Tricky situation with passport and vaccinations

[braem 0]

I'm in a bit of a weird situation with my passport and vaccinations. My situation is that I've just had I-129F approved.

1. My passport is set to expire in 2015. Since it's close to expiring and I look a little different to my photo, I'm considering getting a new one, but would this affect my application or interview in any way, since it wouldn't match the scans in my I-129F package?

2. I'm not yet registered with a GP, so I can either: (a) register with a GP as soon as possible, sort out all of the vaccinations ahead of time and get proof for the medical exam; or (b) just wait until the medical exam and pay(?) for them to cover everything necessary.

Should I get my passport renewed or just wait until I'm in the US and have it renewed via the British embassy there?

Given that I am quite close to sending off for booking a medical exam, is it better to go with a GP and make sure I have proof, or to just pay the cost and have it on record with the official examiner? I'm not too concerned about the cost if it's < £100, I just don't know whether it's always possible to get it done there.

[LeftCoastLady 441]

Your passport needs to be valid for eight months beyond the date placed on the K-1 visa. So, assuming your interview will happen in the next few months, you'll have plenty of time to renew after you arrive in the U.S. since the expiration is over a year away.

On the GP vs. Knightsbridge question, you may want to take a look at the costs charged for the vaccinations at Knightsbridge: http://photos.state.gov/libraries/unitedkingdom/164203/cons-visa/iv018a_medical.pdf

If you're able to get to a GP soon, have the vaccinations done there, and then recorded by Knightsbridge, that will save you a few quid. Don't schedule your Knightsbridge appointment until you have the GP situation figured out and then you can time it so you'll only need one round of vaccinations for the MMR.

I'm in a bit of a weird situation with my passport and vaccinations. My situation is that I've just had I-129F approved.

1. My passport is set to expire in 2015. Since it's close to expiring and I look a little different to my photo, I'm considering getting a new one, but would this affect my application or interview in any way, since it wouldn't match the scans in my I-129F package?

2. I'm not yet registered with a GP, so I can either: (a) register with a GP as soon as possible, sort out all of the vaccinations ahead of time and get proof for the medical exam; or (b) just wait until the medical exam and pay(?) for them to cover everything necessary.

Should I get my passport renewed or just wait until I'm in the US and have it renewed via the British embassy there?

Given that I am quite close to sending off for booking a medical exam, is it better to go with a GP and make sure I have proof, or to just pay the cost and have it on record with the official examiner? I'm not too concerned about the cost if it's < £100, I just don't know whether it's always possible to get it done there.

[braem 0]

Your passport needs to be valid for eight months beyond the date placed on the K-1 visa. So, assuming your interview will happen in the next few months, you'll have plenty of time to renew after you arrive in the U.S. since the expiration is over a year away.

I figured that, I just don't want there to be some poorly-timed "this doesn't look like you" situation. But if I switch my passport I also don't want my passport number to differ from any that might be on file.

On the GP vs. Knightsbridge question, you may want to take a look at the costs charged for the vaccinations at Knightsbridge: http://photos.state.gov/libraries/unitedkingdom/164203/cons-visa/iv018a_medical.pdf

If you're able to get to a GP soon, have the vaccinations done there, and then recorded by Knightsbridge, that will save you a few quid. Don't schedule your Knightsbridge appointment until you have the GP situation figured out and then you can time it so you'll only need one round of vaccinations for the MMR.

I should've read that before posting this! Thanks. As far as "get to a GP soon", how soon is soon? I don't really know how long I should be waiting between NOA2 and getting the appointment sorted? I'm planning on submitting my police certificate form (required for the medical) in the next few days, but I've already lost a month from being out of the UK literally a day or two before I received the letter from the embassy. Awful timing.

[LeftCoastLady 441]

I figured that, I just don't want there to be some poorly-timed "this doesn't look like you" situation. But if I switch my passport I also don't want my passport number to differ from any that might be on file.

You have to supply additional passport-sized photos for the medical exam and interview.

I should've read that before posting this! Thanks. As far as "get to a GP soon", how soon is soon? I don't really know how long I should be waiting between NOA2 and getting the appointment sorted? I'm planning on submitting my police certificate form (required for the medical) in the next few days, but I've already lost a month from being out of the UK literally a day or two before I received the letter from the embassy. Awful timing.

Well, how soon do you want the interview to occur? That's up to you, however, knowing that you won't get an interview until the Knightsbridge exam results are in, you'll need to decide on if you want to go to the GP to get the vaccinations, go to Knightsbridge, or (an option that most tend to avoid) forego the vaccinations and get them once you arrive in the U.S.

Edited January 10, 2013 by LeftCoastLady

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

I'm in a bit of a weird situation with my passport and vaccinations. My situation is that I've just had I-129F approved.

1. My passport is set to expire in 2015. Since it's close to expiring and I look a little different to my photo, I'm considering getting a new one, but would this affect my application or interview in any way, since it wouldn't match the scans in my I-129F package?

2. I'm not yet registered with a GP, so I can either: (a) register with a GP as soon as possible, sort out all of the vaccinations ahead of time and get proof for the medical exam; or (b) just wait until the medical exam and pay(?) for them to cover everything necessary.

Should I get my passport renewed or just wait until I'm in the US and have it renewed via the British embassy there?

Given that I am quite close to sending off for booking a medical exam, is it better to go with a GP and make sure I have proof, or to just pay the cost and have it on record with the official examiner? I'm not too concerned about the cost if it's < £100, I just don't know whether it's always possible to get it done there.

If money isn't a concern, I would get the jabs at the medical exam--Knightsbridge. Just tell them you want everything needed for adjustment of status. And tell them you had chickenpox. You could also get your flu shot at Tesco, Boots, etc and take the proof to the exam. Why do all the GP registering stuff if you are leaving and don't mind the cost.

Passport. If you want a new one, they are cheaper and faster in the UK than going through the embassy in DC. Allow enough time to get it before medical and interview if you are going to replace yours.

[lost_at_sea 995]

I wondered the same as you re: GP. I only just re-registered with one after years of not having one (yes, I suck). I would say to do the GP thing as soon as you can, anyway, since if you do want to save a few quid and have an up to date record, you may find there's a bit of a delay while they wait for your medical records to show up from where ever they may have been before. Then, if you have time to see them before the medical, cool... if not, it's not the end of the world, but at least you have a GP now, right (in case you get sick or something)?

I, personally, am going to book an appointment to get jabs up to date and ask for a record sometime in the next 6 weeks. We're expecting to hear about about our k1 petition by March, so it should all add up to about the right amount of lead time.

Edit: Oh, and I think I didn't follow your OP properly... sounds like you're scheduling your medical soonish, so you probably don't have time for the GP - although you could probably enquire at a local health centre, they may do drop-ins (I'm guessing now). Blah.. basically.. it'll work out whatever you want to do, just some routes cost more (and at this point, I think many of us would just pay ALL THE MONEY to make all the problems go away if that was an option, right?)

Edited January 13, 2013 by lost_at_sea

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

(and at this point, I think many of us would just pay ALL THE MONEY to make all the problems go away if that was an option, right?)

With the hindsight I have of this process, that is EXACTLY how I feel.

When we were at the point you all are, my husband's GP office looked at the chart and said he only needed tetanus and MMR. He went to Knightsbridge with the records. They said you don't have Tdap, specifically the P (Pertussis). They said he could get it at the GP and fax the proof. So to save 25 quid, he wanted to do that. Meanwhile back to the GP... Can't give you that. There is a shortage and we are saving it for babies. Now what? Another day trip to London to get it at Knightsbridge? He had the instinct that he wanted all his shots done before leaving. Good instinct because we had no clue the immunization hassles that could come with adjustment of status and the I-693.

The GP did come through with a dose of DTP for him. It got faxed to Knightsbridge and they mailed him a completed DS-3025 form. All that to save 25 quid. Seriously?? Some hindsight tips for you--

• Your GP doesn't decide what shots you need according to his British medical standards. It's the US government standards.
  
• If you don't get every required shot marked on your DS-3025 by Knightsbridge, you will pay a civil surgeon to fill out a new form before AOS. A civil surgeon may be hours away. They are an uninformed lot who may tell you a whole new medical exam is required, or a TB skin test. They may charge you $100 to fill out that form.
  
• The current Knightsbrige shot lady tells people they can get the shot they are missing at their GP and send their GP's paper in for AOS. Not true. The USCIS does not accept notes from your GP. It must ALL be on the DS-3025 signed at Knightsbridge or must ALL be copied to an I-693 by a US civil surgeon...for a fee. Often a huge fee.
  
• Pay for the shot and get it done and dusted.