Is the I-693 Really that expensive? Civil Surgeons getting rich

[tru_loves_journey 117]

Hi everyone! I'm in the process of getting everything together to file AOS. Hany's DS-3025 is valid until 4/4/12 but everyone says it's best to go to a civil surgeon to have them fill out the I-693. What a shock to hear the cost $150.00 - $450.00, we will be taking the DS-3025 with us and I hope the doctor won't charge that much. wow!

[Enigma11561 336]

Yep. Most civil surgeons are rip offs. They charge a lot to mainly just sign a form.

[Ben and Jill 37]

Hi everyone! I'm in the process of getting everything together to file AOS. Hany's DS-3025 is valid until 4/4/12 but everyone says it's best to go to a civil surgeon to have them fill out the I-693. What a shock to hear the cost $150.00 - $450.00, we will be taking the DS-3025 with us and I hope the doctor won't charge that much. wow!

Kim, I did not submit an I-693 for Ben. What I did was I asked IOM (the place in Nairobi where he had his medical) to PDF all of the documents relating to his medical and email them to me. They did this without a problem...Ben just had to write a letter stating that they could release his medical records to me and we emailed that to them in a PDF. It took them some time to do email the documents, but they did. I included everything they sent me in our AOS package, along with a paragraph in the cover letter stating that Ben already had the required medical exam (including vaccinations) as part of the I-129F process, and that everything should be on file with USCIS (all of the following forms were sent to us from IOM: DS-2054, DS-3026, DS-3030, and DS-3025). We were approved without an interview. Do that if you can ~ hec, don't pay a civil surgeon if you don't have to. It's so not necessary if you can get a copy of his medical from Egypt. It's worth a shot.

[tru_loves_journey 117]

Kim, I did not submit an I-693 for Ben. What I did was I asked IOM (the place in Nairobi where he had his medical) to PDF all of the documents relating to his medical and email them to me. They did this without a problem...Ben just had to write a letter stating that they could release his medical records to me and we emailed that to them in a PDF. It took them some time to do email the documents, but they did. I included everything they sent me in our AOS package, along with a paragraph in the cover letter stating that Ben already had the required medical exam (including vaccinations) as part of the I-129F process, and that everything should be on file with USCIS (all of the following forms were sent to us from IOM: DS-2054, DS-3026, DS-3030, and DS-3025). We were approved without an interview. Do that if you can ~ hec, don't pay a civil surgeon if you don't have to. It's so not necessary if you can get a copy of his medical from Egypt. It's worth a shot.

Thanks Jill! I will give it a try. The appointment is next wednesday (2/29 ) with the civil surgeon and if I can get the hospital in Egypt to email the forms to me I can cancel that appointment and save $$$$. You are appreciated Jill

[Harpa Timsah 13,263]

Your husband had his medical in the last year, so he doesn't need a new medical. What he may need is a vaccination transcription only, which should be about $25. The price you have been quoted is for a full medical. You have to be clear that you are not looking for a full medical, just a vaccination transcription. Good luck.

[Dan & Jenni 457]

Your husband had his medical in the last year, so he doesn't need a new medical. What he may need is a vaccination transcription only, which should be about $25. The price you have been quoted is for a full medical. You have to be clear that you are not looking for a full medical, just a vaccination transcription. Good luck.

how do you know whether you need the DS-3025 transcribing on to the I-693 or not?? my understanding is that if you had the correct vaccinations before or at the medical them you can just supply a copy of the DS-3025 with your AOS application, but there are people saying they have received an RFE (mainly at the AOS interview) asking for the I-693.is it just down to the adjudicators understanding of the rules or is there more to it than that??

[KayDeeCee 4,904]

how do you know whether you need the DS-3025 transcribing on to the I-693 or not?? my understanding is that if you had the correct vaccinations before or at the medical them you can just supply a copy of the DS-3025 with your AOS application, but there are people saying they have received an RFE (mainly at the AOS interview) asking for the I-693.is it just down to the adjudicators understanding of the rules or is there more to it than that??

I think it is rare and most likely depends on the IO. It clearly stated in the I-485 and I-693 instructions that if the medical was done within a year only a vaccination supplement is needed, and you only need to see a civil surgeon for an I-693 vaccination transcription if your DS-3025 was not properly completed. Anyone who had all the required vaccinations at the time of their overseas medical should only need to send in a copy of their DS-3025. I am not sure why someone who had all the required vaccinations would be told at the interview to go to a civil surgeon and have them transcribed to an I-693. It doesn't make much sense, BUT.. that is USCIS a lot of the time and you just have to roll with what they ask for.

Edited February 21, 2012 by Jay-Kay

[tru_loves_journey 117]

I think it is rare and most likely depends on the IO. It clearly stated in the I-485 and I-693 instructions that if the medical was done within a year only a vaccination supplement is needed, and you only need to see a civil surgeon for an I-693 vaccination transcription if your DS-3025 was not properly completed. Anyone who had all the required vaccinations at the time of their overseas medical should only need to send in a copy of their DS-3025. I am not sure why someone who had all the required vaccinations would be told at the interview to go to a civil surgeon and have them transcribed to an I-693. It doesn't make much sense, BUT.. that is USCIS a lot of the time and you just have to roll with what they ask for.

Did you have to have the I-693? or did you just use the DS-3025 at the time of your interview?

[KayDeeCee 4,904]

Did you have to have the I-693? or did you just use the DS-3025 at the time of your interview?

My husband had to see a civil surgeon for the I-693. Mexico does not do vaccinations or give a DS-3025 for K-1 applicants.

Read through this post to know if you need an I-693 or not: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/335754-ds-3025-complete-or-not/page__p__4971318#entry4971318

Edited February 22, 2012 by Jay-Kay

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

If you want to bring home $300K per year after taxes and have 4 drones running around in your medical office, you'll need to make at least $2,400 per day times 22 working days per month. Do the math.

[Dan & Jenni 457]

as far as im concerned, a copy of my DS-3025 included with AOS is good enough...

[Harpa Timsah 13,263]

I think the wording for this is very poorly written and that is why there are different results for different people. For instance, Dan, yours looks okay for now, but it also says you are due for a MMR in 4-6 weeks. Most likely, you won't send in your AOS packet before then, so it is possible you'd get RFE'd for updated vaccines.

I would think the solution to this is to require that all K-1 get all of their vaccines beforehand (with clear exception for time interval). Then for AOS no medical would be needed, even if it were lost at POE. I can't figure out why this isn't the current law. Any thoughts on this?

Edited February 22, 2012 by Harpa Timsah

[Dan & Jenni 457]

I think the wording for this is very poorly written and that is why there are different results for different people. For instance, Dan, yours looks okay for now, but it also says you are due for a MMR in 4-6 weeks. Most likely, you won't send in your AOS packet before then, so it is possible you'd get RFE'd for updated vaccines.

I would think the solution to this is to require that all K-1 get all of their vaccines beforehand (with clear exception for time interval). Then for AOS no medical would be needed, even if it were lost at POE. I can't figure out why this isn't the current law. Any thoughts on this?

the nurse that did the vaccines went through the form with me and even told me that the 2nd MMR shot wasnt required because it is marked "insufficient time interval" and i could just submit a copy of the DS-3025 as it was marked as "may be eligible for blanket waiver".

i definitely think that the wording is what cause different results for different people though. we will see what happens

[Lainie B 465]

the nurse that did the vaccines went through the form with me and even told me that the 2nd MMR shot wasnt required because it is marked "insufficient time interval" and i could just submit a copy of the DS-3025 as it was marked as "may be eligible for blanket waiver".

i definitely think that the wording is what cause different results for different people though. we will see what happens

Dan, I was in the same situation as you with the MMR. I didn't know whether I needed to see a CS or not, and hadn't been able to find conclusive information anywhere. I went ahead and got my second MMR while still in Australia (4 weeks after the first), then saw a CS for $30 (I was extremely fortunate that the first CS I saw was reasonable, but it helped that I had copies of my entire medical to show her) and she filled in the I-693 relevant sections.

I don't know whether I needed to do the I-693 or not, some will say yes and some say no, but for $30 I figured why not just do it.

PS sorry to divert the discussion, not sure if this is relevant to the OP or not. But having the copy of the entire medical package (I got this at the US embassy when I had my interview) really helped at the CS.

Edited February 22, 2012 by Lainie B

[Justine+David 218]

We paid $50 I believe...you should call around to all the civil surgeon offices in your area and let them know that you don't need a new medical exam...some people don't send in the I-693 and just their other medical papers and got through without any RFEs, but it's a toss-up.