I trust myself better than the POE officers to handle my wife's papers anyway.

[Vivi6 12]

If USCIS made it so that the medical was given back to us after the POE entry, then there wouldn't be a problem. That, or give us 2 sealed envelopes - one for POE, one to keep until AOS is filed. I trust myself better than the POE officers to handle my wife's papers anyway.

Word! I agree. I might be a little exaggerating here, but I'd rather get an RFE (and knowing what to do in case it happens) than paying more money after I spent over 10000 dollars between the k1, the lawyer for the k1, and the AOS. It would be nice if they gave you a copy of what's in the envelope, since i saw the Officer opening it and it was no secret...basically it's the whole k1/k3 packet that WE filled out, so...

Good luck to us all!

[visaBeginner 0]

Ok, my wife is going through the AOS process right now and I wanted to add to the ongoing venting due to the gov'ts inconsistencies.

My wife who came here on an K-1, received a copy of the DS-3025 (Vaccination Documentation Worksheet) and I don't know what we should do! She has 3 vaccinations that were marked "Insufficient Time Interval" with the "Results" checked "Vaccine History Incomplete" and "Applicant may be eligible for blanket waiver(s) because vaccination(s) not medically appropriate". Everything else is either "Completed" or "Not Age Appropriate".

So the overall consensus from this post is that the I-693 should be filled out with the DS-3025. I just can't accept doing it after everything we went through overseas and everything that is stated:

The Instructions for the I-485 state the following:

If you are a K-1 fiance(e) or K-2 dependent who had a medical examination within the past year as required for the nonimmigrant fiance(e) visa, you only need to submit a vaccination supplement, not the entire medical report. You may include the vaccination supplement with your Form I-485.

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So then in the Instructions for the I-693 it states the following:

Even if a new medical examination is not required, you still must show proof that you complied with the vaccination requirements. If the vaccination record (DS 3025) was not properly completed and included as part of the original overseas medical examination report, you will have to have the vaccination report completed by a designated civil surgeon.

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Based on these 2 references I would believe that a copy of the DS-3025 should suffice.

So in my case, is my DS-3025 properly completed? Since 3 of the vaccinations are part of a series and were marked "Insufficient Time Interval" I would need further clarification. But then it states on the "Medical Examination: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)" page of the CDC at http://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/exams/medical-examination-faqs.html#6 -

Do all vaccine series have to be completed before vaccination requirements are fulfilled?

For vaccines requiring a series, only a single dose is required for immigration purposes. However, the Civil Surgeon should check the “insufficient time interval” box on the I-693 Form, and also advise the applicant to complete the series in the future.

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Based on all this information, I would think that she shouldn't have any issues filing for AOS. No?

Edited May 12, 2010 by visaBeginner

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Ok, my wife is going through the AOS process right now and I wanted to add to the ongoing venting due to the gov'ts inconsistencies.

My wife who came here on an K-1, received a copy of the DS-3025 (Vaccination Documentation Worksheet) and I don't know what we should do! She has 3 vaccinations that were marked "Insufficient Time Interval" with the "Results" checked "Vaccine History Incomplete" and "Applicant may be eligible for blanket waiver(s) because vaccination(s) not medically appropriate". Everything else is either "Completed" or "Not Age Appropriate".

<snip>

Based on these 2 references I would believe that a copy of the DS-3025 should suffice.

So in my case, is my DS-3025 properly completed? Since 3 of the vaccinations are part of a series and were marked "Insufficient Time Interval" I would need further clarification. But then it states on the "Medical Examination: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)" page of the CDC at http://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/exams/medical-examination-faqs.html#6 -

Do all vaccine series have to be completed before vaccination requirements are fulfilled?

For vaccines requiring a series, only a single dose is required for immigration purposes. However, the Civil Surgeon should check the “insufficient time interval” box on the I-693 Form, and also advise the applicant to complete the series in the future.

------

Based on all this information, I would think that she shouldn't have any issues filing for AOS. No?

Actually, not really "government inconsistencies" more "they changed one document and forgot to change the rest".

Basically a while back there used to be a vaccination supplement called I-693A. This is the supplement they're referring to in the I-485 instructions.

Now if you had your vaccinations completed the DS-3025 SHOULD say so. It is evident from "insufficient time interval" that your wife was supposed to complete a series of something. What is this marked next to? If it's marked next to HPV don't worry about it because HPV has been removed from being needed for AOS.

Insufficient time interval is when a shot, like HPV is required in a series and are done over several months. You cannot be expected to delay your visa etc simply because the vaccine is needed in another 6 months or something. SO they tick that box saying that you DO require more but that at the time of the medical appointment there wasn't enough time to complete the whole series. So like I said, depending on what it's listed next to, she may need to see a CS.

Your quote from the CDC site is also correct and refers to your wifes status both for K1 AND for AOS. Prior to obtaining her Visa she could not be detained so she may of only been given 1 of a 3 part series. She is now expected to receive the second part of the series (if the time interval is what's needed) but she will not require the third one before applying for AOS. She needs only to be up-to-date at the time of filing her AOS. She was up-to-date at the time of K1, now she needs to make sure she's up-to-date for AOS.

Your quote of the I-693 from here: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-693instr.pdf page 4, section III, Q2, "If the vaccination record (DS 3025) was not properly completed and included as part of the original overseas medical examination report, you will have to have the vaccination report completed by a designated civil surgeon." actually says that your wife WILL have to submit an I-693 vaccination part only (it also mentions in that section what parts of the I-693 she will need to complete because your form is NOT complete).

There is a wiki page here: http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/Civil_Surgeon_List which is a list made by VJ members of GOOD CS's that know about the "vaccination part only" and should only charge you $50 or less.

You wife WILL need to see a CS and update any shots that are now needed.

**Edit - you need to remember that her K1 and her AOS are two SEPARATE processes. She needed the Visa to get here, and now that she's here she's applying for AOS. The medical is permitted to be carried over from the K1 if it's less than a year which is good, but she will still need to submit more paperwork, evidence etc. Also, the vaccination section, the requirements, as I stated, were met at the time of filing K1, now you need to make sure she meets them for filing AOS.

Edited May 12, 2010 by Vanessa&Tony

[visaBeginner 0]

Actually, not really "government inconsistencies" more "they changed one document and forgot to change the rest".

Basically a while back there used to be a vaccination supplement called I-693A. This is the supplement they're referring to in the I-485 instructions.

Now if you had your vaccinations completed the DS-3025 SHOULD say so. It is evident from "insufficient time interval" that your wife was supposed to complete a series of something. What is this marked next to? If it's marked next to HPV don't worry about it because HPV has been removed from being needed for AOS.

Insufficient time interval is when a shot, like HPV is required in a series and are done over several months. You cannot be expected to delay your visa etc simply because the vaccine is needed in another 6 months or something. SO they tick that box saying that you DO require more but that at the time of the medical appointment there wasn't enough time to complete the whole series. So like I said, depending on what it's listed next to, she may need to see a CS.

Your quote from the CDC site is also correct and refers to your wifes status both for K1 AND for AOS. Prior to obtaining her Visa she could not be detained so she may of only been given 1 of a 3 part series. She is now expected to receive the second part of the series (if the time interval is what's needed) but she will not require the third one before applying for AOS. She needs only to be up-to-date at the time of filing her AOS. She was up-to-date at the time of K1, now she needs to make sure she's up-to-date for AOS.

Your quote of the I-693 from here: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-693instr.pdf page 4, section III, Q2, "If the vaccination record (DS 3025) was not properly completed and included as part of the original overseas medical examination report, you will have to have the vaccination report completed by a designated civil surgeon." actually says that your wife WILL have to submit an I-693 vaccination part only (it also mentions in that section what parts of the I-693 she will need to complete because your form is NOT complete).

There is a wiki page here: http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/Civil_Surgeon_List which is a list made by VJ members of GOOD CS's that know about the "vaccination part only" and should only charge you $50 or less.

You wife WILL need to see a CS and update any shots that are now needed.

**Edit - you need to remember that her K1 and her AOS are two SEPARATE processes. She needed the Visa to get here, and now that she's here she's applying for AOS. The medical is permitted to be carried over from the K1 if it's less than a year which is good, but she will still need to submit more paperwork, evidence etc. Also, the vaccination section, the requirements, as I stated, were met at the time of filing K1, now you need to make sure she meets them for filing AOS.

There are 3 vaccinations HPV, Varicella, MMR. She was only given the first stage of the vaccination. The time frame for the 2nd stage/3rd stage for all 3 has passed. So essentially, stage 1 of all 3 vaccinations have to be repeated. Getting the vaccinations again will give us the same exact inscription on the I-693 that we have on the DS-3025, "insufficient time interval".

I'm not sure I'm in agreement since the remaining stages of these types of vaccinations are only recommended by CDC.

[visaBeginner 0]

Also, I'm pretty certain changing one document and forgetting to change another document is an inconsistency.

[prettyunique 1]

Also, I'm pretty certain changing one document and forgetting to change another document is an inconsistency.

Since the HPV is no longer needed and it was a three shot series, your wife vaccination should be complete after doing 1 more varicella and 1 more MMR. If the recommend time interval have past, then she needs to get the last vaccination to be up date. It will not mention the anything about time intervals being a problem because she will be done. The varicella and the MMR only requires to shots for the series. Good luck

[prettyunique 1]

The varicella and the MMR only requires two shots each for the series.

If she has started the series of any of these vaccinations she does NOT have to start over with the series. She will be at her second shot for both of them. You can go to your local health department, your physician or a retail health clinic to get these remaining vaccinations. Then take the DS3025 and her personal vaccination record (whatever they give you to show the recent shots) and take it to CS to transcribe on the

I693. USCIS just need to know that all the shots are update.

Even though I did not want to go the CS, I just think to myself. The people who look at our applications and make decision about our lives are not medical doctors or nurses. They do not know much about what is necessary and what interval are appropriate. So I would do what I have to do to make it easy for them to see what is obviously right and make the correct decision. If they do not know they will most likely RFE us.

Edited May 13, 2010 by prettyunique