Visa Medicals London Review

[Julia & Aaron 19]

I thought it would be useful to post a review of my appointment at Visa Medicals in London on 4th August 2023. I found it hard to find recent ones and hopefully this'll calm someone else's nerves!

 

I waited until I had my instructions letter from the embassy before calling to book my appointment. There was a relatively short wait on the phone (better than calling my GP) and I was offered an appointment within a few days. Forgetting that I was still waiting for a letter from my GP and that it was the weekend, I had to call and reschedule for later the same week. The lady on the phone laughed when I said I got over excited.

 

I received a confirmation email with instructions like where it is, documents to bring and booking translators (if applicable)

 

I arrived at Bond St very early. Killed a couple hours in Leon, found Bentinck Street and had a wander. My appointment was at 11:10am, pressed the buzzer at 11:05am. The email suggests a one in, one out situation. That isn't the case and is probably left over from COVID era. I was worried I was going to be told off for buzzing 5 minutes early, no one even spoke on the intercom, they just let me in.

 

Visa Medicals is the first door on your right when you come in.

 

The lady on reception asked for my name and 'all the documents we asked you to bring' which threw me a bit. It's probably a good idea to have everything ready to go in one bundle, not in well organised seperate sections of a folder like I did. I think I excepted the doctor to be asking for the reports and vaccination records, not the receptionist. This is what I gave over:

 

• My passport
• 4 US sized visa photos (Snappy Snaps can do US sized photos, it was ~£35 for 8 photos)
• A copy of my ACRO police certificate
• A copy of the first page of the instructions letter form the embassy with my LND number and visa category
• Summary care record from my GP
• Vaccination records from my GP
• COVID pass from the NHS app
• Hep B vaccination proof
• Medical questionairre
• A letter from my GP outlining past mental health issues, treatments and current mental health status (because I ticked yes to self harm)
• A discharge letter form a surgery I had in 2016 (because I ticked yes to hospitalization)

 

Note, you do not get these back (except your passport) so make copies for your own records and keep the original ACRO and embassy letter for yourself.

Here's how the email words the documents required:

 

Quote

 

2. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

 

You are required to bring the following for each person having a medical examination:

Original Passport – Must be valid/in date                We do NOT accept copies of ID only certified copies of passports are valid. We will not be able to conduct the medical if copies are not OFFICIALLY certified.

4 X Recent Identical Passport style photos - UK or US size (we accept UK or US sized photographs)

ACRO Police certificate (or a copy) dated within the last 24 months for anyone 16 years of age & over (if your ACRO police certificate is more than one page long YOU MUST advise Visa Medicals Ltd ahead of your medical as you may need additional time with the Doctor. If you fail to tell us ahead of the time you may be asked to come back to go over this at an additional fee).

Vaccination records - Please provide a vaccination record for the panel to look over on the day to advise if any further vaccines are needed. Please bring Red Books, if available. https://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/pdf/Vaccine-Requirements-According-to-Applicant-Age-p.pdf  visit the above link to see which vaccines are required for each age group.

Completed medical questionnaire which can be found at; https://uk.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2017/05/USA-MEDICAL-QUESTIONNAIRE_IV.pdf

A Letter/Email from the embassy/NVC to confirm your case number and visa category

Summary of medical history from GP (NOT full medical records) and reports covering any medical conditions, disabilities, and prior serious illnesses you have been treated for or anything ongoing. Ask your GP for a Patient Summary/Care Summary.

If you wear glasses or contact lenses please bring them along to the appointment

If you have any significant/ongoing/previous medical conditions please ensure that you bring a report from your GP/Specialist/Consultant regarding this; including, medication, prognosis, management etc. (this includes conditions such as depression, anxiety, learning difficulties and hypertension). * If your medical notes are very extensive (more than 10 pages) please inform Visa Medicals before you come for your medical. This requires extra time with the doctor to go through your notes. If you do not inform us of this, you will be charged for an appointment slot for the doctor to read these notes.   PLEASE NOTE: If the Doctor feels additional reports/information is needed to complete your medical we will not send anything to the embassy until this has been received, which may cause delays to your application.   PLEASE NOTE IF YOU ARE HIV+ YOU WILL NEED TO INFORM THE CLINIC IN ADVANCE OF YOUR APPOINTMENT AS THERE WILL BE ADDITONAL SCREENING NEEDED.

Please follow this link; https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/family-immigration/medical-examination/ where you can find all forms required at your medical from the US Embassy website.

 

 

I was sent into the waiting room with two more yes/no questionairres to fill out. The first was very basic and asked questions related to allergies, steroids/immunosuppresants and pregnancy. Anything I ticked yes to, I put a note underneath explaining why.

 

The second was more detailed (and very confusing because yes/no swapped places). These are the questions I can remember:

• Have you had an injury or illness that required hospitalization?
• Multiple questions on different types of heart/thyroid/kidney/liver diseases
• Have you ever taken recreational drugs?
• Multiple questions about substance abuse, related conditions and criminal record due to substance abuse
• Have you ever had thoughts of harming yourself? Have you ever acted on those thoughts?
• Have you ever had thoughts of harming others? Have you ever acted on those thoughts?
• Current medications (I also listed non-prescribed hayfever tablets and multivitamins)
• Any other medical conditions that required treatment? (I put yes - vitamin D deficiency, treated via daily supplements)

 

Someone then called me through to take a chest x-ray. No need to remove my piercings (nipple included) and sent me back to the waiting room.

 

A few minutes later a doctor called Michaela called me through. She was extremely friendly and I felt at ease with her. We discussed some of the questions I had ticked yes to like why I had surgery and what methods I used for self harm in the past. She repeated some of the questions to me directly, particularly about drug use and harming others. She told me that the US is very keen to ask these questions due to the availability of guns and the risk of gun violence. I had an additional report on my mental health from my last counsellor, so she took that from me as all evidence is good evidence.

 

The rest of the exam was height, weight, vision, ears and mouth. Then I was asked to undress to underwear and socks and drape a gown over my lower half whilst on the bench. Here she took my blood pressure, took a blood sample for syphillis, listened to my heart and lungs, bent my knees around to check for pain and pressed different areas of my stomach. No urine sample was taken due to my age (27) and no past STDs.

 

I have a scoliosis in my spine, which she noticed and asked if it caused back pain (it doesn't) and that was that.

 

She sent me back into the waiting room while a nurse checked my vaccinations. I didn't need anything done as I'd had my DTaP booster at my GP recently and I'd already had Hep B vaccinations for work reasons in the past. They can do them for you but it may be cheaper to get them done elsewhere before your appointment.

 

I paid and was given proof of vaccinations to use when I adjust status. All in all, nothing to worry about but I am glad I was prepared! Good luck to anyone going for their medical

 

 

 

 

 

 

[wav_m 84]

This is so helpful. Thank you so much – at this stage in the process, knowing what to expect is a real gift! Glad it all went smoothly for you.

[TheGreatHB 4]

Hey It was great meeting you that day! I just wanted to post something similar about how I was going in with the worry of this being some kind of horror day when in fact everyone was wonderful, sweet and kind and full of questions both making conversation to ease the tension and for the purpose of the visa.

 

I had been worried about my mental health history being a red flag with all of the horror stories online and I didn't even have documentation but after talking about it was told it would not affect my case.

 

So yeah hoping going forward that anyone who attends sees that this experience is just fine! Although I still have the bruise from having blood taken 😂

[Julia & Aaron 19]

58 minutes ago, TheGreatHB said:

Hey It was great meeting you that day! I just wanted to post something similar about how I was going in with the worry of this being some kind of horror day when in fact everyone was wonderful, sweet and kind and full of questions both making conversation to ease the tension and for the purpose of the visa.

 

I had been worried about my mental health history being a red flag with all of the horror stories online and I didn't even have documentation but after talking about it was told it would not affect my case.

 

So yeah hoping going forward that anyone who attends sees that this experience is just fine! Although I still have the bruise from having blood taken 😂

 

I'm really glad it went well for you! I was thinking about it on the way home and I was wondering if you'd be on these forums too, haha. Best of luck with everything else going forward!

[Eren 10]

thank you so much for this post! extremely helpful. best of luck to you with your interview. 

[OsmanMCFC 19]

Great information,

 

I just had mine and it was very much like what you described

[dabursot2 9]

This is so helpful, thanks for this post,

I have a question regarding the vaccines, I am from Venezuela orginially but have been living in the UK for 6+ years, unfortunately I am not able to find previous vaccinations records from back home for me and my wife (my kids will be ok since they have all had vaccines from the NHS and their record is up to date), would I need to take the vaccines then and there at the appointment?

Would any of you know many vaccines we would need?

Is it expensive?

 

Thanks in advance

[Luis M 35]

37 minutes ago, dabursot2 said:

This is so helpful, thanks for this post,

I have a question regarding the vaccines, I am from Venezuela orginially but have been living in the UK for 6+ years, unfortunately I am not able to find previous vaccinations records from back home for me and my wife (my kids will be ok since they have all had vaccines from the NHS and their record is up to date), would I need to take the vaccines then and there at the appointment?

Would any of you know many vaccines we would need?

Is it expensive?

 

Thanks in advance

Hi, I am from Venezuela too, EB2 NIW.

 

 Unfortunately you will need to get the Vaccines unless you can provide proof.

 

We have a few we can prove because we had done title test (checks for antibodies for certain diseases/vaccines), but we will need to have a few, such as Tdap, Flu if in winter and Hep B.

 

Youbalso need covid  atvleats 2 doses I believe, but that should be on the NHS app.

 

 

Ive aded the vaccine chart as a file, is up to date and is by age.

 

Best,

 

Luis M

 

 

vaccine_chart.pdf

[dabursot2 9]

3 minutes ago, Luis M said:

Hi, I am from Venezuela too, EB2 NIW.

 

 Unfortunately you will need to get the Vaccines unless you can provide proof.

 

We have a few we can prove because we had done title test (checks for antibodies for certain diseases/vaccines), but we will need to have a few, such as Tdap, Flu if in winter and Hep B.

 

Youbalso need covid  atvleats 2 doses I believe, but that should be on the NHS app.

 

 

Ive aded the vaccine chart as a file, is up to date and is by age.

 

Best,

 

Luis M

 

 

vaccine_chart.pdf 186.89 kB · 0 downloads

Gracias Luis,

So that means in advance of the medical we should have this in place?

No chance to sort out what is required at the medical? If no which providers have you used for the vaccines you needed?

 

Thanks and regards,

[Luis M 35]

1 minute ago, dabursot2 said:

Gracias Luis,

So that means in advance of the medical we should have this in place?

No chance to sort out what is required at the medical? If no which providers have you used for the vaccines you needed?

 

Thanks and regards,

De nada.

 

You can sort out before And will be cheaper at a pharmacy or travel clinic. 

  But you can also have at the appointment if anything is missing, but better to have some done before as there are 4 or 5 different you need to have.

[Mary J 0]

Hi! Thank you for sharing your experience.  It's very helpful. 

Just to ask, about the Police Certificate,  how long did it take for you to get it? And did you apply for it by sending them an email? It's just that I didn't receive any confirmation from them that they received my request. I feel like I'm left hanging without any updates. It said on their website as well that they discourage emailing for updates since it might delay the processing of the certificate. 

Hoping to hear back from you soon. Thank you!

[Julia & Aaron 19]

2 hours ago, Mary J said:

Hi! Thank you for sharing your experience.  It's very helpful. 

Just to ask, about the Police Certificate,  how long did it take for you to get it? And did you apply for it by sending them an email? It's just that I didn't receive any confirmation from them that they received my request. I feel like I'm left hanging without any updates. It said on their website as well that they discourage emailing for updates since it might delay the processing of the certificate. 

Hoping to hear back from you soon. Thank you!

I applied for mine during the whole cyber attack thing by sending the form via email on 12/05.

 

I got a confirmation email on 26/05 and it was shipped to me on 02/06 :)

[Mary J 0]

3 hours ago, Julia & Aaron said:

I applied for mine during the whole cyber attack thing by sending the form via email on 12/05.

 

I got a confirmation email on 26/05 and it was shipped to me on 02/06

Thank you so much! At least I have a timeline to follow now. 😊

[Cimira 2]

Hello Julia and Aaron

Thank you so much for this update, it made it easier for us who haven’t done thier Medicals. But please did you schedule your visa interview appointment or the Embassy scheduled themselves?… please looking forward to your reply

[Julia & Aaron 19]

1 hour ago, Cimira said:

Hello Julia and Aaron

Thank you so much for this update, it made it easier for us who haven’t done thier Medicals. But please did you schedule your visa interview appointment or the Embassy scheduled themselves?… please looking forward to your reply

 

I scheduled the interview myself. The instructions letter I received said to attend the medical and then book the interview. There's a web link on the letter that tells you where to make the booking. They had appointments about 2 weeks in advance