MEDICAL EXAM ISSUE!!

[Internationalpika 0]

Hello everyone!

So, again the USCIS is throwing out other mystery hoops for us to jump through. My husband (the beneficiary who is AOS) just got a call from the doctor who preformed his medical exam and they let us know that he will need to go in to get tested for gonorrhea immediately because this was a new test per USCIS that they did not notify the doctor of when we originally did our exam. The doctor said he just got this notification and that without it, our application may get rejected. This is fine and we are willing to fork up the additional money and time to get that new test done and to move forward with our lives! But, my question is, does anyone else know about this new mandatory gonorrhea testing that we weren't aware about? I'm just trying to figure out where the miscommunication happened and seeing if anyone knows if we can possibly just skip this step due to the government's mishandling of information.

If anyone has any input or wants to share other horror stories to get off their chest with USCIS, that would be great! Definitely starting to feel like the uscis is starting to pick on us lol

[Penguin_ie 5,984]

gonorrhea (and other STD) testing for AOS is not new, unless there is a new type of testing they are doing?

[Amythyst88 2]

Hi. RFE re new med info was sent to me as well. Civil surgeon said a urine test for gonorrhea is a new protocol as per CDC. I read through about it in the web to make sure it is a new requirement, and it's a Fact.

So i had the screening done.

my thoughts to you is just follow what USCIS is requiring you to do, no more no less. ?

[gregcrs2 1,777]

It's been talked about for a while now.

UNCLASSIFIED 16 STATE 93130 AUG 19, 2016

SUBJECT: New Gonorrhea Testing Requirements for Visa Applicants

1. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its Technical Instructions for Gonorrhea for Panel Physicians: http://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/exams/ti/panel/technical- instructions/panel-physicians/gonorrhea.html.

Panel physicians worldwide are required to implement the updated technical instructions (TIs) no later than October 1, 2016. Posts should work with their panel physicians to ensure that they are ready to implement these changes by the deadline.

2. Per CDC's new technical instructions, all visa applicants undergoing a medical exam, 15 years of age or older are required to be tested for gonorrhea. Applicants younger than 15 must be tested if there is a history of gonorrhea or reason to suspect gonorrhea infection. Gonorrhea has long been an inadmissible condition under INA 212(a)(1)(a)(i), but panel physicians previously only tested applicants who were symptomatic. Most cases of gonorrhea infection are asymptomatic, and therefore CDC is now requiring active screening.

3. VO strongly reiterates CDC's recommendation for panel physicians to use the least invasive test for screening as possible. The TIs recommend that panel physicians use a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) which may be performed on urine specimens or the self-collected vaginal swab for women. If those tests are unavailable, CDC's TIs require endocervical or vaginal swabs for women and urethral swabs for men.

4. VO has updated the panel physician agreement template in 9 FAM 302.2 to reflect the new requirements. Posts should work with panel physicians to determine the cost of the additional testing and reflect the new cost using the revised panel physician agreement no later than October 1, 2016. The base medical exam fee for applicants 15 and older may be increased to include the additional test. In some cases, panel physicians will require new lab equipment to process these samples, and the cost of machinery can be taken into account. Such costs should be spread out as much as possible (e.g., over the course of the first year) so as not to overburden applicants.

5. Posts may use the following language to respond to inquiries from visa applicants and other interested parties:

Gonorrhea is a communicable disease of public health significance and applicants with gonorrhea are ineligible for a visa to the United States under Section 212(a)(1)(A)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. CDC has regulatory authority over the specific guidelines of the medical examination required of visa applicants and technical instructions for panel physicians. CDC's Technical Instructions for Gonorrhea for Panel Physicians may be accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/exams/ti/panel/technical- instructions/panel-physicians/gonorrhea.html.

Any questions or concerns should be addressed to CDC.

[Georgia16 2,858]

Yes as of October 1st 2016 there will need to be a bloodtest for the gonorrhea

[Dutchster 1,106]

What? Seriously? So I can expect a request too?

[Georgia16 2,858]

What? Seriously? So I can expect a request too?

No you had your medical at the K-1 long before October 1st this is for new medical a after October 1st

[Dutchster 1,106]

No you had your medical at the K-1 long before October 1st this is for new medical a after October 1st

Oh! Thank god lol, no more needles please. (I hate needles and just the syphilis test was ENOUGH needle for this year) Thanks!

[Scandi 3,970]

I noticed this too when I got the results from my medical in Sweden, they checked both Syphilis, Gonorrhea and Chlamydia (did my medical in August). I didn't know they'd test for the last two, but good thing that they do.

[NikLR 13,220]

Oh! Thank god lol, no more needles please. (I hate needles and just the syphilis test was ENOUGH needle for this year) Thanks!

It's a pee test or a self vaginal swab. It's not a blood test.

[Georgia16 2,858]

It's a pee test or a self vaginal swab. It's not a blood test.

True think I wrote blood test but yes it is a urin test.

[Internationalpika 0]

Yes as of October 1st 2016 there will need to be a bloodtest for the gonorrhea

@here Also it's worthy to mention that we submitted our application and mailed it out on August 27th and we got notification that USCIS received it on August 30th. Also my husband has already done the biometrics test and everything. I'm also just curious about it, because the doctor who preformed the medical exam is the one who contacted about this. So, just wondering about the validity/applicability of this since USCIS directly did not inform us.

[Internationalpika 0]

Hi. RFE re new med info was sent to me as well. Civil surgeon said a urine test for gonorrhea is a new protocol as per CDC. I read through about it in the web to make sure it is a new requirement, and it's a Fact.

So i had the screening done.

my thoughts to you is just follow what USCIS is requiring you to do, no more no less. ?

okay, when did you submit your application tho? Also, where did you hear about see the confirmation of this new test being a fact? Because, our application was received on Aug 30th and USCIS did not contact us about this, our doctor did.

It's been talked about for a while now.

UNCLASSIFIED 16 STATE 93130 AUG 19, 2016

SUBJECT: New Gonorrhea Testing Requirements for Visa Applicants

1. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its Technical Instructions for Gonorrhea for Panel Physicians: http://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/exams/ti/panel/technical- instructions/panel-physicians/gonorrhea.html.

Panel physicians worldwide are required to implement the updated technical instructions (TIs) no later than October 1, 2016. Posts should work with their panel physicians to ensure that they are ready to implement these changes by the deadline.

2. Per CDC's new technical instructions, all visa applicants undergoing a medical exam, 15 years of age or older are required to be tested for gonorrhea. Applicants younger than 15 must be tested if there is a history of gonorrhea or reason to suspect gonorrhea infection. Gonorrhea has long been an inadmissible condition under INA 212(a)(1)(a)(i), but panel physicians previously only tested applicants who were symptomatic. Most cases of gonorrhea infection are asymptomatic, and therefore CDC is now requiring active screening.

3. VO strongly reiterates CDC's recommendation for panel physicians to use the least invasive test for screening as possible. The TIs recommend that panel physicians use a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) which may be performed on urine specimens or the self-collected vaginal swab for women. If those tests are unavailable, CDC's TIs require endocervical or vaginal swabs for women and urethral swabs for men.

4. VO has updated the panel physician agreement template in 9 FAM 302.2 to reflect the new requirements. Posts should work with panel physicians to determine the cost of the additional testing and reflect the new cost using the revised panel physician agreement no later than October 1, 2016. The base medical exam fee for applicants 15 and older may be increased to include the additional test. In some cases, panel physicians will require new lab equipment to process these samples, and the cost of machinery can be taken into account. Such costs should be spread out as much as possible (e.g., over the course of the first year) so as not to overburden applicants.

5. Posts may use the following language to respond to inquiries from visa applicants and other interested parties:

Gonorrhea is a communicable disease of public health significance and applicants with gonorrhea are ineligible for a visa to the United States under Section 212(a)(1)(A)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. CDC has regulatory authority over the specific guidelines of the medical examination required of visa applicants and technical instructions for panel physicians. CDC's Technical Instructions for Gonorrhea for Panel Physicians may be accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/exams/ti/panel/technical- instructions/panel-physicians/gonorrhea.html.

Any questions or concerns should be addressed to CDC.

Thanks for that info! Can you link that to the site you found it on? Also, do you know if this applies to application sent out and received before Octobr 1st?

[shine kayayh 0]

News & Updates

The Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases Technical Instructions were replaced with the Gonorrhea Technical Instructions. The Gonorrhea Technical Instructions are to be followed by panel physicians as soon as possible and no later than October 1, 2016 and by civil surgeons for gonorrhea screening and treatment as soon as possible and no later than August 1, 2016.

http://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/exams/ti/index.html

[shine kayayh 0]

I believe this only applies to those who had their medical overseas performed by panel physicians on or after October 1, 2016 and for those who had their medical performed by civil surgeons on or after August 1, 2016.

I had my medical done overseas on January 28, 2016, filed for AOS August 18, 2016 and received my interview schedule last October 7, 2016. I wasn't given any RFE.