AOS ...the medical

[yankepeach 2]

Okay....reading and researching ahead to be prepared, I see that my SO is going to need documentation about his vaccines. All of his vaccines will be done and completed before his medical in London. So am wondering since he will have had his medical, and we are filing immediately after we are married for AOS, then he shouldn't need another medical state side.(filing well within a year from previous exam by US CIVIL SURGEON) .... BUT....looking at the items needed for the AOS....It sees that he will need I-693. So my question is could he not take the form I-693 with him to his medical in London and have done with it? Seems silly to have to repeat a medical with a Civil Surgeon, when literally he would have had the same exam only weeks before. I also read that you can use the DS-3025 from the medical in London, but that it is chancy and you could get a RFE. My goal in life is not to ever get one of those! lol So what is the shortest easiest way to have the I-693 completed and hopefully not have to have a second visit to a Civil Surgeon. I haven't been able to find any detailed preparation for the AOS. I know it's here though! lol Just aint sure where as there is a tun of info.

[Fandango 1,439]

Everytime I read this title, I misread 'AOS, the musical'

I don't have an answer for you, as I never got to AOS, but I'm sure someone will come along shortly.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

So my question is could he not take the form I-693 with him to his medical in London and have done with it? Seems silly to have to repeat a medical with a Civil Surgeon, when literally he would have had the same exam only weeks before.

Flawed logic, but a good thought.. The medical in London is under the Dept of State and the doctor is a Panel Physician authorized by the DOS. Hence he fills out DS-xxxx forms (DS-Dept State)He isn't authorized to do an I-693.

In the US, it's like starting over, but with USCIS for Adjustment of Status. The forms for USCIS tend to be I-xxx forms. Pretty much get your visa stuff out of your head 'cause it's over once you land in the US. In the US, the USCIS authorizes Civil Surgeons. Most people doing AOS get a full exam, BUT for the tiny percent adjusting from a K visa, USCIS will accept your DOS approved medical from London if it's not older than 12 months.

I also read that you can use the DS-3025 from the medical in London, but that it is chancy and you could get a RFE. My goal in life is not to ever get one of those! lol So what is the shortest easiest way to have the I-693 completed and hopefully not have to have a second visit to a Civil Surgeon. I haven't been able to find any detailed preparation for the AOS. I know it's here though! lol Just aint sure where as there is a tun of info.

This topic was my obsession for a while and I've written about it so much that I'm not going into detail.

My personal advice:

Get your shots- MMR, Tdap. Don't know if they do varicella at NHS, but I would pay the price if the Knightsbridge folks have it. If you've had chickenpox, you don't need varicella, but it would be best if you could get your NHS office to make a list of your shots and a date you had chickenpox. My husband's nurse took his word for it. Take that to the visa medical. They will give you a copy of the immunization worksheet they sign (DS-3025). Mail that in with AOS, skip the Civil Surgeon copying your list to a new form for $$, and cross your fingers. Don't be afraid of an RFE because your are married, together and two weeks just doesn't have the same impact on you. Again, it's my personal opinion to give the "rebel" advice, but I never offer advice unless I am very sure it's a safe bet. And we never got an RFE for the whole process.

For the rest of AOS preparation, I answered that already today .

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/259328-sowhats-next/

[doghandler 2]

Flawed logic, but a good thought.. The medical in London is under the Dept of State and the doctor is a Panel Physician authorized by the DOS. Hence he fills out DS-xxxx forms (DS-Dept State)He isn't authorized to do an I-693.

In the US, it's like starting over, but with USCIS for Adjustment of Status. The forms for USCIS tend to be I-xxx forms. Pretty much get your visa stuff out of your head 'cause it's over once you land in the US. In the US, the USCIS authorizes Civil Surgeons. Most people doing AOS get a full exam, BUT for the tiny percent adjusting from a K visa, USCIS will accept your DOS approved medical from London if it's not older than 12 months.

This topic was my obsession for a while and I've written about it so much that I'm not going into detail.

My personal advice:

Get your shots- MMR, Tdap. Don't know if they do varicella at NHS, but I would pay the price if the Knightsbridge folks have it. If you've had chickenpox, you don't need varicella, but it would be best if you could get your NHS office to make a list of your shots and a date you had chickenpox. My husband's nurse took his word for it. Take that to the visa medical. They will give you a copy of the immunization worksheet they sign (DS-3025). Mail that in with AOS, skip the Civil Surgeon copying your list to a new form for $, and cross your fingers. Don't be afraid of an RFE because your are married, together and two weeks just doesn't have the same impact on you. Again, it's my personal opinion to give the "rebel" advice, but I never offer advice unless I am very sure it's a safe bet. And we never got an RFE for the whole process.

For the rest of AOS preparation, I answered that already today .

http://www.visajourn...8-sowhats-next/

Fabulous piece of info/advice on the very subject I am currently researching. Big thanks to you Nich Nick.

AOS - the musical - I liked that too! It would indeed be preferable to learn and perform a song and dance routine in order to adjust status than what the current process demands!

[yankepeach 2]

Flawed logic, but a good thought.. The medical in London is under the Dept of State and the doctor is a Panel Physician authorized by the DOS. Hence he fills out DS-xxxx forms (DS-Dept State)He isn't authorized to do an I-693.

In the US, it's like starting over, but with USCIS for Adjustment of Status. The forms for USCIS tend to be I-xxx forms. Pretty much get your visa stuff out of your head 'cause it's over once you land in the US. In the US, the USCIS authorizes Civil Surgeons. Most people doing AOS get a full exam, BUT for the tiny percent adjusting from a K visa, USCIS will accept your DOS approved medical from London if it's not older than 12 months.

This topic was my obsession for a while and I've written about it so much that I'm not going into detail.

My personal advice:

Get your shots- MMR, Tdap. Don't know if they do varicella at NHS, but I would pay the price if the Knightsbridge folks have it. If you've had chickenpox, you don't need varicella, but it would be best if you could get your NHS office to make a list of your shots and a date you had chickenpox. My husband's nurse took his word for it. Take that to the visa medical. They will give you a copy of the immunization worksheet they sign (DS-3025). Mail that in with AOS, skip the Civil Surgeon copying your list to a new form for $$, and cross your fingers. Don't be afraid of an RFE because your are married, together and two weeks just doesn't have the same impact on you. Again, it's my personal opinion to give the "rebel" advice, but I never offer advice unless I am very sure it's a safe bet. And we never got an RFE for the whole process.

For the rest of AOS preparation, I answered that already today .

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/259328-sowhats-next/

Just so I am clear......You are saying that at the Medical in London, that the Dr will fill out the DS-3025. Then, my SO is to be sure to get a copy of that from that Dr. so that he can send that in with the AOS once we accomplish the deed. Skip the Civil Surgeon stateside, cross our fingers in hope that they are not feeling too froggy that day, and that they decide that the DS-3025 is good enough to cover his vaccination records. If for some reason they are feeling too froggy that day and jump by sending us a RFE... then we are only backing ourselves up by two weeks and they can't take him away from me.(afraid I would be one very unhappy rednecked hillbilly if that were to happen.) Then we would have to go to a Civil surgeon stateside to get him to copy the DS-3025 to the I-693 and do the full physical again at that time. Then we would send that in for the RFE and then be back on track.

Did I sum it up correctly or did I miss something?

And thanks for the answers too!

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

I would give you some links but I'm currently in the UK on an ancient laptop and have none of my bookmarks. The medical consists of several DS-xxxx forms that they fill out with your blood tests results, chest x-ray results, mental assessment, previous history that you give them...whatever. They will give you a copy of the immunuzation page. aLL those pages are in the brown envelope the embassy sends with your visa. You turn it in to Customs and Border Protection at the airport uopn arrival. It goes off to a central storage and is called your A-file. When you apply for AOS, they are supposed to request your A-file and match it up with your AOS. That's how they get a copy of your medical.

So if you don't get everything recorded on the DS-3025, then a Civil Surgeon has to complete the immunization section of the USCIS form I-693 and sign off on it. Many people wait to get shots in the US. Some countries don't even have all the vaccines. Some people in the UK get the visa medical, then go to NHS after the fact and get the needed shots. Any shot given after the visa medical forces you to pay for a Civil Surgeon to copy your DS3025 plus add the shots you got later so it's all on one piece of paper. You can get a visa with no shots, but you can't AOS. I'm convinced that many of the immunization RFEs are from people who think if they got a visa, then they must have had all the shots so they send in an incomplete DS-3025.

They can't take hubby away from you.

So if you should get an RFE about the jabs, go see a Civil Surgeon and sort only that part out. Don't take another full medical. It is NOT required. It is very hard to find a CS who is willing to do only the immunization part. Or they want to charge you $$$ a lot and rip you off because K visas aren't that common and they don't know the rules.

A second type of RFE is when they say there is no record of your medical. It happens. They lose your brown envelope, or the person processing you application didn't bother to order the A-file. If your whole brown envelope is lost, you then must take the whole medical over again--blood tests, TB skin test, etc. It's almost impossible to retrieve a lost medical. Their fault, but your problem.

[yankepeach 2]

I would give you some links but I'm currently in the UK on an ancient laptop and have none of my bookmarks. The medical consists of several DS-xxxx forms that they fill out with your blood tests results, chest x-ray results, mental assessment, previous history that you give them...whatever. They will give you a copy of the immunuzation page. aLL those pages are in the brown envelope the embassy sends with your visa. You turn it in to Customs and Border Protection at the airport uopn arrival. It goes off to a central storage and is called your A-file. When you apply for AOS, they are supposed to request your A-file and match it up with your AOS. That's how they get a copy of your medical.

So if you don't get everything recorded on the DS-3025, then a Civil Surgeon has to complete the immunization section of the USCIS form I-693 and sign off on it. Many people wait to get shots in the US. Some countries don't even have all the vaccines. Some people in the UK get the visa medical, then go to NHS after the fact and get the needed shots. Any shot given after the visa medical forces you to pay for a Civil Surgeon to copy your DS3025 plus add the shots you got later so it's all on one piece of paper. You can get a visa with no shots, but you can't AOS. I'm convinced that many of the immunization RFEs are from people who think if they got a visa, then they must have had all the shots so they send in an incomplete DS-3025.

They can't take hubby away from you.

So if you should get an RFE about the jabs, go see a Civil Surgeon and sort only that part out. Don't take another full medical. It is NOT required. It is very hard to find a CS who is willing to do only the immunization part. Or they want to charge you $$$ a lot and rip you off because K visas aren't that common and they don't know the rules.

A second type of RFE is when they say there is no record of your medical. It happens. They lose your brown envelope, or the person processing you application didn't bother to order the A-file. If your whole brown envelope is lost, you then must take the whole medical over again--blood tests, TB skin test, etc. It's almost impossible to retrieve a lost medical. Their fault, but your problem.

Wouldn't be too smart of them to even try to deprive me of him. He is here now and I am having issues sending him back over in a few weeks. I know I gotta but aint too keen on it for sure.

Okay then I think I got it now. Basically if my SO has all his shots done and evidenced before the medical in London, then make sure to get a copy of the Vaccination part of the DS-3025. Then when we file for AOS use the copy of the DS-3025 Vaccination sheet for proof of his jabs and such. Then in all truth he should be a-ok with out a RFE. But again they may decide to be a pain and RFE just because they can. Even then though we should yet still be ok with a RFE. We only would need a CS to complete the immunization section of the USCIS form I-693 and sign off on it.

Thanks for being patient and answering me clearly. I have so many facts and directions and requirements and rules and and and and and ....floating in my head it tends to get very confusing with out the clarity of someone with experienced knowledge.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Yes, you've got it now. It's how we did it. It was at a time of some changes and people were in a dither about going to a CS because of a new form and a new TB skin test thing. We decided to take our chances and skip paying a CS to copy a perfectly good list from an approved Panel Physician. Then lot's of others started doing the same.

Right now the advice you will get on the AOS boards is you must have an I-693. That's because of the latest dither. People filing around November to January-ish were all getting RFEs. Everybody was getting them even those who did I-693s (immunization section). So the hoopla and speculation started that USCIS was [fill in the blank]--getting stricter, not trusting foreign doctors, thought the vaccines were poor quality, losing masses of medicals, changed their policy without updating their website. So I started digging around and found out that the contract had run out on those that open the AOS packages, check for complete submission, deposit the checks, etc. A new company was awarded the contract with their new computer system and efficient database design. So the transition to the new contractors was late fall last year-- exactly when everybody suddenly got RFEs asking them to send in a properly completely I-693. Every other post in AOS threads was about it. I'm pretty certain the new contractors with their new efficient system forgot to train their workers that K visa holders must have their A-file ordered so their medical results become matched up with AOS. I even wrote the USCIS about it, as well as Ron Paul my Congressman. I asked if the new contractors could be taught to order the A-file.

Things have settled down in the medical RFE arena. I think it's sorted and I've read recent posts about getting approved without doing an I-693. It's something I would still try again if I was starting over...get all your immunizations before going to the visa medical so you can file the DS-3025 (photocopy!) instesd of the I--693.

[yankepeach 2]

Yes, you've got it now. It's how we did it. It was at a time of some changes and people were in a dither about going to a CS because of a new form and a new TB skin test thing. We decided to take our chances and skip paying a CS to copy a perfectly good list from an approved Panel Physician. Then lot's of others started doing the same.

Right now the advice you will get on the AOS boards is you must have an I-693. That's because of the latest dither. People filing around November to January-ish were all getting RFEs. Everybody was getting them even those who did I-693s (immunization section). So the hoopla and speculation started that USCIS was [fill in the blank]--getting stricter, not trusting foreign doctors, thought the vaccines were poor quality, losing masses of medicals, changed their policy without updating their website. So I started digging around and found out that the contract had run out on those that open the AOS packages, check for complete submission, deposit the checks, etc. A new company was awarded the contract with their new computer system and efficient database design. So the transition to the new contractors was late fall last year-- exactly when everybody suddenly got RFEs asking them to send in a properly completely I-693. Every other post in AOS threads was about it. I'm pretty certain the new contractors with their new efficient system forgot to train their workers that K visa holders must have their A-file ordered so their medical results become matched up with AOS. I even wrote the USCIS about it, as well as Ron Paul my Congressman. I asked if the new contractors could be taught to order the A-file.

Things have settled down in the medical RFE arena. I think it's sorted and I've read recent posts about getting approved without doing an I-693. It's something I would still try again if I was starting over...get all your immunizations before going to the visa medical so you can file the DS-3025 (photocopy!) instesd of the I--693.

Seems to me that you seem to have quite a bit of experienced knowledge and trust you know what your talking about. Am tickled pink that we shouldn't have another hoop to jump through. Again thanks much for your responses. I would have been a basket case with out this site. Seriously. The USCIS should have someones foot put in their bumm. Maybe lots of someones. Seriously lacking in information necessary to get what you need for what they want to get who you need. Gosh I think I said that right. lol

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Seems to me that you seem to have quite a bit of experienced knowledge and trust you know what your talking about. Am tickled pink that we shouldn't have another hoop to jump through. Again thanks much for your responses. I would have been a basket case with out this site. Seriously. The USCIS should have someones foot put in their bumm. Maybe lots of someones. Seriously lacking in information necessary to get what you need for what they want to get who you need. Gosh I think I said that right. lol

I hope it works out for you. You can spend the money later on the CS if needed and they won't snatch the hubby in the meantime. It is truly different when the person you love is right there with you and not 5000 miles and six time zones away. I found no stress or urgency with AOS or the need to check the status online constantly. Some people do, but I guess there are always the worriers. The GC will come when it comes.

[yankepeach 2]

I hope it works out for you. You can spend the money later on the CS if needed and they won't snatch the hubby in the meantime. It is truly different when the person you love is right there with you and not 5000 miles and six time zones away. I found no stress or urgency with AOS or the need to check the status online constantly. Some people do, but I guess there are always the worriers. The GC will come when it comes.

Honestly am not too pressed about the green card. I just want to make danged sure my honey isn't going anywhere he doesn't wish to. The AOS does that. Am a worrier, but not to the existent that I will be panicking over the AOS as I do the petition and hopefully soon packet 3, the medical and the interview respectively. Suppose I shall worry until just about the day he gets home with his K1 visa. Then you will prolly here some wacked out hillbilly singing "OH HAPPY DAYS!!" and yeah you'd hear me where ever you are!