strangefella

On 11/13/2019 at 6:57 PM, Nouchigang said:

Hello,

 

Sorry for the long wait, there is not much you can do except trying to contact the local Senator and Congressman and also Ombudsman and hope for the best. I was in a similar situation until 1 day, 1 year after our interview   most likely because we moved and filed AR-11, that they looked at our file again and approved it

 

 

Good luck

On 11/14/2019 at 8:49 PM, ZeeZeeZee said:

 

 

Both of my inquiries are actually still unanswered, even though they finally issued the EAD last month. So in terms of responding, they're not great! But in terms of the timelines they gave: the first one (via the USCIS website) was a month, and the second (submitted by the Tier 2 person) was 2 weeks. I'd say it's definitely worth asking to be transferred to the Tier 2 officer first, but if not then you can at least start the clock ticking on an inquiry deadline. Good luck!

 

 

 

 

Haha right?! I swear I've spent more time in the DMV in 3 years than most native Californians have in their lifetimes.

Here is an update. On Nov 30th I was pleasantly surprised to find the 10 year Green Card in my mailbox. I was discussing with my wife about filing a status inquiry after collecting the mail. As I was going through the pile of mail and dumping out the trash (newsletters, coupons etc) I was surprised to see an of envelope from USCIS. I was expecting it to be the RFE. Opened the envelope, and it contained a letter saying my GC was approved. And then I saw another envelope, opened it and there was the GC.

20 hours ago, Nouchigang said:

Hello,

 

Sorry for the long wait, there is not much you can do except trying to contact the local Senator and Congressman and also Ombudsman and hope for the best. I was in a similar situation until 1 day, 1 year after our interview   most likely because we moved and filed AR-11, that they looked at our file again and approved it

 

 

Good luck

I am going to give USCIS a call next week and see what they have to say. If I can't get them to get the file moving then I will call the Congressman's office. They were extremely helpful with expediting my EAD. 

18 hours ago, ZeeZeeZee said:

It's probably worth phoning up USCIS and asking them directly; 10 months has got to be well outside normal processing times for this, so the call centre person will either submit a case status inquiry for you or transfer you to a Tier 2 person who can actually answer your questions. If they submit an inquiry, make sure you ask what date you can expect an answer by, because once you have an overdue pending inquiry on your case they get a lot better about letting you speak to the Tier 2 officers.

 

Before you phone, it's worth googling to look up the current route through their automated answering system, because it's suuuuper difficult to find the "talk to actual person" option otherwise. They also have a limit on how many people they can transfer to Tier 2 per day, so it helps to call early (~8-11 Eastern).

 

You can also get your Senator/Congresscritter involved, but if you're not in an immediate hurry then that might not be worth the effort just yet. If you can get a solid answer from USCIS first about what's causing the delay, that'll make it easier to figure out your next move. Or if USCIS keep brushing you off, that's useful info to take to your representative's office as well!

 

(I haven't been in this exact situation, but USCIS sat on my EAD application for 8 months so I have some recent experience with nagging them about delays. They eventually approved my EAD application and scheduled my GC interview within minutes of each other, less than two weeks after a Tier 2 officer submitted an inquiry on my behalf, so... who knows if that helped. Having a clear "you can expect an answer by this date; if not then call back" made the delays easier to cope with, at least.)

 

Thank you. This is very helpful. I remember a post on ***removed*** where someone had mentioned how to get to an actual person. If I recall correctly it was to select the option for change of address and then go from there. Do you know how long they generally take to respond to a case inquiry? I am thinking of trying to get through to a level 2 officer when I call and ask him/her about it. 

I am not in an immediate hurry as I have my EAD/AP card and it won't expire until September. But hey, the sooner I can get the 10 year GC the better it is. I am sick and tired of running to the DMV to renew driving license every year.

Last month we got a letter saying we have got the AOS interview scheduled on Jan 15th in Baltimore. I did not expect to get an interview date within 6-7 months of submission of my application, but I am not gonna complain about it. Right now we are assembling a bunch of folders/documents to make the strongest possible case during the interview. I have gone though a bunch of threads that have discussed such documents/packages. So I wanted to get some feedback on what I have assembled so far. Additionally, I could really some suggestions on how to make a strong case in the light not living with my wife right now, and a lack of joint finances. Despite the fact that we have had a strong relationship for close to 7 years, these factors will very likely be detrimental to our case. So I need your help on how to mitigate these circumstances, if possible at all. 

1) My wife and I are living in different states since early December as I moved from MD to CA to start a new job. I just could not find any suitable job in my area, and this job was a once in a lifetime opportunity. My wife is from CA and her family lives there. I plan to move back to MD after a year or so as CA is just crazy expensive to buy a home. I am sure this will count against us in the interview. It seems like cohabitation is a big deal. Can anything be done to downplay this? My wife changed her last name to mine, and I got on her health insurance. 

2) We don't have any joint finances, no joint accounts or joint tax filing. Financially we have always been very independent. We are beneficiary's at each others work. When we were renting an apartment together, we have the leases to show for it. Since my wife purchased a house, I pay for part of the mortgage by transferring money to her bank account. I don't have any clue what to do about it. 

3) We did not keep photocopies of the submitted forms (I-485, I-130, I-131, I-765, I-864). I do have the saved PDFs of the filled out forms, which I plant to print out and bring to the interview. I do have a copy of I-693 that the doctor gave me. In hindsight I should have kept photocopies of submitted forms, I don't know if the interviewer expect me to bring them. What should I do in this case?

Thank you in advance!

List of documents/evidence supporting marriage:

Folder 0: AOS Related Forms
- Prints of forms submitted to USCIS
- Subfolder containing all I-797s

Folder 1: Petitioner's US Citizenship and Identity
- Birth certificate
- US passport
- Driver's license

Folder 2: Petitioner's Proof of Income
- W2 of last three years
- Pay stubs of last 3 months

Folder 3: Beneficiary's Identity 
- Birth Certificate
- Passport
- US Visa
- EAD combo card
- I20s from college (old)
- I94
- Social security card

Folder 4: Proof of Family Relationship Between Petitioner & Spouse Beneficiary
- Marriage certificate
- Social security card showing wife's change of last name

Folder 5: Proof of Cohabitation (past only)
- Title of car owned jointly by me & my wife (for last 6 years)
- W2s of me & my wife showing same address (for last 6 years)
- Health insurance cards
- Car insurance cards (both our cars under same insurance)
- Apartment lease with our names 2014-2016

Folder 6: Proof of Travels
- Copies of wife's visa to India, immigration stamps on passport in India
- Flight tickets from CA to MD during Christmas break to visit wife

Folder 7: Photographs (making it pretty extensive)
- Photographs of us over the years
- Photographs showing both of us in important events in wife's family (weddings & etc) 
- Photographs taken during Indian ceremony in India
- Photographs taken during wedding in USA

Folder 8: Screenshots of FB posts of important events
- Prints of screenshots of FB posts (with date & time) showing us over the last 6 years 
- Prints of screenshots of wife's communication on FB (with date & time) with my mother

Go through the office of your congressman or senator. USCIS had denied my expedite request and told me that I will have to wait for a month before I can apply for another expedite request. The congressman's office called, and not only did they accept the expedite application after a couple of days of the original decision, but also issued me an EAD within 4 days or so of receiving the expedite request from the congressman's office. 

On 9/18/2018 at 2:49 PM, NancyLyz said:

Hmm that's honestly the 1st time I've seen on the forum that they denied someone's expedition request even if you have the job offer ready.

 

Do you have any unpaid bills or loans? Any documents you can have to show you have great financial burdens? You can file another expedition request 15 days or so after the previous denial (correct me if I'm wrong).

 

And Since you only submitted the package on July (and 1 RFIE in Aug), they may not be very motivated to expedite your case (Just my opinion, it may not be true at all).

 

I'd say wait until the official denial letter or notification. Prepare all your documents and try to expedite again.

UPDATE:

My EAD was approved, I saw it in my mailbox yesterday. Yayy! The status on USCIS website had not changed until yesterday, but this morning it says that EAD card was delivered. The expedite requests were filed independently by congressman's and senator's offices. I had requested them to check my status for the original expedite request, but they ended up filing the EAD expedite requests on their own. 

Nope I did not have any unpaid loans, just regular bills. My wife makes enough to cover for both of us, as per I-864. I never got any notification/letter about the rejection and the filings by congressman's and senator's offices. The EAD arrived in my mailbox yesterday.  The status had not changed until day before, since my application package was received in July. This morning I saw that the status says card delivered by mail. 

On 9/19/2018 at 8:50 AM, killadocg23 said:

Apparently as of recently , they don’t accept financial loss as a reason any more for expedite. Me and a member on here had that discussion and she called and that was what she was told maybe 2 weeks ago or so. Who knows maybe they saw this thread on VJ and everybody trying to expedite. Maybe you got a bad person to talk to? Idk. It sucks though. Hopefully my EAD comes soon. 

The first person I reached over phone (officer who spoke after the call was forwarded) on (09/17) while making an inquiry was quite rude, and be honest could barely speak English. The  next day (09/18) I called again to try my luck in finding someone who was more polite. This person told me that my EAD was rejected. This same person told me that I could apply for EAD expedite again after another month.

Congressman's office filed for my EAD on the same day (09/17), but I came to know about it only on 09/20. And then senator's office mailed me on 09/24 saying they have also requested for EAD expedite. I had requested their services just to make an inquiry on my original expedite request, but they filed for expedites on their own. I don't know under what category they filed the requests. In my letter I had mentioned that I have no income other than salary which was going to stop. However I had made it clear that the position I had was a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with one of the most well known researcher in my field. 

On 9/18/2018 at 8:36 PM, Damara said:

@strangefella 

You got the offer in June with a start date in Oct. You didnt even apply for AOS until July/ So I think maybe because you had the offer even before you applied for AOS its not considered a change in financial circumstances- I really dont know. I can tell you if you re-apply you need to submit something different then what you already gave them. What else do you have that you can add?

Yes, the offer letter I had an expiry date in June. The documents I sent to congressman's office were exactly the same documents I sent to USCIS the first time. 

4 minutes ago, 4rmGhanaliveinATL said:

When did you receive the notification? And was it via email or mail? We just happened to have faxed our evidence on the same day that’s why I’m kind of interested in your timeline.  Thank you. I on the other hand haven’t received any response 

I did not get any notification.Called yesterday and they refused to give me any update. Called today and was told it was denied for not being a valid reason. 

1 minute ago, NancyLyz said:

Well what was the reason you filed for expedition?

 

 

Filed under financial loss. I had sent them job offer letter, letter from future boss and a cover letter. 

On 9/13/2018 at 1:03 PM, NancyLyz said:

Give them up to 5 full business days before you call them up. Otherwise you'd just be getting the generic answer of you will need to wait.

 

In addition, they may or may not actually put in updates online for your case. If they do, you'll probably receive an update by the weekend or next Monday. 

 

With that update, you'll again need to wait for about a week or two to receive updates about approvals and card production (if approved).

USCIS denied my EAD expedite request saying it was not a valid reason. I am distraught.  I don't know what I am gonna do. 

I faxed the documents  supporting my EAD expedite request to USCIS on last Friday  (09/07).. I did get an okay confirmation  when I faxed them. But I have not seen any update on my case status, nor did I get any email from USCIS. 

What should I do ? Fax the documents again ? Call them ? Contact a senator ? 

On 9/5/2018 at 12:10 PM, eckoin said:

My expedite request is showing up on the USCIS site (egov.uscis.gov) under I-765 status (but apparently it doesn't count as an update, since it "last updated" back in July).  On my.uscis.gov, I see nothing at all, just that the application was received and I have nothing to do about it.

 

I'm a little jealous that your case is ready to be scheduled for interview.  I feel like mine isn't moving at all.  I'm envisioning the officer looking at it, deciding it's too complicated, and putting it away or something.  Ah well.  Good luck on the expedite!

An update on my EAD card expedite request. Just got an email from USCIS asking for supporting documents. Still does not show anything on the USCIS site (egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/mycasestatus.do) though. I will be sending (1) the job offer letter, (2) letter from future boss and (3) a letter from me stating why this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to USCIS by fax tomorrow. 

"Upon receipt of your request for expeditious handling, your case was reviewed and a determination was made that we need additional information to make a decision regarding your request.  Please fax proof of your financial loss, such as proof of a pending job offer, to the following number:  816-***-****, Attn:*********. Please include this notice with your fax. Documents should be submitted with an official letterhead.

 So my future boss wrote me a letter to support my request to expedite the EAD card. Called USCIS this morning and asked the agent to submit a request to expedite my EAD application. I was given a request number (T1********* MSC). 

On another note, how do you check  progress on the EAD expedite request ? Do you use the old I-765 receipt number or the new request number given over phone ? 

9 hours ago, thepanda said:

I wasn’t able to get a letter from my company either. Neither from my boss nor HR. I submitted my evidence without the letter. You should argue how rare this opportunity is. 

I also don’t agree with a statement above that a congressman or senator wouldn’t help. I contacted mine and I do believe it helped. I also disagree that you only get an approval if a couple has been struggling because only of the partner hasn’t been working for months. I was approved 8 business days. 

 

Don’t get discouraged. I think you have good chances because you are in the field of research. 

Wow, 8 days was fast.  If I expedite a request and it gets turned down, then will the processing  get delayed further ?  I was discussing it with someone from my lab and that is what I was told. 
Would you mind sharing a template of the letter you sent USCIS ? 

On 8/23/2018 at 3:20 PM, A&H2018 said:

 

Since its research for a public instition. All three financial loss to yourself, the company (school in this case) and humanitarian reasons work. You need the job offer letter and then yes letter from future boss with their email signature at least. Financial loss does not mean near broke/homeless, its relative for everyone again university research positions do not come about everyday and typically if you dont get one in October you may not till following year as I am sure you know, need to express that to USCIS.

 

Again you can do both because no CA senator is going to turn down helping a public university in their state, I would get the letter from employer ready first. Then start by reaching out to your MD congressman/senator for help, if they seem not super helpful I would go to Senator Feinstein right away.

So I contacted the future boss in research organization (in the school) which is hiring me, and the forwarded me to the HR. Now HR told that they as an organization cannot offer a letter mentioning financial loss to them as they would not truthfully experience a financial loss with the delay of your hiring.  But the boss might be able to write up something separately. Does that make a difference ? I think the boss is a bit nervous about this. Darn, this has put me in a tricky situation. 

6 minutes ago, A&H2018 said:

 

Since its research for a public instition. All three financial loss to yourself, the company (school in this case) and humanitarian reasons work. You need the job offer letter and then yes letter from future boss with their email signature at least. Financial loss does not mean near broke/homeless, its relative for everyone again university research positions do not come about everyday and typically if you dont get one in October you may not till following year as I am sure you know, need to express that to USCIS.

 

Again you can do both because no CA senator is going to turn down helping a public university in their state, I would get the letter from employer ready first. Then start by reaching out to your MD congressman/senator for help, if they seem not super helpful I would go to Senator Feinstein right away.

Thank you for your input! I will get started on it tomorrow. 

20 minutes ago, A&H2018 said:

Your job offer is from a university and very likely has to do with research in some aspect I am guessing? You will jump to the front of the expedite line, you can call a CA senator or USCIS. Just get the university to write up a letter why they need you, they do it all the time. Basically your case is super easy.

Yes, it is a research position. Will a letter from the future boss in CA stating my importance to the projects do ? I don't know if I can get a university official to write one for me. 

Couple of other questions. What do you reckon I should approach this expedite request ? Call USCIS first and send letter from boss if asked for or gather the letter first ? Right now I am in MD. Should I approach a CA or MD senator ?  

So I have no choice but to request USCIS to expedite my EAD card. I got a job offer in a major west coast university around mid June with a joining date of Oct 3rd. I was planning to relocate from MD to CA in mid September. But I am not sure if I will have my EAD card before my tentative moving date if I don't expedite it. 

Thanks guys, I sent the tax returns and the updated form. The documents have been accepted and status changed to "ready to be scheduled for interview".

9 hours ago, killadocg23 said:

Search Up the users Colorado Beauty and aussieguy12 i believe. They had an EXCELLENT way of preparing their package and i followed it. Sent mine off wed so hopefully its all good to go.

Will do. Thank you! 
 

8 hours ago, Mel40 said:

Is wife a sufficient sponsor? If not she might need a co sponsor. Did she file her 2017 taxes?

Yes, she is and she did. We mentioned on tax returns that we are married but filing separately.  

5 minutes ago, Mmagic said:

Looks good.

I would add a copy of US CITIZENSHIP CERTIFICATE of your wife.

If you will be requesting to expedite your EAD, you have so prove to USCIS of financial hardship for both you and your wife. 

Thanks for your feedback. My wife is a US citizen by birth, so I am adding a copy of birth certificate. 

Yeah, I know. I have put only my wife's finances in I-864, so financial hardship may not be easy to prove. I will be be getting a letter from the job saying that they need me else they lose money or something like that. And I will also include a house leasing letter.  I hoping it works, but I think I have got no other recourse. 

I am an Indian F-1 student married to a US citizen for the last 8 months. I know I should have applied earlier, 
but it got delayed at I was going through an incredible amount of anxiety due to academic, financial and other
reasons. All of those problems have been settled for good now. I have a job starting in 3 months, and I need an EAD card. 
I know I will have to request them to expedite it later. Applying for AOS, EAD and advanced parole altogether. 
My wife is the sponsor, and I am the beneficiary. Here is the package that I have assembled. 
I have included only the most recent I-20 (out of 5), and only the nonempty pages of passport of me & my wife.
I am putting each form & its own supporting documents in different folders, with the form name written outside, and then 
shoving all the folders in a giant package. I appreciate your help. Thank you in advance!

Am I missing anything in the supporting documents ?

I-130
-    Cheque for I-130 filling fee (in an envelope)
-    Form G-1145, e-Notification of application acceptance
-    Flled form I-130
-    Copy of sponsor's US Birth Certificate
-    Copy of sponsor's US Passport (only the nonempty pages)
-    Copy of sponsor's Driver's License
-    Copy of sponsor's Social Security Card
-    Certified true copy of Marriage Certificate
-    2 passport-style color picture of sponsor (names written on back)
-    2 passport-style color picture of beneficiary (names written on back)
-    Copy of Beneficiarys Birth Certificate (issued 4 years after birth), Indian driver's license, 
    matriculation admit card, copy of affidavits from both parents
-    Copy of beneficiarys Passport, F-1 VISA and stamps (essentially only the nonempty pages)
-    Copy of beneficiarys most recent I-20 (out of 5 in total due to program extension and all) 
-    Copy of beneficiarys last I-94 and Travel History (whatever is shown online)
-    Copy of beneficiarys Driver's License
-    Copy of beneficiarys Social Security Card

I-131
-    Form G-1145, e-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance
-    Filled form I-131, Application for Travel Document (Advance Parole)
-    Two passport-style color picture of the beneficiary (names written on back)
-    Copy of beneficiarys Passport, F-1 VISA and stamps (essentially only the nonempty pages)
-    Copy of beneficiarys last I-94 and Travel History (whatever is shown online)
-    Copy of beneficiarys most recent I-20 (out of 5 in total due to program extension and all) 
-    Copy of beneficiarys Driver License
-    A letter explaining that I need the I-131 for conferences in other countries & visits to India
 
I-765
-    Form G-1145, e-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptanc
-    Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization
-    Two recent passport-style color picture of the Beneficiary (names written on back)
-    Copy of beneficiarys Passport, F-1 VISA and stamps (essentially only the nonempty pages)
-    Copy of beneficiarys last I-94 and Travel History (whatever is shown online)
-    Copy of beneficiarys most recent I-20 (out of 5 in total due to program extension and all) 
-    Copy of beneficiarys Driver License

I-485
-    Cheque for I-485 Filling fee and bio-metrics
-    Form G-1145, e-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance
-    Form I-485, Application to Adjust Status
-    Certified true copy of Marriage Certificate
-    Copy of beneficiarys Birth Certificate (issued 4 years after birth), Indian driver's license, 
    matriculation certificate, copy of affidavits from both parents
-    Copy of beneficiarys Passport, F-1 VISA and stamps (essentially only the nonempty pages)
-    Copy of beneficiarys last I-94 and Travel History (whatever is shown online)
-    Copy of beneficiarys most recent I-20 (out of 5 in total due to program extension and all) 
-    Copy of beneficiarys Driver License
-    Copy of beneficiarys Social Security Card
-    Two recent passport-style color picture of the Beneficiary (names written on back)
-    I-693, Medical Examination of the beneficiary completed by a civil surgeon, in a sealed envelope

I-864
-    Copy of Sponsor's (Petitioner) U.S Passport (only the nonempty pages)
-    Copy of Sponsor's (Petitioner) Social Security Card
-    Copy of Sponsor's (Petitioner) U.S. Birth Certificate
-    Transcript of 2014 Sponsor's (Petitioner) Federal Tax Return (last 3 years)
-    Proof of Sponsor's Employment (printout of webpage showing her as full time employee of school district)
-    Copies of recent pay stubs  of the Sponsor (last 3 months)
-    Two recent passport-style color picture of the Sponsor (names written on back)
 
 

22 hours ago, sparkles_ said:

Husband, but yes. They did titer tests for the big ones. He didn't get any hep A or varicella at all if I recall

I will request the titer test for varicella. I had chicken pox as a kid, so I am pretty sure I have immunity against that. 

22 hours ago, Nouchigang said:

Hello,

 

I just did my exam in Maryland and yes civil surgeons do rip you off. I had titers done thru our insurance and had all the proof with me, but they still didnt accept it and made me redo it and of course pay for it. They said immigration is very picky yada yada yada.

Anyways First of you do not Hep A thats for sure.

You do need Varicella, MMR, Hep B, Gonorrhea, Tdap (for tetanus) and syphilis. I would definitely search for another one because this is too expensive.

I paid $278 for a MMR titer, Immigration Physical, Gonorrhea, Syphilis. I had proof for my Hep B and did have Varicella as a child so didnt need to get it verified.

 

I am not sure if you have insurance or not but if you can have it at a low cost, get a titer to prove that you had some of the vaccines

For the ones you are missing, contact your insurance and see if they would cover it if you get it done at a clinic.

When searching for another civil surgeon make sure to ask them if they would accept titers from other places and get all proof for the vaccines

Please tell me which doctor you went to.
I don't think this doctor wants me to get the shots anywhere but his place. Insurance won't cover it for sure. They did not cover my wife's rabies shot when she got bit by a feral cat, because it was not considered "essential".

So there is a vaccine for syphilis ? I don't see it listed anywhere as a requirement. 

21 hours ago, NovaSprings said:

Have a look at the following (scroll down to vaccinations) ..... Looks like your list is different than the official list....https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/interview/interview-prepare/medical-examination-faqs.html

Oh. I was looking at this list. Basically a subset of your list. 
https://www.uscis.gov/news/questions-and-answers/vaccination-requirements

19 hours ago, NikLR said:

Varicella is chicken pox.  If you've had it you shouldn't need the vaccine.

You do not need hep a or b as they are not age appropriate.  Hep B vaccinations are given to 5th graders. 

I know they test for syphilis but dont think they test for gonorrhea.  

You need mmr and tdap or at least TD. 

I did not know what. I had chicken pox, measles and mumps as a kid. So I am pretty sure I am immune. Is TDAP basically a booster for DPT that is given to kids ? 

7 hours ago, EandH0904 said:

Hepatitis B is a bloodborne pathogen that currently infects adults. It's given to 5th graders in the US because it is mandated by state law (in my state - it's given to newborns!) - if a person hasn't had the Hep B series, it's required to have upon entry.

 

Hepatitis A is a foodborne illness and is not routinely given as a preventative vaccination in the US, but is also required. 

 

@strangefella That link above is the vaccinations that are required, they include:  Hepaitis A, Hepatitis B, Influenza, Influeza type B (Hib), MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella), Pneumonia, Pertussis and Tetanus (the TDAP vaccine covers both), Polio, Rotavirus, Meningitis and Varicella. Varicella is commonly known as "Chicken Pox" here - but there is another disease, known as "Shingles" that is also a strain of the varicella line. 

 

As a RN - I don't think that Hep A, Rotovirus, Pneumonia, Meningitis are commonly given in the US, but if they are required, then I guess you should just do them. 

 

So the only one on your list which isn't needed really is the Gono one. 

I had chicken pox, mumps and measles as a kid. So I will just ask for a titer test for Varicella. Now do I need MMR or do I ask for a titer ? I had the BCG shot as a kid. 

6 hours ago, AshMarty said:

Also you will likely need a chest X-ray instead of the TB test since you received the BCG vaccine. 

 

The BCG vaccine would  likely cause you to have a false positive on the TB test. If you from one of the countries that gives this vaccine than you may required to get a chest X-ray to confirm you do not have tuberculosis.

 

The US does not offer this vaccine so we can perform the TB test pretty easily. 

 

My husband is from Australia and received the vaccine, so he was required to get a chest X-ray. 

 

https://www.cdc.gov/tb/topic/basics/vaccines.htm

So if I had BCG then do I need this MMR vaccine ? I had a skin test when I first came to US. I did not have a false positive, although I know that some people did. 

6 hours ago, Tenreyro said:

Aren't there only 4 vaccines required for applicants between 18 and 65?

(TD, Measles, Varicella and Influenza)

 

This chart is shown on the CDC website, which is where USCIS page sends you for information. The chart is literally called "Vaccine Requirements According to Applicant Age"

 

Sorry, I ask because I am genuinely interested on the topic, and want to correct any mistake I have on how I thought things might be.

Where did you find this information ? Can you share the link ?  The list of mandatory vaccinations is confusing!

3 hours ago, Mrsjackson said:

Never in all my research heard of the gono one. I would seriously question that. 

Might be a ripoff attempt. 

2 hours ago, gc@gc said:

 

you can get most of them from cvs, walgreens, ridaid, etc, most of them they are free (covered by your health insurance, no copy pay)

 

For sure, but I am not sure if any doctor will accept it. 

1 hour ago, Orangesapples said:

I've never heard of a gonorrhea vaccine either, but a gonorrhea test is required now. 

Might be the test, not vaccination then. How is the test done ? Blood test or urine test ? 

8 minutes ago, CaliRose said:

Hi where did you get ur vaccine? Shall we do it our family Dr? Because when i told my primary dr he said I can't do immigration vaccine because they will reject it. So how can i get all those? I had done some of them before but no record on my hand. 

I went to my primary care physician. One thing for sure, if I find another doctor that will do all this immigration shots for much less, I will switch doctors.

12 minutes ago, sparkles_ said:

You should ask for blood titer tests that show immunity based on past vaccines, you won't need paper proof if you have a positive immunity titer. Yes, some doctors will make a money grab and not mention titer tests. 

 

As for others, I know for a fact my spouse didn't get hep A and varicella. 

The doctor's office did mention blood titer tests. 
Did your wife check for hep A and varicella immunity in the blood tests ?

5 minutes ago, abbynak said:

U should get a second opinion.  Is this a civil surgeon?

Yes, this is a civil surgeon. 

Need to get the medical exam done and here is what the office of my primary care physician quoted me. Comes out to a total of 745. When I check the older posts, some have reported getting it done for $300-400. I can't find a single doctor for that sum in my area.

I was born in India and MMR wasn't available back then, I got BCG and DTP shots when I was a kid, and I don't have any certificate/document as proof of getting those shots. I had a skin test for TB done when I first came to attend school. I have never had any of the other vaccinations other than the flu shots. 

Immigration Physical 145
Hep A 90
Hep B 95 
Varicella 180
Influenza 32 (already got flu shot)
MMR 105
Admin of multiple vaccines 35
TB test 45
Gono 60
Total of ~750

Do I even need all these shots ? The vaccinations requirements page of USCIS lists only mumps, measles, rubella (MMR), polio, tetanus and diphtheria toxoids, pertussis, haemophilus influenzae type B, hepatitis B and any other vaccine-preventable diseases recommended by the ACIP as required vaccines. I wonder if this list is a ripoff attempt by the doctor's office. 

1 hour ago, Coco8 said:

File whenever you want. You have not committed fraud.

Do you think it might be a good idea to wait a bit before filing ? I entered US only a week back. Or is waiting just a waste of time ?

2 hours ago, azblk said:

You have done NOTHING wrong and broken no laws. You can apply for AOS whenever you want. Unless you want to pay someone thousands of dollars to enter data provided by you into some forms and then mail them to the USCIS, you should do it your self.

Thanks. I was really worried. I will prepare them myself. 

2 hours ago, BlessedAssurance said:

Any lawyer worth his/her weight in soil will tell you all sorts of troubles you are in -- to scare you to hire them, and they will milk you dry. The USCIS paperwork is so simple, and well-explained in instructions, an upper-level middle school student could breeze through them with ease.

 

Fill and file the AOS paperwork yourself! You do not appear to be very uneducated, my friend! And I do not see anything you have said above that would adversely affect your AOS.

Thanks buddy. Your message was very comforting. I will fill out the forms myself.