Medical, TB Screening, Exit country within 90 day after Medical (Manila)

[bakithindi 0]

Hi,

My Fiancee went to do her medical at St. Luke's in Manila last week. The chest x-ray showed something so St Luke's had my fiancee return to the hospital this week for 3 consecutive days of sputum collection (sputum culture results in 8weeks). 3 years earlier my fiancee was treated for mild TB so we're hoping what St Luke's saw on her chest x-ray was scaring from her episode with TB 3 years ago.

The reason for this post is that one of the people at St Luke's told my fiancee that if her medical is clear then she can do her interview. But this person also said that my fiancee will need to leave her country (Philippines) within 90 days of starting her medical or that she would have to do her medical all over again. This doesn't make sense. It would make since that a medical should been done within 90 days or 60 days of a interview but it does NOT make since for her to do the medical, then wait 2 months for the culture to be approved, then squeeze in the interview so she can be out of the country within 90 days of when she started her medical. I've been looking online for documentation to disprove it but I haven't found anything. Does anyone know specific information on this?

Thanks,
BakitHindi

[C-ma'am 684]

**Post moved from K1 main to Philippines.

[Hank_ 9,174]

Hi,

My Fiancee went to do her medical at St. Luke's in Manila last week. The chest x-ray showed something so St Luke's had my fiancee return to the hospital this week for 3 consecutive days of sputum collection (sputum culture results in 8weeks). 3 years earlier my fiancee was treated for mild TB so we're hoping what St Luke's saw on her chest x-ray was scaring from her episode with TB 3 years ago.

The reason for this post is that one of the people at St Luke's told my fiancee that if her medical is clear then she can do her interview. But this person also said that my fiancee will need to leave her country (Philippines) within 90 days of starting her medical or that she would have to do her medical all over again. This doesn't make sense. It would make since that a medical should been done within 90 days or 60 days of a interview but it does NOT make since for her to do the medical, then wait 2 months for the culture to be approved, then squeeze in the interview so she can be out of the country within 90 days of when she started her medical. I've been looking online for documentation to disprove it but I haven't found anything. Does anyone know specific information on this?

Thanks,

BakitHindi

Totally false. Click the link in my signature below this posting

The visa is valid for 6 months from the date of the medical.

I think someone with little actual knowledge mixed the 90 days to get married into their madness...

Relax...

Is there a full moon somewhere? This is the 2nd odd posting.

Edited July 4, 2013 by Hank_

[Vic20r 14]

I just did my 3 days sputum exam last June10, 11, and 13, 2013..I don't want to contradict Hank's opinion/facts but when i went back on June 17, 2013 for the result of the a days sputum which were all negative, I was told by the Doctor's assistant/nurse to call them on August 13 and ask if the culture result is available before going back to St. Luke's. I was also told and she even wrote it on a piece of paper i was holding, that my medical will be good until November 13, and that is 3 months after i will get the culture result.

[Hank_ 9,174]

Yes... that is true, USEM will go by your initial medical date is the reason for that, not the date you completed the testing. When TB testing and or medication gets included you have to watch the initial medical date very closely. If you do the TB treatment, I believe they will do a new medical as the initial medical will have expired by the time its completed, not sure if they charge a second fee or not for that...

I was reading too fast and didn't notice there is 8 weeks of culture involved with her husband... my oops for sure.

Biggest thing is to watch the validity date on the visa when it arrives and to be in the USA before that date expires. It may not necessarily be 90 days, depends on how quickly the interview is done.

There was a couple a year or so ago that did not pay attention and missed the expiration day by one day... no entry. Never heard if they had to start over or if they did a new medical and issued another visa

[six7one 17]

Yes... that is true, USEM will go by your initial medical date is the reason for that, not the date you completed the testing. When TB testing and or medication gets included you have to watch the initial medical date very closely. If you do the TB treatment, I believe they will do a new medical as the initial medical will have expired by the time its completed, not sure if they charge a second fee or not for that...

I was reading too fast and didn't notice there is 8 weeks of culture involved with her husband... my oops for sure.

Biggest thing is to watch the validity date on the visa when it arrives and to be in the USA before that date expires. It may not necessarily be 90 days, depends on how quickly the interview is done.

There was a couple a year or so ago that did not pay attention and missed the expiration day by one day... no entry. Never heard if they had to start over or if they did a new medical and issued another visa

New medical exam will be required and YES, you'll have to pay the full SLEC fee again. Funny thing was (in our case) that the second time my Fiancee did the exam it only took about an hour instead of all day.

[Hank_ 9,174]

New medical exam will be required and YES, you'll have to pay the full SLEC fee again. Funny thing was (in our case) that the second time my Fiancee did the exam it only took about an hour instead of all day.

Thanks. I thought that was the case but didn't have any details handy.... I will makes notes on this. Do appreciate.

[Tahoma 2,292]

When your fiancée's eight-week culture comes back negative for TB, she'll want to reschedule her interview as soon as she can. She can reschedule it herself or St. Lukes can do it for her. She should be able to interview a week or two after her culture results and her immunizations. When she gets her visa, the visa's expiration date will be printed right on the visa. The expiration date is usually six months from her original medical exam (not from her sputum collection nor from her culture results).

If her culture comes back positive, she can look forward to at least six months of TB treatment, followed by another medical exam (which she has to pay for again).

[bakithindi 0]

We finally finished this process and are in the states now. Below are the exact dates of our medical and visa expirence:

Jun 28, 2013: St Lukes Medical Exam (Questionable x-ray, Sputum test to follow)

Jun 1, 2, 3: 3 days of Sputum tests done at St Lukes (then wait 8 weeks for results)

Sep 01, 2013: Sputum tests results came back negative (ok to schedule interview)

Sep 10, 2013: Interview at U.S. Embassy in Manila. At the end of the interview we were told right there on the spot that her Visa was approved (we receive her Passport with the Visa Stamp a week later. When we looked inside the Visa approval date that was given was dated Sept 13, 2013. """The Visa Expiration date was Nov 27, 2013 (3 months after Sputum results)""".

Nov 15, 2013: We exited the Philippines.

[Bugs 455]

Yes... that is true, USEM will go by your initial medical date is the reason for that, not the date you completed the testing. When TB testing and or medication gets included you have to watch the initial medical date very closely. If you do the TB treatment, I believe they will do a new medical as the initial medical will have expired by the time its completed, not sure if they charge a second fee or not for that...

I was reading too fast and didn't notice there is 8 weeks of culture involved with her husband... my oops for sure.

Biggest thing is to watch the validity date on the visa when it arrives and to be in the USA before that date expires. It may not necessarily be 90 days, depends on how quickly the interview is done.

There was a couple a year or so ago that did not pay attention and missed the expiration day by one day... no entry. Never heard if they had to start over or if they did a new medical and issued another visa

His medical was May 28th however. The validity of the visa was November 13. That's not 6 months.

Then we have the poster above whose visa validity was 5 months after the medical date.

I think they tie it 3 months after the sputum results if you get a sputum.

Edited December 10, 2013 by Leon & Mylen

[bakithindi 0]

I made an error:

"""The Visa Expiration date was Nov 27, 2013 (120 days after the final Sputum test)""".

[Bugs 455]

I made an error:

"""The Visa Expiration date was Nov 27, 2013 (120 days after the final Sputum test)""".

Your dates are showing that the visa validity was 3 months after the sputum results.

Sept. 1 - results in

Nov. 27 - expiration of visa

And this is 5 months after your initial medical.

Seems to me they set the expiration at 3 months after the sputum results rather than 6 months after the initial medical. IF you get a sputum. Otherwise, it's 6 months from the medical.

[Hank_ 9,174]

His medical was May 28th however. The validity of the visa was November 13. That's not 6 months.

Then we have the poster above whose visa validity was 5 months after the medical date.

I think they tie it 3 months after the sputum results if you get a sputum.

May to November ... not going to quibble over a few days.

[Bugs 455]

May to November ... not going to quibble over a few days.

Well that's the first time I've heard of 15 (in the case of Vic20r) or 31 (in the case of the OP) being considered a "few", but anyhow that's not the point I'm making really. The point isn't how many days or months or years it is, the point is that they tie the validity to the day that the sputum is cleared rather than the initial medical.

And, yes, that it is 3 months from that rather than 6 months from the initial medical:

Vic20r's medical date was 5/28

6 months from 5/28 is 11/28

Vic20r's sputum clearance was 8/13

3 months from 8/13 is 11/13

His visa validity was 11/13 rather than 11/28

The OP's medical date was 6/28

6 months from 6/28 is 12/28

The OP's sputum was given 7/1, 7/2, 7/3

8 weeks from 7/3 is 8/27

3 months from 8/27 is 11/27

Her visa validity was 11/27 rather than 12/28

So, in other words, it is false to tell people that the embassy ties the validity of the visa for those who went through the sputum to the initial medical, and is more accurate to tell people undergoing the sputum that their visa will be 90 days from the sputum clearance, even if the two are a "few" days in difference. It's apparently what USEM/SLEC goes by, and so that is of course what we should go by when dipensing information for them on here.

Comeon Hank, you're supposed to be the guru - get the facts straight man.

Edited December 10, 2013 by Leon & Mylen

[Hank_ 9,174]

My wife didn't have "exactly" 6 months from the medical either and she completed her medical in ONE day.

As for facts, here is how it works; Post me a link to your 3 month theory from the USEM website, if you can't find one then it's just your theory.

Fact is - the visa is validity until the expiration date printed on it.