New medical exam requirement

[shoeman009 7]

Good morning. 

 

Got a bit of a surprise when my fiancé scheduled her medical exam. On our first go around her exam was the day before her interview. This time they are saying 4 days to as much as a week before. Seems as though the state department has added a gonorrhea test that adds time because of the results.  Try as I may with the hospital to limit the time from test to results my fiancé still has to spend almost 6 days between exam and interview but this includes the weekend.  Luckily she is going to visit family and friends close to Bangkok. 

 

Anyone else get this surprise ? Also prices are way up from packet 4 instructions. Maybe if you didn't know how it was before it wouldn't matter. Seems as though this will cause burdens for long distance interviewees. 

 

Just a heads up for future interview candidates. 

[ZoeUK1989 35]

The UK is the same... 

 

You have to always do a pee sample and they say to wait approximately a week before medical and interview date to allow results to arrive at the embassy.

I am not sure if this is new to the UK or if they have always done it as a compulsory thing. I know they are changing things all the time, like again in the UK they have now changed it so you do not have to have the genital check, they may still be doing this is Thailand. 

 

I know the prices of the actual applications went up in December so this includes the price for the AOS later on as well.

 

Good one for giving people the heads up. 

 

 

 

 

[vocal 41]

Interestingly enough, I got this as part of the email when I booked my medical:

 

"Starting from October 2016 an additional test, requiring collection of a urine sample will be performed. Applicants above the age of 14 are advised to ensure that they are able to produce urine at the time of the examination. This test will add an additional payment of NIS 340 (about 100$) to the cost of the examination. "

 

Is this the same thing you got?

I wondered if it was regarding a drug test, but is it possibly some diseases?

[ZoeUK1989 35]

I think this is not a drugs test but a test for Gonorrhoea... They may also test for other things at the same time using this sample but I think this is what it is actually for  

[soulstriker 274]

this was added fall 2016 sucks but meh

[Transborderwife 4,666]

Sucks, but I'd rather be safe than sorry 

[ZoeUK1989 35]

When I read that you have to allow a week before the medical and interview I chose to wait like 3 weeks just to make sure I gave them enough time haha

 

In a way although the cost sucked, It was a good chance to get myself all checked out without running to my doctor every 5 minutes... 1 appointment 1 problem kind of GP

 

I was already pretty sure I didn't have anything wrong to be concerned about so I guess the £290 confirmation was nice  

 

[TheSkywalkers 143]

Yep, it's for everyone and the hospital where I did mine told me the new fee was just added last October 5, 2016. The usual 550AEDirhams went up to 975AEDirhams because of the cost for Gonorrhea test. And that's vaccines excluded. I paid close to 400AEDirhams more for the vaccines so in dollars it was about $380 for the medical. Twas more than 50% of the original fee that's been added. Everything's gone up now but we can only do as we're told. 

[vocal 41]

1 hour ago, missushabes said:

Yep, it's for everyone and the hospital where I did mine told me the new fee was just added last October 5, 2016. The usual 550AEDirhams went up to 975AEDirhams because of the cost for Gonorrhea test. And that's vaccines excluded. I paid close to 400AEDirhams more for the vaccines so in dollars it was about $380 for the medical. Twas more than 50% of the original fee that's been added. Everything's gone up now but we can only do as we're told. 

Thanks for the valuable info!

So are you 100% certain that the urine exam is *just* for gonorrhea?

I thought some people were required to give urine samples for drug testing before... ?

[TheSkywalkers 143]

Just now, vocal said:

Thanks for the valuable info!

So are you 100% certain that the urine exam is *just* for gonorrhea?

I thought some people were required to give urine samples for drug testing before... ?

Hello there! Well, the receipt that I have for the medical does not really say that the urine test is *just* for gonorrhea. It only indicates the test but does not say anything about how the specimen will be taken to take the test. But what I remember is that one of the K1 Visa filers I know told me that before all these (she had her medical back in August 2016) had been added on the medical exam, there was no urine sample taken from her. It was only X-ray and blood test and that's it. So assuming that urinalysis was not there before, and Gonorrhea test was not there before either that the urine sample is for that new test added. Not sure if I am making any sense right now.  

[ZoeUK1989 35]

12 minutes ago, vocal said:

Thanks for the valuable info!

So are you 100% certain that the urine exam is *just* for gonorrhea?

I thought some people were required to give urine samples for drug testing before... ?

Same as Missushabes says... there is nowhere it officially says this test is only for Gonorrhoea... 

 

Some places used to only do a urine sample if someone in the medical admitted to any form of drug use or alcohol abuse. 

Try not to worry about what it is for too much,the medical is scary and stressful as it is. You really don't want to be getting yourself worked up or worried about that.

 

 

 

 

[vocal 41]

33 minutes ago, missushabes said:

Hello there! Well, the receipt that I have for the medical does not really say that the urine test is *just* for gonorrhea. It only indicates the test but does not say anything about how the specimen will be taken to take the test. But what I remember is that one of the K1 Visa filers I know told me that before all these (she had her medical back in August 2016) had been added on the medical exam, there was no urine sample taken from her. It was only X-ray and blood test and that's it. So assuming that urinalysis was not there before, and Gonorrhea test was not there before either that the urine sample is for that new test added. Not sure if I am making any sense right now.  

Thanks alot to you and to ZoeUK1989 ! Really really helped me

I was really nervous hehe...

[TheSkywalkers 143]

1 minute ago, vocal said:

Thanks alot to you and to ZoeUK1989 ! Really really helped me

I was really nervous hehe...

Oh don't mention it, we're here to help  Best of luck on your journey!

[Scandi 3,970]

No, not a surprise. The gonorrhea tests started back in October, although I had to do the same already in August, we still knew about it beforehand. In Sweden they recommend 2 weeks in between medical and interview, although many of us only have a few days in between and some haven't even done the medical before going to the interview. That's not an issue here, they just won't issue your visa until they have the results. You can do it anyway you like.