K-1 AOS I-693 Tdap date

[TheirLax 0]

Hi,

I entered the US on a K-1 visa and will soon file for AOS. I was unable to obtain my vaccination records for my K-1 medical in January, so I got as many shots as I could done at the medicaI, and I was told that I would need to get additional shots done later. My copy of the DS-3025 has code B (Insufficient time interval to complete series) for both Td and MMR. (Don't I need the full Tdap, not just Td?)

I saw a civil surgeon today to get the remaining shots done, but he would only give me the MMR shot, saying that I don't need another tetanus shot because less than 10 years has passed since the last one. The row for Td/Tdap in the copy of the completed I-693 I got looks like this:

Specify Vaccine: Td [ ] Tdap [x]

Date Received (mm/dd/yyyy): 01/18/2016

(all other Date Received columns are blank)

Date Given by Civil Surgeon (mm/dd/yyyy): 07/22/2016

Mark an X if complete (...): x

(all the waiver columns are blank)

All the other rows look fine and I'm not concerned about them.

To me, it looks like the civil surgeon misinterpreted the shot I got in January (which according to the vaccination certificate I received was for diptheria, tetanus, and polio - not pertussis) as a full Tdap shot. I'm concerned that submitting this I-693 will cause problems because it contradicts the DS-3025, which says I only received a Td shot.

I'm also concerned because my understanding is that the shot I got in January was the first documented shot I have, and that I'm expected to get another one if I go to get an I-693, and I haven't done that. The date for the Td/Tdap shot is more than a month prior to the date I got the I-693, so sufficient time had passed for me to get the second shot in the series.

What should I do? I'm not sure if I can use the DS-3025 as-is, or if this I-693 will be accepted, or if I need to go get another I-693 (and possibly another shot).

[tolitzpogi 37]

On the the last page of the i-693 which contains a snapshot of what one would see on a DS-3025, is the box checked for "Vaccine history complete for each vaccine, all requirements met."?

I think they go with what is written on the i-693. If the civil surgeon states that all vaccine requirements are met, they will go with that.

[TheirLax 0]

Hi tolitzpogi,

On the the last page of the i-693 which contains a snapshot of what one would see on a DS-3025, is the box checked for "Vaccine history complete for each vaccine, all requirements met."?

I think they go with what is written on the i-693. If the civil surgeon states that all vaccine requirements are met, they will go with that.

The only box in the results section that is ticked is Applicant may be eligible for blanket waivers as indicated above.

It turns out it's a moot point anyway because I've just noticed that they misspelled my name on the I-693. Oops.

So I guess my question becomes: is Td accepted for AOS, or do I need to get Tdap done somewhere?

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

You did not need the civil surgeon. One dose in a series will do. And yes, Td works too.> http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/551080-immunizations-ds-3025-or-i-693/

[TheirLax 0]

Thanks KayDeeCee, that answers the Td/Tdap question.

I've also just noticed that the DS-3025 sort of says I received a polio vaccine at the K-1 medical, but I didn't: a date has been written, but the box isn't ticked. Wat. That won't matter because I get an age-based waiver for that one, right?

Edit: I forgot to mention that the waiver reason code A has also been entered for it.

Edited July 22, 2016 by unboxed

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Hi,

I entered the US on a K-1 visa and will soon file for AOS. I was unable to obtain my vaccination records for my K-1 medical in January, so I got as many shots as I could done at the medicaI, and I was told that I would need to get additional shots done later. My copy of the DS-3025 has code B (Insufficient time interval to complete series) for both Td and MMR. (Don't I need the full Tdap, not just Td?)

This should do. If you have an interview, you could wait until the interviewer says not acceptable before doing anything else. Then go deal with the re-do of the I-693 and misspelled name and blank waiver columns. Those should be filled in.

[TheirLax 0]

Thanks Nich-Nick. Going by your post that KayDeeCee linked to, it looks like my DS-3025 should be accepted.

I figured out the reason for the polio date on it too, it was from the tetanus shot I got at the K-1 medical (which contained polio too, as I stated in the OP and then promptly forgot).

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Thanks Nich-Nick. Going by your post that KayDeeCee linked to, it looks like my DS-3025 should be accepted.

I figured out the reason for the polio date on it too, it was from the tetanus shot I got at the K-1 medical (which contained polio too, as I stated in the OP and then promptly forgot).

There are various versions of the shots. In the US it's the tri-valent Tetanus (T), Diphtheria (d), Pertussis (ap)*. Brand names for adult versions are Adacel or Boostrix. The UK often has a quad-valent shot which has Diptheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Polio. You don't need a polio shot, but it was part of the package deal so neither here nor there as long as you got immunized for the three required.

*ap or aP- acellular pertussis

Good luck on getting an adjudicator who knows their own rules. They are kind of all over the place on it. That's why I said just go to the interview and mess with a civil surgeon only if they insist. Meanwhile you know what shots are needed and that it clearly shows you had them. Maybe you can point that out in a nice way.

[TheirLax 0]

There are various versions of the shots. In the US it's the tri-valent Tetanus (T), Diphtheria (d), Pertussis (ap)*. Brand names for adult versions are Adacel or Boostrix. The UK often has a quad-valent shot which has Diptheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Polio. You don't need a polio shot, but it was part of the package deal so neither here nor there as long as you got immunized for the three required.

*ap or aP- acellular pertussis

Good luck on getting an adjudicator who knows their own rules. They are kind of all over the place on it. That's why I said just go to the interview and mess with a civil surgeon only if they insist. Meanwhile you know what shots are needed and that it clearly shows you had them. Maybe you can point that out in a nice way.

I'm afraid you've confused me again, assuming by "the three required" you mean diptheria, tetanus, and pertussis!

My DS-3025 has no entries for pertussis. There's just a single recorded Td shot, so there's nothing on there to say I've ever been immunized against pertussis. I've attached a photo of the vaccinations table. Do you still think it will be good enough?

My confusion stems from the following seemingly inconsistent statements:

• Pertussis is required
• Td will be accepted (instead of Tdap)

I've seen this in the USCIS policy manual, and on the VJ forums. Is this just one of those things that tends to get smoothed over by the adjudicators?

Edited July 26, 2016 by Penguin_ie

[TheirLax 0]

I've made and attached a more legible reproduction of the DS-3025. Thanks Penguin_ie for removing the original for me.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

The adjudicator is likely to not know what a Td vs Tdap is. Heck some don't even know a K1 doesn't need to repeat the medical exam they had just a few months earlier. Their chart says Tdap or Td. You have Td and it was in the last 10 years. Go with it. Despite your best efforts, you may or may not get an adjudicator who will be aware of the details. So even if you try to pre-empt something by going to get a Tdap, they could lose your medical. Or they could send a cryptic RFE saying you need a medical when you already had one. You should be okay with this Ds-3025, but no guarantees. So I suggest wait and see how it plays out before spending any money. Your choice.