At Northwest Medical Care, we can take care of all your Immigration Medical Exam needs – including your Immigration Physical, Green Card Medical Exam, Immigration Immunization, and filling out and submitting I-693 paperwork (Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record).
Immigration Medical Exam in Chicago and Suburbs
An Immigration Medical Exam (also called Green Card Medical Exam or USCIS Medical Exam), including vaccinations, is required when people want to obtain lawful permanent resident status in the United States. All people who are filing for citizenship, immigrant visas and some non-immigrant visas, refugees and adjustments of status to that of a permanent resident (Green Card) must completed submit Form I-693 completed by a designated Civil Surgeon.
Civil Surgeon
A Civil Surgeon or a USCIS doctor is a medical doctor who has been designated by the United States Customs and Immigration Service (USCIS) to conduct medical examinations for applicants seeking lawful permanent resident status while in the U.S. The civil surgeon is also authorized to give the necessary immunization to aliens applying for adjustment of status or Permanent Resident Status (Green Card). USCIS designates certain doctors (known as civil surgeons) to perform the medical exam required for Green Card applicants. The civil surgeon must perform the medical tests in accordance with the Technical Instructions for the Medical Examination of Aliens in the United States, published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Dr. Sanjay P. Patel at Northwest Medical Care is an experienced USCIS Civil Surgeon.
I-693 Form Requirements
In order to complete the Immigration Physical Exam and fill out form I 693, the following are required:
Medical examination by a certified civil surgeon
The medical examination is required for all applicants. The green card physical examination consists of checking general health like blood pressure, temperature, pulse, heart, lungs, eyes and ears. The civil surgeon will review medical records related to previous vaccinations received, previous tuberculosis tests, and any other medical records.
Completion of USCIS required immunizations
The civil surgeon will ensure that that you have had all the required vaccinations. Some vaccines are expressly required by the Immigration and Nationality Act, and others are required because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have determined they are in the interest of public health. Regardless, you must receive the following vaccinations before being admitted as a permanent resident:
- Mumps, measles, rubella
- Polio
- Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids
- Pertussis
- Haemophilius influenza type B
- Hepatitis B
- Varicella
- Influenza
- Pneumococcal pneumonia
- Rotavirus
- Hepatitis A
- Meningococcal
If you’ve already been vaccinated, bring your vaccination reports to the doctor. If the vaccination report is not in English, it must be translated by an official translator per USCIS requirements. If you haven’t been vaccinated, the civil surgeon will administer them.
Completion of required blood & urine testing
All applicants 15 and older require to have a test performed for Syphilis and Gonorrhea. Syphilis and Gonorrhea are both Sexually Transmitted Diseases that can be contagious. They are a common infection throughout the world. Some applicants may not have symptoms of the disease, and therefore the test is required to ensure that anyone who is infected be treated and will not be contagious in the US.
Syphilis testing is done through a blood test called an RPR.
- If the results are normal, there is no Syphilis and the exam if completed.
- If the results are abnormal, the laboratory will be able to run a second test with the same blood sample to verify if the results are truly abnormal. If the second test called a T. Pallidum-PA is abnormal, then the applicant should be treated for Syphilis with the proper medication before finishing the examination forms.
The test for Gonorrhea is done through a simple urine test.
- If the results are normal, that portion of the examination is complete.
- If the results are positive (abnormal), then the applicant should be treated with the proper medication.
Completion of Tuberculosis testing
According to the USCIS
“Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by bacteria called Myobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs. But TB bacteria can attack any part of the body, such as the kidney, spine, and brain. If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal. TB disease was once the leading cause of death in the United States.
TB is spread through the air from one person to another. The bacteria are put into the air when a person with active TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings. People nearby may breathe in these bacteria and become infected.
However, not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick. People who are infected but not sick have what is called latent TB infection. People who have latent TB infection do not feel sick, do not have any symptoms, and cannot spread TB to others. However, some people with latent TB infection go on to get TB disease. People with active TB disease can be treated if they seek medical help. Most people with latent TB infection can take medicine so that they will not develop active TB disease.”
USCIS further states that
“TB continues to be a problem. For example, while the number of TB cases is still declining, the speed of decline has slowed since 2003. Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR TB) remains a concern, and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR TB) has become an important issue. Finally, racial and ethnic minority populations and foreign-born individuals continue to account for a large number of TB cases in the United States. This is why the initial screening for TB and the appropriate treatment of TB for individuals coming to the United States and living here permanently is an important tool to help eradicate the disease in the United States and worldwide.”
Previously, the most common test for tuberculosis was a tuberculin skin test (TST). Immigration no longer allows the use a TST.
To fulfill the requirement of the initial TB testing, civil surgeons are required to use IGRA, which are blood tests. The IGRAs that are currently acceptable to CDC are: the QuantiFERON ® TB Gold Test, the QuantiFERON® TB Gold in Tube Test, and the T-Spot ® TB Test.
The civil surgeon will take a blood sample from you during the medical examination. The blood is used to perform the TB initial screening test.
Unlike with the TST, you will not have to return to the civil surgeon’s office to have the test result read.
The results of the IGRA test are generally available within 24 hours of your office visit. If the result is negative, you will probably not need any further testing for TB. If the result is positive, you will be required to have a chest x-ray as a means of additional screening for TB.
For more information please read here
Completion of I693 paperwork
After all the steps in the medical examination are complete, the applicant is required to sign form I-693 in presence of the civil surgeon. A small section of the I 693 form has to be completed by the applicant.
The I-693 applicant section can be completed prior to the appointment or in the office. Instructions for completing the form can be found here (https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/form/i-693instr.pdf)
The I-693 form can be found here (https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/form/i-693.pdf)
The civil surgeon will certify the results on the appropriate forms (I-693 form for medical exam and vaccination supplement form) including chest X-ray report if a chest X-ray examination was performed. The civil surgeon will place all the I 693 related paperwork in a sealed envelope. DO NOT OPEN THE SEALED ENVELOPE. You are required to submit the envelope with your immigration application.
Services
- Medical Examination by USCIS Certified Civil Surgeon (USCIS Doctor)
- Completion of USCIS Required Required blood & urine testing
- Immigration immunization / Green Card immunization
- Tuberculosis blood test
- Completion of Form I-693
Key Benefits of our Immigration Medical Exam Service
- USCIS certified Civil Surgeon on staff for Green Card Medical Exams
- Multiple languages spoken by staff – English, Hindi, Gujarati
- Affordable Prices
- Two clinic locations providing easy access to most of Chicago area and suburbs
- Easily available appointments including Saturday
- Fast turnaround for immigration paperwork including I-693
What should you bring with you for your appointment
- Valid Government Issued ID: Passport, US Driver’s License, State ID
- Proof of prior vaccinations (if available)
- Copies of medical history records
- Copies of any previous chest X-rays, if any
Serving communities within the greater Chicago area for medical examination for Green Card also called USCIS Medical Exam and Internal Medicine. Our two locations in Des Plaines and Bloomingdale serve Chicago and suburbs – Aurora, Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg, Palatine, Arlington Heights, Naperville, Skokie, Wheaton, Winfield, Mount Prospect, Evanston, Cicero, Carol Stream, Hanover Park, Roselle, Itasca, Lombard, Niles, Park Ridge, Elk Grove Village, Northbrook, Deerfield, Franklin Park, Melrose Park, Glendale Heights, Glen Ellyn, Glenview, Prospect Heights, Morton Grove, Bensenville, Elmhurst, Rolling Meadows, Wheeling, Addison, and other surrounding areas.
To learn more about our USCIS Immigration Medical Exam services, get in touch with Northwest Medical Care at (847) 290-1300 or (630) 894-8018. For your convenience, you can use our online Request an Appointment form to arrange your one-on-one consultation.