An immigration medical exam is a necessary part of immigrating to the United States and becoming a permanent resident (green card holder). Sometimes called a green card medical exam, the appointment is a routine part of the process to ensure public safety and remove the grounds for inadmissibility for intending immigrants. This article will provide you with a complete overview of what to expect and how to prepare.
Table of ContentsCertain diseases of public health significance make an individual inadmissible to the United States. That means it could prevent the applicant from getting a green card. The immigration medical exam is the process to remove these grounds of inadmissibility.
The medical grounds of inadmissibility, the medical examination of foreign nationals, and the vaccinations administered to foreign nationals are designed to protect the health of the United States population. The medical examination, the resulting medical exam report, and the vaccination record provide the information U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) uses to determine if a foreign national meets the health-related standards for admissibility.
Any of these four basic medical conditions may make an applicant inadmissible on health-related grounds:
The immigration medical examination is not a complete physical examination. Its purpose is to screen for certain medical conditions relevant to U.S. immigration law. The U.S. government doesn't require the doctor to evaluate you for any conditions except those the U.S. Public Health Service specifies for U.S. immigration purposes. Likewise, the government doesn't require the doctor to provide you with diagnosis or treatment even if they discover other issues related to your health. This examination is not a substitute for a full physical examination, consultation, diagnosis, or treatment by your primary health care provider.
CitizenPath can help you prepare the adjustment of status application package, but you'll need to attend the exam on your own. Therefore, it's important to know what to expect and how to prepare for your immigration medical examination.
There are several grounds of inadmissibility that can prevent foreign nationals from gaining permission to enter/remain in the United States…
You won’t be able to go to any doctor for your immigration medical exam. The examination must be performed by a government-approved doctor. Outside the United States, the U.S. embassy or consulate will refer you to a "panel physician." Applicants applying inside the United States will go to a "civil surgeon." In both situations, they are doctors authorized to provide your exam.
If you are applying for an immigrant visa through a U.S. embassy or consulate (known as consular processing), they will provide a list of panel physicians who have been certified by the Department of State. In most cases, you’ll have a choice of physicians. But it’s always best to check with the procedure at your local consulate. You may need to have your appointment notification before the panel physician will see you.
For adjustment of status cases, you must attend an examination with a civil surgeon in the United States. A directory of civil surgeons is also available.
For consular applicants, the National Visa Center will tell you when it's time to schedule the appointment. You will need to complete the medical exam and vaccinations before your scheduled immigrant visa interview date.
Adjustment of status applicants may have more flexibility. CitizenPath prefers that our customers submit the exam results with the adjustment of status application package as part of a concurrent filing. In this way, the entire package of items is available to USCIS to quickly process. If you choose to follow this path, make an appointment with the civil surgeon before you begin the green card application process on CitizenPath. Submit the results with your Form I-485, Application to Adjust Status. Again, this improves the chances that USCIS can waive your interview and approval your green card as quick as possible.
Some adjustment applicants feel rushed to submit the application or prefer to do the immigration medical exam at a later time. If this is your path, schedule your exam soon after filing the I-485 application. Take the results with you to the green card interview or if USCIS issues a Request for Evidence letter that demands the exam results. Not filing the exam results with Form I-485 will generally result in longer processing times for applicants. USCIS generally will not waive an interview if you did not submit the medical exam results with the application.
When applying inside the U.S., the exam results are valid for a period of two years from the doctor's signature date.
(UPDATE 4/4/2024: USCIS announced that any Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, that was properly completed and signed by a civil surgeon on or after November 1, 2023, does not expire and can be used indefinitely as evidence to show that the applicant is not inadmissible on health-related grounds.)
