Are sealed packet(s) really required at the POE?

[Joschka 8]

I have seen two statements on various gov and non-gov websites.

 

1. The health examination records will be in a sealed envelope that says ‘DO NOT OPEN’ on it. But the envelope does not say ANYTHING about not opening AND the Consular officials in Taipei (location of interview) opened the health examination packet.

2. At the interview, you will be given a sealed packet to bring with you to the POE. But my wife was NOT given any sealed packet.

 

Are these problems for us or are the instruction outdated?

[p-ana 933]

The sealed medical is supposed to be opened at the embassy/ consulate during/ before interview. How would the consulate officer know the applicant is cleared to get a visa if it the medical stayed sealed?

The do not open envelope is supposed to have all paperwork gathered from sending the petition to approval of visa. Nowadays most embassies and consulates are online so there may or may not be a sealed envelope. The applicant should get a letter explaining it. This has been discussed recently so you should be able to find other threads talking about this

[Joschka 8]

3 minutes ago, p-ana said:

The sealed medical is supposed to be opened at the embassy/ consulate during/ before interview. How would the consulate officer know the applicant is cleared to get a visa if it the medical stayed sealed?

The do not open envelope is supposed to have all paperwork gathered from sending the petition to approval of visa. Nowadays most embassies and consulates are online so there may or may not be a sealed envelope. The applicant should get a letter explaining it. This has been discussed recently so you should be able to find other threads talking about this

Another website had a direct statement that if you have opened the medical packet you will not be admitted to the US. It seems crazy.

 

We were not given any 'letter explaining' so I'm not sure what I should do now.

 

Can you suggest some search terms I could use here to look for more discussion?

 

Thanks

[Crazy Cat 39,217]

Was your wife's passport delivered to her after the interview at AIT?

[geowrian 22,335]

31 minutes ago, Joschka said:

Another website had a direct statement that if you have opened the medical packet you will not be admitted to the US. It seems crazy.

If you open the medical packet that says "DO NOT OPEN" then they won't issue the visa. You could have tampered with the documents. A new (sealed) copy of the results would be needed.

The same applies for the sealed envelope presented at POE. The embassy/consulate can reseal it if it is opened.

Not sure what's crazy here...they don't want people tampering with documents. The only crazy part is that they don't have everything sent electronically for everybody...it's 2018.

Edited October 16, 2018 by geowrian

[Joschka 8]

6 minutes ago, missileman said:

Was your wife's passport delivered to her after the interview at AIT?

They kept a few of our original documents and said those and her passport would arrive after three days.

 

That is exactly what happened. (Actually, we have no way of knowing exactly what they kept, but I'm assuming we got everything back.

[Joschka 8]

4 minutes ago, geowrian said:

If you open the medical packet that says "DO NOT OPEN" then they won't issue the visa. You could have tampered with the documents. A new (sealed) copy of the results would be needed.

The same applies for the sealed envelope presented at POE. The embassy/consulate can reseal it if it is opened.

Not sure what's crazy here...they don't want people tampering with documents. The only crazy part is that they don't have everything sent electronically for everybody...it's 2018.

The medical packet DOES NOT have anything on it about DO NOT OPEN. At the Consular office, the OPENED the medical packet to took out a few items.

 

My wife did NOT receive ANY sealed packets from the Consulate. She only received her passport and a few documents that they kept at the interview.

[Crazy Cat 39,217]

1 minute ago, Joschka said:

They kept a few of our original documents and said those and her passport would arrive after three days.

 

That is exactly what happened. (Actually, we have no way of knowing exactly what they kept, but I'm assuming we got everything back.

It is very likely that AIT now electronically transmits the case to the CBP system.  Many consulates are doing that now.  In those cases, the immigrant needs only the passport with the CR-1/IR-1 visa inside to enter the US.

[geowrian 22,335]

2 minutes ago, Joschka said:

The medical packet DOES NOT have anything on it about DO NOT OPEN. At the Consular office, the OPENED the medical packet to took out a few items.

 

My wife did NOT receive ANY sealed packets from the Consulate. She only received her passport and a few documents that they kept at the interview.

I can't speak to the medical packet from Tawian.

 

That's totally possible. As noted above, a small handful of consulates (maybe more now?) have finally switched over to electronic delivery of the required documents.

Edited October 16, 2018 by geowrian

[Joschka 8]

1 minute ago, missileman said:

It is very likely that AIT now electronically transmits the case to the CBP system.  Many consulates are doing that now.  In those cases, the immigrant needs only the passport with the CR-1/IR-1 visa inside to enter the US.

That sounds great!

 

But there IS the matter of the chest x-ray (which in our case is a CD containing the digital x-ray and a program that will display it on a computer screen.

[geowrian 22,335]

Just now, Joschka said:

But there IS the matter of the chest x-ray (which in our case is a CD containing the digital x-ray and a program that will display it on a computer screen.

That's yours to do whatever you want with. They do not collect that at POE (nor would they have a way to view it there).

[Joschka 8]

Just now, geowrian said:

That's yours to do whatever you want with. They do not collect that at POE (nor would they have a way to view it there).

That's really odd! The gov web site has detailed instructions on how you must 'hand-carry' the x-ray and must NOT put it in checked baggage! (I seem to remember you are not to put it in carry-on baggage either.)

[geowrian 22,335]

39 minutes ago, Joschka said:

That's really odd! The gov web site has detailed instructions on how you must 'hand-carry' the x-ray and must NOT put it in checked baggage! (I seem to remember you are not to put it in carry-on baggage either.)

That was the case in the past (not that recent either)...before they were electronic.

[TNJ17 1,329]

If the envelope says do not open you DO NOT open. Simple as that. 

[Crazy Cat 39,217]

7 hours ago, Joschka said:

That's really odd! The gov web site has detailed instructions on how you must 'hand-carry' the x-ray and must NOT put it in checked baggage! (I seem to remember you are not to put it in carry-on baggage either.)

Looks like things have changed at AIT since my wife's CR-1 was issued in mid 2017.  She received her passport, a seal envelope, and a CD with Xray images on it from AIT....along with documents explaining what to do with the packet and instructions for paying the $220 GC fee.  Electronically transmitting the case to CBP has really made the process much better imo.