question about st lukes medical exam

[hamorflic247 8]

I need some human input here because gpt and gemini are saying two different things. One says to wait until April, the other says do it ASAP. I’m leaning toward doing it now.

The usvisascheduling site finally let us book both the VAC and the Interview (previously it was only showing VAC). Our VAC is in March and the Interview is in April (really?) I guess I should be glad I checked the visa site I didn't get any notification and ceac hasn't updated. Embassy received peitition from nvc feb 10th but they need the physical file as well. 

St. Luke’s has much earlier availability than the Embassy. I've always been worried about sputum testing being ordered at this point I just want to get it over with. If it's ordered cool we have to wait anyway if not well it's good for 6 months I think. 

Edited February 18 by hamorflic247

[hamorflic247 8]

ah ok well i messed something up but now they're saying do it now didn't hurt to check here anyway at least we're seeing some progress finally!

[Ontarkie 15,159]

~~Moved to the PI forum, form K1 Progress Report- as the topic is country specific.~~

[hamorflic247 8]

We'll got hit with sputum testing 🙄 and they wondered why we were doing this early 

[Nathan Alden, Sr. 28]

@hamorflic247 What would you recommend for my wife? We're just submitting the visa application now so it will be quite some time before her visa interview, but from what I've read the medical exam results are good for up to one year. There's some timing involved but I think it makes sense to get it done significantly before the interview and CFO process.

[Theersink 52]

13 hours ago, Nathan Alden, Sr. said:

@hamorflic247 What would you recommend for my wife? We're just submitting the visa application now so it will be quite some time before her visa interview, but from what I've read the medical exam results are good for up to one year. There's some timing involved but I think it makes sense to get it done significantly before the interview and CFO process.

I would wait until a couple weeks before the interview, here is why. Medical is good for 6 months, my wife was hit with sputum and just cleared last week and now has only 3 months left on the medical. So if you do it say a month or more before the interview and IF you get hit with sputum testing you will have less time for visa expiration. Clock starts from date of FIRST day of SLEC. Depending on the finding she MAY have to go back for a final xray and/or vaccinations as well. My wife did not as her IGRA was positive and xray neg so the sputum was just for assurance. Then after you have the timeframe that it takes to get the medical to embassy, process and then get it back. So as you can see with the 6 month windows and sputum everything becomes tighter. Then you run into less than 8 weeks for an international flight and the prices start to get bad, they are already bad until about sept. Thankfully my wife's status just hit Issued yesterday so Monday it should be ready. 

So my opinion is wait and do the medical a couple of weeks or the week before the interview, just in case you get the sputum testing. It will give you more time at the end of things and not have to rush to beat the visa date.

[spicynujac 106]

We wanted to do the medical exam the same time as the interview, but the logistics are a bit more difficult now, because they split up fingerprinting and interview into two separate buildings that must be scheduled on 2 separate days (and the new scheduling website is confusing just giving you a bunch of unexplained acronyms with appointment times).  Due to the cheap cost of PH air travel, it was just as cheap to pay for two separate trips to Manila, one for the interview/fingerprint and another for the medical test. 

 

My wife went with her sister for one of those and turned it into a mini-vacation.  There's a cool hotel with aquariums for walls and an on-site waterpark that my wife loved within walking distance to the Embassy.  My advice, once you are assigned a scheduled date for the interview, schedule the medical test then (I believe you can book a medical appt as soon as the next day). 

 

Ideally, the medical test should be done prior to the interview.  As long as it's done a couple of days before your interview, it's fine.  Even if it's done afterwards, or you get hit with the dreaded sputum testing, you can still do the interview, they just hold your visa until the medical test is finalized.

Looking at my history, our interview was 8 months after I-130 approval (!?!) so I wouldn't rush it.  Our medical exam was done a week or two prior to her interview date.  By the way, the medical fee you will pay is the biggest ripoff in the whole Philippines!  They recently doubled it.  It's expensive even by American health care standards!  

 

In hindsight it didn't seem like 8 months for us because there was a lot going on at this point, gathering final documents, getting her new passport with my last name, wife making 2 trips to Manila (along with an extra couple of days of sightseeing), bridal showers, planning a lovely church ceremony and honeymoon, etc.  You are in the home stretch! And at least you will get the IR1 permanent residency / 10 yr GC like we did!

Edited Thursday at 07:13 PM by spicynujac

[W199 576]

On 4/24/2026 at 10:11 AM, Nathan Alden, Sr. said:

@hamorflic247 What would you recommend for my wife? We're just submitting the visa application now so it will be quite some time before her visa interview, but from what I've read the medical exam results are good for up to one year. There's some timing involved but I think it makes sense to get it done significantly before the interview and CFO process.

I think its more like 3-6 months.

 

And the medical must be valid at the time you arrive in the USA, not just when you have the interview.  

 

I don't think they will even allow you to schedule it, until you have your interview appointment.