nidcaudi23

2 hours ago, Letspaintcookies said:

 

9 hours ago, Sarge2155 said:

Here is one of us!!!! Just received the status "Card mailed To Me'" yesterday!

@Sarge2155 we've been following your story. Congratulations and thanks for encouraging us to believe it's real! 

Our Adjustment of Status from K1 Interview that was scheduled for April 15th 2020 in Chicago, IL has been cancelled due to COVID-19. 

I feel really fortunate though, because my Husband is here and we are together and I know that is not the case for everyone else!

Hope every stays safe and things turn around for the better soon. 

Thanks everyone for the replies :) we got an x ray done on the Thursday (thankfully for only $50)...and the next day we had a call from the doctors to say the X-ray was normal and I could pick up the forms. So our AoS is officially sent off. No more forms. No more medical visits. No more fees. Just need to wait for the interview now...feels such a relief!

16 hours ago, EM_Vandaveer said:

One can have a positive on the blood test and negative X-ray. It’s called latent TB and it isn’t contagious. Nor does it kill or harm you, unless it develops into active TB. Those with latent TB have a 1 in 10 chance of developing active TB in their lifetime. The vast majority of people with latent TB are unaware of having it.

Hello there, so it's probable then that his UK chest x-ray was negative for 05-17-19 medical.. and hopefully the same would be true for this x-ray.

I also feel as frustrated as my husband.. because we did not need another medical in the first place just his missing vaccines but I could not find a Civil Surgeon that we could get to who would do vaccine transcripts only.  The office called yesterday saying they were sending the work order to the hospital where the x-ray would be performed.  I called the hospital to confirm before we drove all the way there.  The hospital has no record of it so I wanted to confirm their correct fax number.  Then called the doctor's office back and they had faxed it to the hospital phone number, not the fax number. Really?  I work with a fax machine everyday and it's really obvious when you are trying to fax to a telephone number and not a fax line.  

Our worst case action plan right now is to mail out his AOS packet soon as his 1-94 runs out on 01-04-2020 and I've everything else needed for AOS.  Since the 1-693 can be sent off at a later time I'm not willing to let that cause him overstay time. Thanks for sharing your information with us, it is very much appreciated.  - Nikki 

13 hours ago, Calicolom said:

My wife had all the shotts, In the whole of southwest Florida, we were not able to find on civil surgeon that would just sign off, on a vaccination transcription only.

Hello there, we have also had the hardest time finding a civil surgeon to sign off on vaccines.. we called the ones listed in the wiki page but have not had any luck! - Nikki 

11 hours ago, jlc201 said:

There seems to be some misunderstandings here about what TB testing is for and how the results are used. Anyone who has a positive IGRA or a positive PPD skin test is considered to have TB infection. Even if you previously had a BCG vaccination,  the effect of that vaccination in inducing a false positive PPD will usually have waned after 10 years.

 

OK, so you were exposed to TB, don't freak out, lots and lost of people have been exposed to TB but don't develop active disease, that's what the chest x-ray is for. The x-ray looks for evidence of active tuberculosis or scarring in your lungs and if there is such evidence then you will probably be treated with multiple antibiotics for several months. If the chest x-ray is negative, then you have what is considered latent TB infection. Latent TB is very common and not a big problem, but if you have latent TB you are at risk of it developing into active TB. The risk of activation is greatest during the first year after you are exposed (about 6% of people exposed to TB will develop active disease during that first year), and is much lower--but not zero--for the rest of your life (about 1% of people will develop active TB at some point *after* the first year following exposure). That is the reason why it is recommended to take prophylaxis medication (usually isoniazid) for 6 -9 months after you have a positive IGRA or PPD test--because that first year after you are exposed is the time when you are most likely to develop active TB. 

 

What does this mean for your immigration case? If you are already living in the US, not much. You should have a chest x-ray  done to see if you have active TB and if you do then you would have more tests done and probably start treatment (diagnosing TB is more art than science). If the x-ray is normal then you should take the prophylaxis medication to reduce your risk of developing active TB. If you were living outside the US and had evidence of active TB, you would have needed to complete treatment or to  prove (with negative sputum cultures) that you did not actually have TB before being allowed to immigrate.

Hello there, this is his wife.  I'm definitely planning to get his chest x-ray done just to determine if the TB is latent or active or if the blood test was somehow a false positive.  I presume there was nothing that showed up on his UK medical on 05-17-19 otherwise he would not have been granted his K1 visa.  His I-94 runs out on 01-04-2020 and I have everything else needed for AOS so our worst case scenario plan of action at this point if I can't get Civil surgeon signature is to mail off AOS packet and complete I-693 once we receive either RFE or interview letter.  Thanks forsharing your information with us, we very much appreciate it. - NIkki 

16 hours ago, acajim said:

Don't panic. As I read, your husband is the person applying and he's in the US already. Let me tell you a story: We have a refugee from India living with us while he was applying, he wasn't flag in India, but he tested positive here in the US, he just had to go see the doctor and take pills for some weeks, I don't remember how many. He was cleared after treatment.

 

I've met people from Mexico that tested positive while applying abroad and they have to stay in Mexico during treatment that last 6-12 months. I've also met people that are suspected to be TB positive and they have to submit cultures and wait 8 weeks for the lab results before they can schedule an interview. So maybe the X-ray is a struggle but at least he's here with you.

 

Good luck.

Hello there, my husband made the original post. We share the page together.  I've every so grateful that he is here with me and worse case scenario I will send off his AOS packet before his deadline is up 01-04-2020. And then send in 1-693 when we got notice from USCIS for AOS interview.  Everyone's kind posts has really helped ease his anxiety which I'm even more grateful for. - Nikki 

16 hours ago, NYCruiser said:

Were you given a Skin test (frequently incorrect results) or was it a Quantiferron Blood Test?

Hello there, it was a blood test. We simply needed to get my husband's missing vaccines:  MMR, Tdap, and now Flu because of season and we have completed those vaccines.

His 1-94 runs out 01-04-2020.. so we are hoping to get the 1-693 signed.  There were no issues with his UK Medical which was on 05-17-2019 so we assume this is a false positive as many other people have reported.

Thank you so much to everyone who replied, I appreciate it. I know I’m probably over reacting to this...its not like I’m seriously ill and if I need antibiotics it’s for all the right reasons to protect this fine country. It’s just been a looooong year with so much stress and doctors. I thought we were finally done with it so it’s just disheartening to be told there’s more to do. But we’ll see what 2020 has in store.

30 minutes ago, Boiler said:

That just shows he was inoculated, Doctor should have known better.

 

Been there seen that got the T Shirt. This happened to me non immigration, when I called them back and asked how they would know as they had not X Ray'd me they got a clue.

Hello again... I have a follow up question. 

His 1-94 expires Jan 04 2020 and I have everything else needed for AOS. 

Per 1-485: "You are NOT required to submit Form I-693 at the time you file your adjustment application, but may do so if you wish. Because of the time-limited validity of Form I-693, you may choose to submit your Form I-693 after you file your Form I-485. You may also submit Form I-693 in person at an interview in a USCIS field office, if an interview is required."

I'm thinking we would be better off to send off AOS packet and then continue to work on completing the missing vaccines for the 1-693. What are your or anyone else's thoughts?

Thank you kindly for the comments thus far.

1 minute ago, yuna628 said:

Individuals that are from UK and Europe are routinely given a vaccination called BCG. This vaccine is not given in the US, but those individuals who then come to the US and are subjected to certain types of TB tests can register a false TB positive using a cheap TB skin test because of their prior BCG vaccine. The CDC makes note of this pretty extensively, and US Civil Surgeons should be made aware of this during a medical. The best method is a blood test. https://www.cdc.gov/tb/topic/testing/testingbcgvaccinated.htm

Hello there. My husband did have blood drawn, and that is where they got the TB result from.  

5 minutes ago, Boiler said:

So this was in the US, did they just do the skin test?

Hello there.  Yes my husband had an incomplete vaccine history from his UK Medical back in 05-2019.  We were trying to get the missing vaccines, which he know has completed here in the US.  The medical office called today and stated he know needs a chest x-ray.  

I swear, it feels like an uphill battle. I had my K1 medical done in London back in April and everything was fine. I needed a few shots which I said I would get in the US (dumb mistake on my part). When I got to the US I was told I’d have to take another medical along with the shots, which included blood work. We were told today I’ve been tested positive for TB and I need to go for an X-ray. This is news to me as I don’t feel ill and it didn’t show up on the X-ray in England. I wanted to see if anyone else had been through this situation because truth be told, I’m freaking out. I’m so tired and fed up of all the paper work and spending so much money along with all the poking, the stabbing, and now more xrays. What happens next? What happens if I’m found negative or positive? I’m just feeling so defeated.

This is my first post.  

I want to start off by saying this site has been a blessing and made it possible to get as far as we have.  

I really am grateful to the infinite knowledge and empowerment that this site has given us

I want to know if anyone has been through this and is is there ANYTHING we can do?

Situation: 

My foreign fiance arrived with me at POE on Oct 7th 2019  with his K1 visa and we applied for SSN on Oct 30th 2019. 

We were told it would have to go through manual verification. 😕 

4 weeks later on Nov 27th 2019 a letter was sent which we received on Dec 2nd 2019 stating he had been approved for his SSN and could take 2 weeks to receive.

( we though at the time great it was all going to work out)

Today, Dec 17th 2019 my partner calls SSA to let them know we have not received that SSN and they advised to come in the office since it was past the two week mark and they should be able to give us the SSN in person and we could wait for a card to be re-mailed.

We went in to the office right when it opened at 9 AM ESTand the said there is a problem with his visa and that he has to be RE-MANUALLY Verified and it will take an ADDITIONAL 4 WEEKS.

The SSA office just stated there is a problem with visa and Homeland Security is requiring to be re-verified and there was nothing they could do.

I asked repeatedly if we could at least have the SSN, seeing as he was approved which means they did assign him one and you only get 1 SSN but to no avail. 

How could he be approved and then need to be re-verified???

What could be wrong with the Visa??

The only thing I could think of is that we were married on Dec 7th 2019... but still it was APPROVED 10 Days before the marriage.

Therefore there should not be anything wrong at all with his Visa. 

Does anyone have any advice or has anyone been through this that can help to give me some perspective... because I just feel so defeated at this point.  

His I-94 expires Jan 4th 2020.

***** I went back to SSA at 2:30 PM EST after another thread that had DHS phone number 888-464-4218.  Talked to a super nice guy named Brandon and said go back to SSA and have someone at SSA call number and DHS can walk SSA through the verification process online step by step... at SSA spoke to the supervisor at that office and they refused to call DHS but did give me the actual SS number this time but said he still can not have a card because it has to be re-verified.  I'm so tired of fighting with SSA so I have the SS# now .. and I think I will just wait for a card to be mailed with his EAD as I did request to have a card mailed on that form ***

Thank You Kindly for any and all assistance. ❤️ 

So I know everyones K1 journey is always going to be different but I wanted to share mine for those whose anxieties run high at every moment. Honestly, most of the stress from this experience was all my own doing and pretty much everyone I ran into along the way was kind, honest and pleasant.

The Medical
So I am not one for doctors and nurses. I hate being in that kind of environment and I was convinced they would find something wrong, that I'd be turned away, rejected etc I don't enjoy being poked, prodded...I'm not the biggest fan of needles. So I went in with very little sleep expecting a huge ordeal. I turned up early and was told to take a seat in the waiting room until closer to my appointment time. I was surprised when I got to the waiting room by the atmosphere and buzz of everyone. Aside from this wonderful forum, it's easy to feel very alone on this journey. Even if friends and family are on board and ask about the process, it's still very much a process that not many people understand. So it was amazing to be sat in a room with everyone who was on the same page as you. People share their stories of how they met their loved ones, what their plans were. It felt very much like a room of unity. Everyone was excited to have finally got to this stage. Once I'd handed in my forms to the front desk and gave them the golden gift, I sat back down until I was called in by the nurse to talk about vaccines. Super friendly, she clearly explained what shots I needed, how much they cost, what my options were. I didn't have the funds to have the shots on the day but it is there if you decide to take them. I was then called in to have my chest x-ray by a very friendly and warm gentlemen, which only took a few minutes. After that I was seen by the doctor for my physical. I was expecting this to be long, thorough and invasive. It was far from it. She briefly checked my ears, mouth...then checked my arms and legs (presumably for self harm scars) and along my stomach. I wore a gown but at no point was I ever left feeling exposed. I had my blood sample taken which was quick and painless bar the needle insertion. I was then asked about my mental health. I had CBT about 11 years ago which was mentioned in my medical summary. She wanted more information on it and asked me to obtain additional information from my GP. Not going to lie, I had to hold back a panic attack thinking that something I did over a decade ago had potentially messed this up. She reassured me that it would probably be fine, they just need more information and to confirm that I'm not of risk to myself or others. I was given a sheet to take to my doctor and after a five minute wait or so, I was asked to pay up. All in all, it was a positive experience. No where near as bad as I thought it was going to be and I was kicking myself for losing so much sleep over it.

The Interview
I was lucky enough to have my beautiful partner with me for this. My appointment was at 10.30 and we got to the embassy just after 10. You essentially have to go through a security building before you can even access the main building and it's like being at an airport. You put all your bags into a tray that's scanned...and then go for a body scan. Again, I was surprised by how friendly everyone was (the security guard gave me a fist bump as he let us in). Once we got through the main building we stood in line for about a minute before our names were called. After verifying who we were we were told to go up to the first floor. From then on there was a LOT of waiting around. We were there about 2 1/2 hours but total time of being interviewed was maybe ten minutes. Our first point of call was handing in my passport and all relevant documentation which probably took longer than the actual interview. After a lot of waiting around we were called up for the interview. I was expecting it to be like immigration control at US airports where they can be very intimidating and study every bit of body movement and sound you make. Much to my surprise he was very welcoming and after a hand of oath, we were asked a total of 5 questions; how we met, when we met in person, how many times I went there, how many times she went here...I feel like there was one more question that maybe my better half can chime in with. But after those brief questions, we were all done. My medical had not been received at the embassy because of needing more information from the GP but I was told providing the medical was fine, my visa would be processed. And that was it!! So many nights of me stressing out, learning over 90 questions of what I may be asked. And it was just a brief 3 minute conversation about our relationship.

The Visa
After bugging my GP to get the additional information sent to Knightsbridge, my visa status changed from administrative processing to issued in the space of a couple of days. So after all these months of stress and wait, it's become a reality. It's official! We're getting married!!

To to sum up, if you're freaking out about any of this...don't. Honestly, I know it's easy to do because no amount of me going through threads on here calmed me down. But really, it's such a relaxing, chilled out process. Everyone is in the same boat as you, no-one is trying to trip you up or look for ways to deny you. If you are honest about everything, you can't go wrong. If anyone wants to know any more, feel free to reply here or send me a message, I'm more than happy to help

- Simon