Yet another medical RFE...

[lurdino 9]

Hello all,

I've not been around much, but a quick search shows that many of us are having trouble with our I-693!

Background: when I attended my medical at Knightsbridge I opted not to get my vaccinations done there. Instead I went back to Glasgow where I was able to get them for free. When I reached the US I found a Civil Surgeon who was willing to verify that my vaccinations were complete without giving me a full medical. He filled out form DS-3025, the Vaccination Documentation Worksheet. I included a copy of this DS-3025 and the DS-3025 that I'd received from Knightsbridge in my AoS.

I've now received a letter from the USCIS that says:

"An initial review of evidence submitted with your Application to Register Permanent Resident or Adjustment of Status determined that Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, has not been sumitted or has been submitted and is not sufficient for the following reason(s):

A completed and signed I-693 was not submitted.

You will be required to submit a valid, completed, and signed Form I-693 at a later date."

My question is... surely the I-693 is what was completed at Knightsbridge? I wouldn't have been given my K1 visa if they hadn't passed it along to embassy, surely? Should I contact someone at USCIS about this, or do I now need to go and get a second medical exam?

[prenouveau 46]

I believe that Civil Surgeon should have filled out an I-693 for you, not another DS-3025. Are you certain that's the form he used?

[lurdino 9]

I believe that Civil Surgeon should have filled out an I-693 for you, not another DS-3025. Are you certain that's the form he used?

Yes, my understanding was that I only needed a Civil Surgeon to sign off on my updated vaccination records, not complete another full medical check. The I-693 asks for full medical check results, such as the chest X-ray and communicable diseases. Should I have asked him to partially fill out the I-693, only filling out the parts to do with vaccinations?

[Wooderz 314]

The ds3025 completed by Knightsbridge is a different form than the i693. Probably not the official terms, but the Ds3025 is a Dept of state form and the i693 is a uscis form. Uscis recognizes the ds3025 for k1 adjusters, but a US civil surgeon should not complete the ds3025. If that's truly what the civil surgeon completed, you need to go back and have him complete the 1693. Follow the instructions on which parts of the form need to be completed.

[Wooderz 314]

Yes, my understanding was that I only needed a Civil Surgeon to sign off on my updated vaccination records, not complete another full medical check. The I-693 asks for full medical check results, such as the chest X-ray and communicable diseases. Should I have asked him to partially fill out the I-693, only filling out the parts to do with vaccinations?

Yes, see the FAQs on the i693 instructions

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

I-693 is ONLY completed in the US and by a civil surgeon. The overseas panel physicians (Knightsbridge) use Ds-3025.

That sounds more like a heads up than an RFE because it says you will be asked for it later.

Edited September 1, 2016 by Nich-Nick

[prenouveau 46]

Yes, my understanding was that I only needed a Civil Surgeon to sign off on my updated vaccination records, not complete another full medical check. The I-693 asks for full medical check results, such as the chest X-ray and communicable diseases. Should I have asked him to partially fill out the I-693, only filling out the parts to do with vaccinations?

Yes, he should have filled out the vaccination supplement portion of the I-693. They should have your completed DS-3025 already, and if the vaccinations were not complete, that section of the I-693 would show that they had been completed.

As per the I-485 instructions,

"When required, submit a medical examination report on form I-693...

Fiancé(e)s: If you are a K-1 fiancé(e) or K-2 dependent who had a medical examination within the past year as required for the nonimmigrant fiancé(e) visa, you only need to submit a vaccination supplement, not the entire medical report. You may include the vaccination supplement with your Form I-485."

I'm surprised the surgeon didn't know the right form to fill out..

[prenouveau 46]

haha sorry for the repetition guys, I guess we are ON this.

[lurdino 9]

The ds3025 completed by Knightsbridge is a different form than the i693. Probably not the official terms, but the Ds3025 is a Dept of state form and the i693 is a uscis form. Uscis recognizes the ds3025 for k1 adjusters, but a US civil surgeon should not complete the ds3025. If that's truly what the civil surgeon completed, you need to go back and have him complete the 1693. Follow the instructions on which parts of the form need to be completed.

Thank you for the clarification, that's useful.

I've now looked through the instructions on the I-693 and feel like a putz. I assumed because the I-693 asked for information about communicable diseases, etc, that it couldn't be the right form, and simply printed a blank copy of the vaccination sheet I already had. I didn't see that K1 visa holders only need to complete certain sections.

Oh well!

Thanks everyone yet again! Thank goodness I have this place to keep me right.

[yuna628 9,527]

Yes, my understanding was that I only needed a Civil Surgeon to sign off on my updated vaccination records, not complete another full medical check. The I-693 asks for full medical check results, such as the chest X-ray and communicable diseases. Should I have asked him to partially fill out the I-693, only filling out the parts to do with vaccinations?

I don't know why the Civil Surgeon in the US filled out a DS3025 because the USCIS isn't going to want to see that.

Situations where the DS3025 is accepted:

If you had completed your vax in the UK before Knightsbridge and Knightsbridge gave you a DS3025 signed off on then that is acceptable.

If you had completed your vax at Knightsbridge in the UK and they gave you a DS3025 signed off on then that is also acceptable.

What is not acceptable:

If after you enter the US and you complete your vax after your Knightsbridge exam and then somehow get a Civil Surgeon to give you a DS3025 that is not what the instructions state you are to do. There can only be one DS3025, and that will be the form Knightsbridge gave you, which is showing incomplete vax. A US Civil Surgeon cannot make you a new DS3025 copy in that manner, they need to use the correct form.

What you need to do:

First have a read through of the I-485 and I-693 instructions, which state if you SHOULD be required to produce evidence of vaccination (if the USCIS loses your DS3025 or for some reason they don't like it, or you get your vax after Knightsbridge, or for some reason you get your vax completed stateside and your UK medical is still good for a year), the Civil Surgeon/patient are to complete ONLY SOME of the pages of the I-693, and not the whole medical exam.

So you are to fill out some of the I-693 (only the appropriate pages listed in the instructions - so make note of that carefully) and the US Civil Surgeon is to fill out only the pages which they are instructed to do so also. You both sign it, and it is sealed in an envelope and the CS marks on the envelope as instructed. This is what you send in response to the RFE.

Sadly it seems the Civil Surgeon should have known better. You will have to go back and correct it. I feel bad for you, as they should have advised you on that if they know what to do. :/

Edited September 1, 2016 by yuna628

[lurdino 9]

That sounds more like a heads up than an RFE because it says you will be asked for it later.

Yes, I'm grateful that I have time to get it sorted in advance.

I'm surprised the surgeon didn't know the right form to fill out..

I think I was his first K1 case and he was a little flustered - it was a blind-leading-the-blind scenario, I feel.

[yuna628 9,527]

And yes, that sounds like you will have an interview perhaps, or an RFE at a later date, so now you will be prepared for it.