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I got approved for IR-6 at my interview today!

So now I have to wait up to 90 days for the Permanent Resident Card. I wonder if it will take them 89 days, or if it's usually sent out earlier and 90 days is a "just in case" thing on their part. Then SSN comes next.

What visa are you adjusting from. You mentioned you did a medical prior to a visa interview (I'm assuming since you mentioned embassy approved physicians) so I'm assuming you did one before coming to the US and now you're doing one again... If you've already had one prior to getting a visa, why are you doing one again? Did it expire? Just asking to make sure you're not re-doing a medical because of the AOS if you already did one prior to the embassy stage and USCIS already has it...

Adjusting from VWP, and I did not do any medicals or anything else prior to this, since it was a spontaneous decision to start the whole process in the US. I did not include the I-693 in the first package I sent in and waited for the NoA asking for one, and I am bringing it to the interview in a couple of weeks!

Is it really that much to do the medical exam in Norway? I'm assuming it is covered, or are the embassy approved physicians all private? I paid 125 dollars (620-1000 kroner, 1000 right now because of the ridiculously weak krone) for mine in the US. You'd think it would be the other way around price wise.

Hi guys!!

Quick question about TB vs. Scandinavians... I'm 28 years old and had my TB vaccine in 1999, and I have the scar on my arm to prove it, and records of it of course. I am doing my medical next week probably and was wondering if any Scandinavians (since all kids got the BCG shot at school in most of Europe) needed a booster vaccine or anything similar? I heard some people say it needs to be refilled every 10 years?

I just called this office, as many have suggested:

Dr. Sunita Lohiya, Royal Medical Group
1120 West Warner Avenue, Suite A, Santa Ana, CA 92707
(714) 444-4448

They said they'd do the full exam and everything for 120 dollars, and you do not have to make an appointment, even for the full medical. The guy on the phone said bring your vaccination records and told me about the TB test/vaccine.

Dr. Antonio Carbayo

415 North Sycamore Street Suite 101

Santa Ana, CA, 92701

714-667-6900

He's really cheap. He's close to 4th St. in Santa Ana.

Thanks for the tip Will check him out. Do you remember what you paid for the full exam with him?

I'm about to start calling around to find out who is the cheapest, and I am hoping it will not exceed 200 dollars, and I thought I'd try asking you guys first. I'm sure some of you recently went to a CS here in Southern California. I am adjusting from tourist visa and I need to do the full medical and obtain vaccination transcripts to complete my I-693 form. I am currently residing in Orange County, but anywhere in the greater LA area would be fine.

Any tips are greatly appreciated!

It's usually wise to take copies of all documents you filed, in the event they miss lay any. Any documents, they requested to take to the interview are usually, the original, so even though you have sent your original, you never know... Therefore, get another set of what's missing, if possable and Good luck with your interview.

So they basically want a copy of everything in my application (or the originals) except for their own forms? I obtained a lot of documents only and specifically for the purpose of the application, and I did not want to just give them a copy of it, especially not the foreign documents with signatures and official stamps, so they have a lot of originals or signed copies already. I'll just try to get as many new originals as possible... Even if it's a bit of a hassle since I'm in another country now!

Ok, so what I understand is that you are going back to Norway now?

Where is your interview, and did NVC schedule it or USCIS?

No, I cannot go back to Norway since I adjusted status in the US. If I leave the country, my case will be abandoned. I did not apply for any permits that would let me leave and come back, nor do I need that. If you adjust here, you HAVE to stay here, and you are ALLOWED to stay here while waiting for the decision. So essentially, I came here, adjusted status, and now I am waiting for the final decision.

I have not dealt with NVC at all, it has been USCIS 100%, and my interview is scheduled at an office here in Southern California

Ok got it thanks for your reply. Seems like the NVC are late scheduling for september, thats why I asked.. That involves everyone not only swedes.

Did you receive your interview letter recently? What day ?

By the way, you were able to stay on VWP and then adjust status? Thought that was immigration fraud..

It was sent out August 7, and I received it today Slow delivery! But fast processing...

It is only considered fraud if your intent was to stay in the country when you landed (as a tourist), which was not the case for me - I wrote them a letter of intent as well I was going to help my spouse set up for a new job here then return to Norway, but it fell through and plans changed. I was planning to go to Stockholm after returning to Norway and ask about my choices for staying with him in the US in any way, but a USCIS officer here mentioned I could adjust status from the US while on WVP, as long as the intent was not to stay here when I landed!

If you come here on a tourist visa with the intent of immigrating, then yes, that is very much considered fraud! (So do not try doing that, people reading this).

Hi!

What visa did you apply prior to your AOS? To enter into the US, no matter what visa it is, it is required to have a medical checkup in their countries at designated clinics, and you'll be given a copy of the report too. If you did that medical checkup and applying for AOS within a year of the report date, then you do not need a full medical. If you are submitting your AOS application a year after the date of that report, then you need to do a full medical.

And if you didn't do that medical however, you can just bring along your vaccine record to the civil surgeons and let them do their work. The purpose of I-693 is to make sure you took all the vaccine requirement by the US. If you took all necessary shots, then the surgeons only need to sign the transcription to confirm you did. Anyhow, they're very experiences surgeon so just go. They'll know instantly what you need, since they're the designated civil surgeon after all, people went there all the time.

To read more in detail, you can go to USCIS web: http://www.uscis.gov/i-693

Good luck!

Thank you for replying

I see now, thank you KayDeeCee, that this thread was made for those adjusting from family based visas, I got a bit lost in navigating! Since I'm adjusting from VWP (tourist visa), other rules will apply. I did the concurrent filing of I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) and I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status) in mid June this year.

I did not do any medical yet at all, but I did get my vaccination records from Norway.

So I guess a full medical is what I need. I think I'll still try out the CS you went to, since they seem honest and cheap! I'm just hoping it won't go much over 200 dollars for everything.

Hi there!

When did you get to know your interview date and was it by email or phone? Are you interviewing in Sweden? Still here waiting for my date..

Is it cr1/ir1 visa?

Thanks!

Hi!

I am currently in California, so the interview will be held here! If I stayed in Norway, it would probably have been held in Stockholm. I got a notice letter in the mail. It was CR1 at the time I sent in my application, but our two year anniversary just passed so I'll have to remind the officer that it will have to be IR1 now I am not familiar with the proceedings in Scandinavia I'm afraid, if they call/email/send letters...

I can vouch for this. I went about 3 months ago. Paid about $30 or $35 (sorry memory a little blurry now) for transcription, $30 (?) for TB and about $40(?) for Varicella testing. Was told that the Varicella shot is expensive (over $100) so it's better to test if I already have it or not first. Got my shot and blood test, I went on a friday and the report is ready to pickup the next monday. Swift and painless (not literally though, the TB shot was torture for days!).

Hi, JuLu!

I am in the OC and I got a request for the I-693, which I did not submit with my AOS (from VWP) package. This office seems like a great place to go, however, how do you determine that you do not need the full medical? I see other people on this forum who did not do the entire medical either. Is this optional? I did not receive anything from USCIS about specifics for the I-693, just that it needs to be valid, completed and signed, and I do see a lot of sections on the form, like chest x-ray, syphilis, drug stuff and whatnot. I have my Norwegian vaccination card with me, and recently got fresh vaccines, and I do not think I need any vaccinations. I don't have any diseases either... I mean if I do not do a medical, how do they fill out those sections in the form?

Hi!

Norwegian citizen, married to US citizen (for two years this July, so I guess IR-1 is our option now!). Sent in application (AOS, etc) June 11, from the US (while under VWP).

Interview (in the US) scheduled for mid September, and I am wondering which documents are VITAL to bring.

I sent in my "original" birth certificate and marriage certificate with my application and do not currently possess any copies of these. I say "original" because we do not receive fancy looking original documents in Norway, nothing next to the grandeur of say, the American birth certificate. I ordered a birth certificate and marriage certificate from the government, and this is what I used for the application. I also had these Apostille stamped just in case. These would count as "original" in Norway, even though I can order more, identical "copies" if I want, and they should arrive quickly so my family can send them to the US.

The marriage certificate we received in Norway was a one sided page print out with relevant information, an official stamp and an official's signature.

My birth certificate was similar, with relevant information and an official stamp and an official's signature.

In my checklist of what to bring (that I currently do not possess), I see:

"Your Birth Certificate"

"A certified copy of your Marriage Certificate Document issued by the appropriate civil authority"

I guess my question is: Are these two documents are ABSOLUTELY vital documents, even though they were submitted with the application? And as I mentioned, a new "original copy" of my Birth Certificate would be the same as the one I submitted with the application. Any Norwegians who might have experience with this?

There is also:

"Original and copy of each supporting document that you submitted with your application. Otherwise, we may keep your originals for our records".

It was my intent to let them have the originals, so do I not need to worry about these supporting documents? I neither need nor want any document attached to my application back.

There is also the elusive:

"All documentation establishing your eligibility for Lawful Permanent Resident status".

What would this encompass? Is this not everything I already sent in as a whole package? Is there anything specific they want here?

Thank you in advance!

Hi guys!

I'm in the process of sending in my application, and I just want to verify that what I will be sending in is accurate...

Long story short...

- I (Norwegian citizen) married US citizen in July 2013 in Norway

- I am currently in the US under VWP

- Previously lived in Norway with spouse for one year (Jan 2014-Feb 2015) (Norwegian family immigration)

- Did not intend to stay here. We were both going to work in our respective home countries for a year or two to save up money, but plans changed.

I've gathered that I need to send in:

i-130

i-485

i-864
i-864a (for me, using my self employed income to meet income requirement)

2x G-325A (one for me, one for US spouse)

2x (separate) checks for i-130 and i-485

+ accompanying documents, passport style photos, birth/marriage certificates, tax papers etc. Feel free to list everything you sent in so I can match my pile with yours.

Where I'm not so sure is:

i-693 (did not have any medical appointments in the US yet. I've heard they just RFE you for these later? I thought the medical exam would be part of the biometrics appointment. I do however have an up to date vaccination certificate, but I think I'll wait for the RFE to send this)

i-765 (I am self employed and will not be getting a US employer, but if filing this with everything else means no extra fee, should I just do it anyway?)

Things proving bona fide marriage? Do we have to submit pictures of us together along with these documents, or can this wait for the interview? We did a quick and painless city hall ceremony and do not actually have "wedding photos" per se, but we do have other photos of us together of course.

I also assume ignore filling in anything in "A-number" fields, as I have no such alien number.

Anything else I'm missing?

Excuse the long post

Here's what I was told by the doctor who does the medical exams for Norwegians: If you're between the ages of 19 and 49, the vaccines you need are MMR, tetanus/diphteria (must be refilled if it's been more than 10 years since you had yours - I had that done and got the combo tetanus/diphteria/pertussis/polio vaccine), varicalla unless you've had it. You can get a printout of your old vaccinations on https://helsenorge.no/vaksiner/mine-vaksiner, and this is good enough for the medical exam.

It doesn't hurt to be ahead of things, especially not the immunizations which are easily done ahead of time and won't "expire" while the visa process is underway.

Tusen takk

Can I simply tell the doctor I've had varicalla disease (vannkopper) and they'll believe me? It's not like you can get that again once you've had it. I got the print out already, and it's been more than ten years since I've had any of them, so I guess I should get a refill...

MMR does not need to be refilled right? Never heard about that.

Sounds like all I need is to get the combo vaccine you had!

Hi guys, I'm way ahead of things at the moment, did not file any documents or apply, still need to find out if it's even feasible in my situation. However I have a quick question about vaccines needed...

I was immunized for everything on the requirement list as a child (as far as I can see), except for Hep B. Is this a vaccine they require I get? Also, will my certification of vaccinations showing immunization as a child (I am 28 years old) still be valid, or do I need to get a "refill" of certain vaccines?

I've seen some people say they were required to get a vaccine for varicella (chicken pox). I had the chicken pox when I was 4, but I don't really have any proof of this except if they check my blood.

Takk!