Vaccination for I-693

[Pete]

My fiancee came here on K-1 and unfortunately she no longer has her vaccination record, so she needs to take all the required shots again for the purpose of AOS. I've called several civil surgeons and private Dr in my area and I can tell you it is one frustration experience

 

They either insist on doing the whole vaccination+full medical checkup (I already told them she has the complete checkup for her K-1 visa while in China) or won't do any at all. And when I find someone who is willing to just do the vaccination, they quote me $400-500! What a rip-off

 

So is anyone here can recommend us a decent Dr or clinic in the NJ or NYC area where we can go to and take care of the vaccination requirement?

 

 

TIA,

Pete

[warpedbored]

If you have her on your company health plan they will often pay for it. Check your local county health clinics as well. They will usually do it cheaper. You may try contacting the clinic in China where you had them done and see if they can send you a new little yellow book. Once you have them just start calling civil surgeons in an outward spiral from where you live until you find one who will sign off on the I-693 supplimental for a reasonable fee.

[AmyAndDoug]

If you're cost conscoius, then try those in Chinatown. They're a lot cheaper but don't expect any good service. My husband got into an argument with the doctor's wife because I asked her nicely to see my results and she refused with a nasty attitude saying that I wouldn't know how to read them anyway. But we got it done. I had most of my vaccinations done the last time I came into the states, only one shot not on my college record was chicken pox. so he did the check up again which costs $100, and the checkup for whether I needed that other shot was $50 (turned out I didn't need it cuz I've already had chicken pox when I was little). So total was $150. He was the cheapest doctor approved by USCIS in Chinatown that we called. If you want, I can go look for his contact info and give it to you.

[shushuweiwei]

If you have her on your company health plan they will often pay for it. Check your local county health clinics as well. They will usually do it cheaper. You may try contacting the clinic in China where you had them done and see if they can send you a new little yellow book. Once you have them just start calling civil surgeons in an outward spiral from where you live until you find one who will sign off on the I-693 supplimental for a reasonable fee.

 

Check your insurance carefully because most plans exclude adult immunization. I say check carefully because if you get it done and there is the "excludes adult immunization" clause buried somewhere in your contract, you'll end up paying the whole bill anyway.

 

County Health Department may do it but depending on the county might charge you as well, but its always a good place to call.

 

If they quoted you $400-$500 to redo the whole catch-up series (from the beginning), that isn't bad. The vaccines are not cheap.

 

MMR $60 a dose (cost to the doc)

Adult Tdap $50

Polio $30

HIB $30

Hep B $30

Varicella $100

That's $300 in cost there for 1 round and you need several to catch up. Add shipping, supplies like a syringe for each one, the person who gives the shot's time, the costs involved in properly storing and documenting for regulatory agencies that you kept them cold (yes, I have to write down the temperature of my fridge twice a day and save all that paper for 10 years. I have had the govt come to check that I was being a good boy and even give me a hard time that the temp was too high when they stood there opening it every minute!), etc and even at $500 for one round you aren't paying a big markup for the doc.

 

I hope you can get her record from China. That will save you some money and her some tong! Good luck!

[Pete]

If you're cost conscoius, then try those in Chinatown. They're a lot cheaper but don't expect any good service. My husband got into an argument with the doctor's wife because I asked her nicely to see my results and she refused with a nasty attitude saying that I wouldn't know how to read them anyway. But we got it done. I had most of my vaccinations done the last time I came into the states, only one shot not on my college record was chicken pox. so he did the check up again which costs $100, and the checkup for whether I needed that other shot was $50 (turned out I didn't need it cuz I've already had chicken pox when I was little). So total was $150. He was the cheapest doctor approved by USCIS in Chinatown that we called. If you want, I can go look for his contact info and give it to you.

 

 

> .... If you want, I can go look for his contact info and give it to you

 

Yes please. This will be very helpful. Thanks :-)

[clayton2103]

Pete,

 

shushuweiwei is spot on. The amounts listed are all close to the same we were quoted from several doctors, local clinic and the nearby civil surgeon.

We had our physical in GUZ and we only needed the 693A document. My wife had no immunizations prior to arrival and needed them all. The civil surgeon administered the shots, the physical and signed the 693A for a bit less than $380.

We would have paid nearly the same at other doctor¡¯s offices/clinic without the physical and still would have had to pay for the signature on the 693A.

We paid the civil surgeon and got it over with at one location. But, don't settle for this solution as we did. Keep searching and perhaps another CFL'er will provide you with the most cost effective solution to your need.

 

Clayton

[michaln]

we went to a civil surgeon today lings physical was over a year old

so she needed to do that again we were told that the immunizations

were also only good for 1 year and must be done in the USA is this true ? they tried 4 times to draw blood

before sending us to a lab to have them draw the blood ling says American

doctors no good Chinese doctor 1 time we payed $370 I can't find any info. about how long the immunizations are good for anybody know ?

 

mike

[Randy W]

we went to a civil surgeon today lings physical was over a year old

so she needed to do that again we were told that the immunizations

were also only good for 1 year and must be done in the USA is this true ? they tried 4 times to draw blood

before sending us to a lab to have them draw the blood ling says American

doctors no good Chinese doctor 1 time we payed $370 I can't find any info. about how long the immunizations are good for anybody know ?

 

mike

 

 

The vaccinations I believe are once in a lifetime.

 

The physical was included in the package from GUZ. Why did you go to a Civil Surgeon now? Was the I-693A not included with your AOS application?

[michaln]

I was told that the physical was expired after 1 year and must be done again

the doctor said the laws just changed and the shots must be done here I argued with them but they insisted they were right

Edited June 28, 2008 by michaln (see edit history)

[Randy W]

I was told that the physical was expired after 1 year and must be done again

the doctor said the laws just changed and the shots must be done here I argued with them but they insisted they were right

 

 

I don't know if that's at the time you apply, or on the date of the interview, but they will tell you what they need. Our Immigration Officer called us in just to tell us that we would need a police report from the City of Houston, and then told us to mail it directly to her.

 

We're going on three years, waiting for her green card - she's only needed the one medical exam from Guangzhou.

Edited June 28, 2008 by Randy W (see edit history)

[michaln]

I-693 FAQ:

 

this is from CFL FAQ's we filed after 1 year

also I read somewhere that she would need a booster two months after the original immunizations

 

¡°If you were admitted to the United States as a fiance(e) (K-1), child of a fiance(e) (K-2), Spouse of a U.S. citizen (K-3), or child of K-3 (K-4), and received a medical examination prior to admission, then you do not require another medical examination as long as your application for adjustment of status (Form I-485) is filed within one year of your overseas medical examination. You will, however, be required to submit a vaccination supplement with our adjustment of status application. The vaccination supplement must be completed by a designated civil surgeon.¡±

[Randy W]

I-693 FAQ:

 

this is from CFL FAQ's we filed after 1 year

also I read somewhere that she would need a booster two months after the original immunizations

 

¡°If you were admitted to the United States as a fiance(e) (K-1), child of a fiance(e) (K-2), Spouse of a U.S. citizen (K-3), or child of K-3 (K-4), and received a medical examination prior to admission, then you do not require another medical examination as long as your application for adjustment of status (Form I-485) is filed within one year of your overseas medical examination. You will, however, be required to submit a vaccination supplement with our adjustment of status application. The vaccination supplement must be completed by a designated civil surgeon.¡±

 

 

8/15/06 NOA 2

9/12/06 K-3 sent to to GUZ

12/6/06 P-3 received

1/13/07 P-4 received

2/12/07 interview passed

2/20/07 arrived home

8/6/07 mailed in I-485,I-131,I-765

Your I-485, according to your timeline, was mailed in Aug, 2007, about 1 year after your NOA2. I'm guessing the medical was done in Jan or Feb 2007, so it would have been less than 7 months old. What am I missing?

 

The vaccination is completed and submitted with the AOS application - once. Any boosters are optional - a new I-693A is not needed.

 

Anyway, that's all in the past - I don't mean to give you a hard time.

[rogerinca]

Yes the info is correct on having to do them all over again, if the 'record' is not available; that is the law.

 

I was told this by both our personal (adult) physician and also our daughter's pediatric physician.

 

We were missing my daughter's immunization record, but located a backup copy at her school. This was incorporated within the new book (Yellow Book) she received at the medical exam at Shamian Is.

 

My daughter may still need two or three more, than what is required for immigration purposes, for our local school district in my county. The doctor has the shot records in hand and will review and advise what is still needed under California State law, for grade school admission.

 

And yes, the price is high on immunizations, this is not a money making deal for the doctors. They also must do an exam on new patients, due to liability laws and their insurance requirements.

[michaln]

you are right

the doctor said if the exam is more than 1 year old it would need to be done again he (and I) were looking at the medical date 12/2/07 and todays date

[AmyAndDoug]

Yes, our lawyer said that the law has changed, now that they require the medical exam be done by a civil surgeon in the U.S., don't count the record from China anymore. That's why I had to do the medical exam all over again in Chinatown. But some of the immunization shots I believe are only once in a lifetime. Some have time limits, I remember my civil surgeon looked at the date of my last shot for some immunization and said "you're lucky, just right before the 10 (or 5 I forgot) year limit, don't need to take it again this time." I think the reason your wife needs to do everything all over again is that she didn't have to do them in the U.S. when you filed AOS.