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

[Ben and Jill 37]

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

Yes, definitely ask them to email them ASAP...they should not have an issue with doing so at all. If you include those records, then you need not worry at all about the I-693. Good luck with everything and I wish you a speedy AOS

[jac_chappin 24]

Op - The CS charged us $50 to fill out the I-693. Just take proof off all vaccinations done during physical and after. CS in your area can be found on the USCIS web site.

Best wishes!

[KayDeeCee 4,904]

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?

[bigdog 377]

Check around, we put part of the cost on our medical. Paperwork on us,

[S_R 148]

Do your research and make several calls...it got me a civil surgeon for $25bucks...Wish you luck

[tru_loves_journey 117]

Yes, definitely ask them to email them ASAP...they should not have an issue with doing so at all. If you include those records, then you need not worry at all about the I-693. Good luck with everything and I wish you a speedy AOS

Hello Jill, Hany called the hospital in Egypt today and was told they wouldn't send him copies of the documents He was told he only needed the DS-3025 that he has now. We won't take a chance with sending it and risk a RFE so we will go to the CS and hope he won't charge the maximum amount. Thanks and Take Care

[Nich-Nick 3,355]

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.

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.

The information is found in the adjudicator's instuctions.

C)

Steps to determine the necessary vaccinations.

[Chapter added 12-15-2009]

Step 1 .

First determine which vaccinations were required for the applicant as of the date the medical exam was conducted.

Step 2 . Verify that the vaccinations required as of the date of the medical exam had been received by the applicant or that the vaccinations required as of that date were marked as “not medically appropriate.” Form I-693 is acceptable if the applicant has received each of the required vaccinations, or if the civil surgeon has noted that the vaccination was “not medically appropriate” at the time of the examination.

Step 3 . If the required vaccinations were not received or not marked as “not medically appropriate” as of the date the medical exam was conducted, determine whether the missing vaccinations would still be required as of the date of adjudication.

Step 4 . If the missing vaccinations are no longer required, the vaccination requirements have been met. This is, for example, the case when the applicant has aged out, or it is not the flu season, or a vaccine is no longer required by law.

Step 5 . If the missing vaccinations would still be required, the officer should

RFE

for those vaccinations.

It seems that USCIS will go by the foreign medical exam date if the DS-3025 is complete. Otherwise there wouldn't be hundreds of approvals without form I-693. If everything needed was recorded on the date of the foreign medical, then that is the 'date of record' USCIS will go by. It was not medically appropriate for Dan to have MMR#2 on that date of record. He never has to get more shots unless he wants to for his health. He is given a blanket waiver for the things not medically appropriate, not age appropriate, insufficient time interval. Now, if Dan goes to a civil surgeon in the US, then he has a new 'date of record'. The I-693 date would supercede the DS-3025 date and it's a new ballgame. On that new date of record, the CS could tell him it was appropriate to get MMR#2 before he would sign off because there is no longer the "insufficient time interval" excuse that existed before.

Also note #4. By the time the adjudicator picks up Dan's AOS file, it will be past flu season. Dan would have been excused for the flu shot, even though it was flu season when he had his medical. Same is true for aging out. An 18 year old doesn't get the required Hep shot. He turns 19 by the time the adjudicator looks at his case. Hep is not required for 19 year old so he doesn't have to get one.

And something else for general information from the instructions to Panel Physicians and Civil Surgeon- CDC website

Reviewing any incomplete vaccination series to determine if eligible for a blanket waiver.

A blanket waiver is a waiver that is applied uniformly to a group of conditions and does not require a separate waiver application or fee to be filed with USCIS. In many cases, it might not be medically appropriate to administer a dose of a particular vaccine. Four "Not Medically Appropriate" categories are acceptable when determining an applicant's eligibility for a blanket waiver.

The four "Not Medically Appropriate" categories are—

◦Not age appropriate

◦Contraindication

◦Insufficient time interval between doses

◦Not flu season

Edited February 23, 2012 by Nich-Nick

[JimVaPhuong 4,865]

Every professional industry has it's bottom feeders who survive mainly by virtue of the fact that they've got a shingle. They gravitate toward specialties that require very little actual knowledge, a minimum of work, and a minimum of risk that they'll be held financially accountable if they screw up. In the legal industry, they often end up being personal injury or immigration lawyers. In the medical industry, they often end up being civil surgeons.

When you need a professional in one of these specialties you have to do some work to week out the professionals from the bottom feeders. A doctor who has a thriving private practice, and only does civil surgeon duties as a sideline, is less likely to try to rip you off.

[STEBEA1 1]

We needed to add the i-693 to the AOS b/c my husband couldn't take live vaccines so the DS-3025 said incomplete. It cost us about $344 when everything was said and done. If your DS-3025 says complete, then you don't have to worry about having the I-693 along with the AOS. If possible avoid the cost of a CS like a plague.

[STEBEA1 1]

Every professional industry has it's bottom feeders who survive mainly by virtue of the fact that they've got a shingle. They gravitate toward specialties that require very little actual knowledge, a minimum of work, and a minimum of risk that they'll be held financially accountable if they screw up. In the legal industry, they often end up being personal injury or immigration lawyers. In the medical industry, they often end up being civil surgeons.

When you need a professional in one of these specialties you have to do some work to week out the professionals from the bottom feeders. A doctor who has a thriving private practice, and only does civil surgeon duties as a sideline, is less likely to try to rip you off.

:thumbs:

[Nich-Nick 3,355]

We needed to add the i-693 to the AOS b/c my husband couldn't take live vaccines so the DS-3025 said incomplete. It cost us about $344 when everything was said and done. If your DS-3025 says complete, then you don't have to worry about having the I-693 along with the AOS. If possible avoid the cost of a CS like a plague.

The DS-3025 does not have to say complete to be accepted for AOS. It can be marked "incomplete" AND "May be eligible for blanket waiver".

You can be given a waiver for--

Not age appropriate (don't need the baby shots listed)

Contraindication (Ex: proven allergies to certain vaccines like those made with egg; pregancy and MMR)

Insufficient time interval between doses (too soon to get dose 2 or 3 of a series)

Not flu season (Flu season is defined as Oct 1 - Mar 31)

But if your doctor did not mark an excuse column like contraindicated or not medically appropriate, then they wouldn't have a reason to give a waiver on those shots. That kinda falls under "properly completed DS-3025". Even if a panel physician forgets to sign and date it, it won't fly with USCIS. Properly completed means shots needed are there, those not needed have some medical reason ticked on the right, results section marked especially the blanket waiver box, signed and dated.

Edited February 23, 2012 by Nich-Nick

[3t3rnal 3]

i called arnd my area & dang the civil surgeons charging $100+ just to do the i-693, tried to tell them all my fiance don't need a physical, since I have her ds-3025 & it's not a year yet, but those dang money grubbing doctors all said, they won't sign the darn i-693 w/o doing the physical, wat a place i live in

[tru_loves_journey 117]

i called arnd my area & dang the civil surgeons charging $100+ just to do the i-693, tried to tell them all my fiance don't need a physical, since I have her ds-3025 & it's not a year yet, but those dang money grubbing doctors all said, they won't sign the darn i-693 w/o doing the physical, wat a place i live in

Yes it's really sad to see ppl get taken for a ride. I hope when we go the 29th they won't tell us Hany will need the complete physical again, I'm bad to argue when I feel i'm being taken The problem is this CS is the only one within a 75-100 mile range of us.

[Mike X Man 39]

It was $125 for my medical exam at the local CS. The shots were also very expensive...but I didn't pay for any of them. Thank you local health department and grants.

[Mike X Man 39]

It was $125 for my medical exam at the local CS. The shots were also very expensive...but I didn't pay for any of them. Thank you local health department and grants.

Let me break it down what the prices were. CS price (Health dept price)

Physical - $125

Varicella - $125/dose ($95/dose @ HD) You need two shots.

MMR - $75/dose (FREE @ HD) <---You need 2 shots

Td - $60/dose (FREE @ HD) <----You need 3 shots.

Flu (if in season) - $23 ($25 @ HD)

___________________________________________

As you can see, it can add up quite a bit at the CS. I was able to get a waiver (if student and unemployed) and the HD basically did not charge me a penny. The CS would have made: $125+($125x2)+($75x2)+($60x3)+$23=$728!

I only spent $165. I had them run a titer for chickenpox which was $40. I didn't anticipate NOT paying for the varicella shot at the HD. It was a nice surprise. hopefully that helps someone out there who wants to know what is needed. I am a 33y/o who didn't have any vaccination records.