I-130 Visa application for Residency Visa/Greencard

[CatDudes 0]

Hi,

 

We are more than a little confused about some items for my husband's upcoming Medial Exam and Visa Interview in Paris, France. I am a US citizen, and the petitioner, and we have done everything ourselves up to this point. Can anyone definitively assist us in determining the following:

1) Which vaccines are absolutely required to be current (within the last 10 years) at the time of the Medical Exam for an applicant that is in their 50's?

         1A) My husband has lost his MMR and other vaccination records, will a report of blood tests for specific vaccines be enough for the Exam? 

2) Does an applicant need to disclose their HIV status to the civil surgeon at the medical exam? It says in the instructions to be prepared to discuss current medications and conditions the applicant has, but that HIV is not a disqualifying condition anymore, but we are more concerned for the sake of medical privacy to not provide unnecessary medical information if we don't need to.

3) Where is the Medical Questionnaire for the medical exam located? Or is it form I-693 that we just print and bring with us?
4) Any moral support or words of comfort to ease the nervousness of this pending ordeal would be greatly appreciated! 

[JessicaBlims 1]

Any updates on this?

[CatDudes 0]

1 hour ago, Bailey123 said:

Any updates on this?

Well, we did find out, but it's been a while and I don't have all the details. Disclosing status seems definitely manditory to the civil surgeon, but it is confidential, and having the correct vaccination records or a blood test to show you have the antibodies in your blood is for sure required to submit to the civil surgeon. Disclosing status will lead to a TB screening in both the applicants home country and then again in the US where they are going to reside. Most state county health departments follow the recommendation of the foreign civil surgeon and CDC guidelines, so yeah, expect a series of 6-8 week periods of not being able to travel. It was our experience that the TB test they did in Paris over a course of three days right next to the interview date, plan for a week at least in consulate city, was not accepted in the state where the residency is occurring. It's also all not free, extra costs, shameful practice. 

Question #3 was irrelevant. No such thing was needed by us, the civil surgeon had that handled. Might not be the same for all though. 

[JessicaBlims 1]

Alright.thank you. 

I believe it is a standard operating procedure to have an xray for TB , blood test for syphillis and urine test for gonorrhea.

i just dont know if the sputum test will still be done if the xray for TB would be negative if ever you disclose the hiv status. 

 

Anyone can shed a light on this?

[CatDudes 0]

8 hours ago, JessicaBlims said:

Alright.thank you. 

I believe it is a standard operating procedure to have an xray for TB , blood test for syphillis and urine test for gonorrhea.

i just dont know if the sputum test will still be done if the xray for TB would be negative if ever you disclose the hiv status. 

 

Anyone can shed a light on this?

Oh,  yes,  all that was required. Sputum, xray, syphilis,  gonorrhea tests. There was a little shadow on xray which was just scar tissue in the end which led to the tb testing i guess,  but it was standard for HIV status anyways, they claimed. Basically the guidelines for HIV status are very outdated and won't be updated any time soon with this administration. 

[JessicaBlims 1]

4 hours ago, CatDudes said:

Oh,  yes,  all that was required. Sputum, xray, syphilis,  gonorrhea tests. There was a little shadow on xray which was just scar tissue in the end which led to the tb testing i guess,  but it was standard for HIV status anyways, they claimed. Basically the guidelines for HIV status are very outdated and won't be updated any time soon with this administration. 

A bit confused about this.

Do you think the additional sputum test was warranted due to the scar which was seen on the Xray which is to rule out TB?

or because its also a SOP if an OP disclosed his/her HIV status although xray is clear?

[CatDudes 0]

15 minutes ago, JessicaBlims said:

A bit confused about this.

Do you think the additional sputum test was warranted due to the scar which was seen on the Xray which is to rule out TB?

or because its also a SOP if an OP disclosed his/her HIV status although xray is clear?

The TB test would have been done regardless according to the French Dr, the scar tissue on Xray was more of an issue in the US at the county department of health office. But either way, I think if you are disclosing status it will generate a TB test on both ends. It was not a nice surprise to experience. The CS in Paris actually didn't cite the shadow in Xray, it was the HIV status itself which prompted the sputum test for TB. 

Hope that helps. I know it isn't 100% definitive because each case is different and so is each Civil Surgeon. It was an ordeal though, felt like we were sucker punched every step of the way. The actual interview was easy as pie though! They barely spoke to the applicant, just took documents and a few related questions and we were done! The medical part was days of trying to get to various offices for tests in absolutely awful winter storm February weather; snow, ice, sleet, you name it our feet were drenched in it! Oh, and a positive on Syphillus somehow, my partner had had it 20 years back and apparently it can resurface even if it is "cured" so that was also a lot of fun arguing in the streets of Paris about that one. 

In the end though, the Residency Card WAS issued and we are happily ever after for the most part, so if you stick through it, and focus on the details and prepare to be stuck without work or pay for a series of months you will be fine. Luckily my partner has family in Portugal so he could stay with them while waiting to get cleared of TB, but then he came home and had to wait two and a half months to get cleared of TB again. The DOH did finally give him a letter clearing him to go back to work based on a blood test they did and the Paris Sputum test, but it definitely struck us off guard when we were told there would be a new series of Sputum testing done. Arguing with them doesn't help either. You want the Greencard, you gotta play the game and pay the fees! 

[JessicaBlims 1]

6 minutes ago, CatDudes said:

The TB test would have been done regardless according to the French Dr, the scar tissue on Xray was more of an issue in the US at the county department of health office. But either way, I think if you are disclosing status it will generate a TB test on both ends. It was not a nice surprise to experience. The CS in Paris actually didn't cite the shadow in Xray, it was the HIV status itself which prompted the sputum test for TB. 

Hope that helps. I know it isn't 100% definitive because each case is different and so is each Civil Surgeon. It was an ordeal though, felt like we were sucker punched every step of the way. The actual interview was easy as pie though! They barely spoke to the applicant, just took documents and a few related questions and we were done! The medical part was days of trying to get to various offices for tests in absolutely awful winter storm February weather; snow, ice, sleet, you name it our feet were drenched in it! Oh, and a positive on Syphillus somehow, my partner had had it 20 years back and apparently it can resurface even if it is "cured" so that was also a lot of fun arguing in the streets of Paris about that one. 

In the end though, the Residency Card WAS issued and we are happily ever after for the most part, so if you stick through it, and focus on the details and prepare to be stuck without work or pay for a series of months you will be fine. Luckily my partner has family in Portugal so he could stay with them while waiting to get cleared of TB, but then he came home and had to wait two and a half months to get cleared of TB again. The DOH did finally give him a letter clearing him to go back to work based on a blood test they did and the Paris Sputum test, but it definitely struck us off guard when we were told there would be a new series of Sputum testing done. Arguing with them doesn't help either. You want the Greencard, you gotta play the game and pay the fees! 

Ohhh thats indeed a long journey! Glad that you made it through! BTW, when did you have the interview? I read in some blogs and here too that disclosure of HIV status during medical might subject an OP as public charge in the US, which is a very tricky thing and nerve racking ordeal to take when having the interview at the embassy? Is it true?

[CatDudes 0]

7 minutes ago, JessicaBlims said:

Ohhh thats indeed a long journey! Glad that you made it through! BTW, when did you have the interview? I read in some blogs and here too that disclosure of HIV status during medical might subject an OP as public charge in the US, which is a very tricky thing and nerve racking ordeal to take when having the interview at the embassy? Is it true?

Feb of last year, and not sure. Good luck though!