New TB test required by USCIS starting OCT 1st?

[That Bingo 28]

Hello,

My fiance has recently brought something to my attention that she has been discussing with many of the other girls in this process. According to this article - https://corporate.qiagen.com/newsroom/press-releases/2018/20180220_cdc_recommends_qft starting Oct 1st. The UCSIS will only accept a certain type of blood test for tuberculosis instead of the traditional skin test. It looks like this press release i linked was released in February but i have heard nothing about this from anyone else until know. Does anyone have any information regarding this and how it will affect us in the process. I know in Brasil most people go a week before their interview to Rio for the medical test and it usually works out just fine. Will this change that? Does this new test require more time? Thank you in advance!

 

 

[Cyberfx1024 7,978]

9 minutes ago, That Bingo said:

Hello,

My fiance has recently brought something to my attention that she has been discussing with many of the other girls in this process. According to this article - https://corporate.qiagen.com/newsroom/press-releases/2018/20180220_cdc_recommends_qft starting Oct 1st. The UCSIS will only accept a certain type of blood test for tuberculosis instead of the traditional skin test. It looks like this press release i linked was released in February but i have heard nothing about this from anyone else until know. Does anyone have any information regarding this and how it will affect us in the process. I know in Brasil most people go a week before their interview to Rio for the medical test and it usually works out just fine. Will this change that? Does this new test require more time? Thank you in advance!

 

 

This is only AFTER they detect something during the initial x-ray of the lungs. So in the Philippines they will do a x-ray and then if there are any issues there then the applicant will be sent for additional testing and this is probably where they will use the new test. 

[That Bingo 28]

4 minutes ago, Cyberfx1024 said:

This is only AFTER they detect something during the initial x-ray of the lungs. So in the Philippines they will do a x-ray and then if there are any issues there then the applicant will be sent for additional testing and this is probably where they will use the new test. 

Ahhh, that makes more sense. Thank you very much for the info. My fiance was starting to get worried as we have already scheduled all the medicals. Thank you

[p-ana 933]

I believe they only do skin tests on kids. Adults have an X-ray taken and if there’s any problems they will follow up with other exams but not a skin test 

[That Bingo 28]

11 minutes ago, p-ana said:

I believe they only do skin tests on kids. Adults have an X-ray taken and if there’s any problems they will follow up with other exams but not a skin test 

That is what i thought and that makes more sense. Thank you for your insight!

[Jeanne Adil 1,651]

Actually this was enacted in 2009 by USCIS and is not new

 

https://www.uscis.gov/archive/archive-news/questions-and-answers-2009-update-tuberculosis-screening-required-adjustment-status-0

[Cyberfx1024 7,978]

2 minutes ago, That Bingo said:

That is what i thought and that makes more sense. Thank you for your insight!

 

14 minutes ago, p-ana said:

I believe they only do skin tests on kids. Adults have an X-ray taken and if there’s any problems they will follow up with other exams but not a skin test 

It could be both of those but overall I think this would be a better overall option to use instead of the skin test. I knew a guy I served with in the Marines that he would come up positive for TB on the skin test but in reality he did not have it at all. 

[kris&me 572]

6 minutes ago, adil-rafa said:

Actually this was enacted in 2009 by USCIS and is not new

 

https://www.uscis.gov/archive/archive-news/questions-and-answers-2009-update-tuberculosis-screening-required-adjustment-status-0

not sure why people panic when they see posts from newspapers or online

the best information is from immigration USCIS site reading on their policies and proceedures

just google your question and only read the USCIS report on it

 

Edited September 25, 2018 by kris&me

[geowrian 22,335]

It means they will use IGRA blood tests over the TST. It does not replace x-ray scans of the lungs or sputum testing if needed.

This has already been the process in some areas (i.e. SLEC in the Philippines do this for age 2-14 children already). They have been permitted to do so since 2009, as noted in the article linked above. The change is to require IGRA over TST, not just make it permitted.

[Diane and Chris 651]

The TST requires a 72 hour reading. That would put a burden on many people if they had to come back in 3 days to complete the test. 

[Cyberfx1024 7,978]

10 hours ago, geowrian said:

It means they will use IGRA blood tests over the TST. It does not replace x-ray scans of the lungs or sputum testing if needed.

This has already been the process in some areas (i.e. SLEC in the Philippines do this for age 2-14 children already). They have been permitted to do so since 2009, as noted in the article linked above. The change is to require IGRA over TST, not just make it permitted.

Exactly what I stated above that I can see them doing the blood test over the TST if something comes up on the X-Ray.  

[kris&me 572]

11 hours ago, Diane and Chris said:

The TST requires a 72 hour reading. That would put a burden on many people if they had to come back in 3 days to complete the test. 

more of a burden on US taxpayers if an immigrant is allowed into the US with TB

and this is meant more for the countries where TB is prevailent such as the African nations

i don't think someone from Switzerland has to worry

[Diane and Chris 651]

1 hour ago, kris&me said:

more of a burden on US taxpayers if an immigrant is allowed into the US with TB

and this is meant more for the countries where TB is prevailent such as the African nations

i don't think someone from Switzerland has to worry

Who said anything about someone from Switzerland worrying about this?  I was simply stating that a TST requires returning to the place that administered the test in order to complete it. Nothing whatsoever to do with Switzerland. 

[Greenbaum 12,258]

On ‎9‎/‎25‎/‎2018 at 11:20 AM, p-ana said:

I believe they only do skin tests on kids. Adults have an X-ray taken and if there’s any problems they will follow up with other exams but not a skin test 

redacted

Edited September 26, 2018 by Greenbaum

[kris&me 572]

22 minutes ago, Diane and Chris said:

Who said anything about someone from Switzerland worrying about this?  I was simply stating that a TST requires returning to the place that administered the test in order to complete it. Nothing whatsoever to do with Switzerland. 

you post about the problems with it and since u deal with switzerland it should not be an issue for u