Civil Suregeons???

[Henry and Mei]

Over the last 2 days I have called 5 approved Civil surgeons and I have received 5 different answers and responses...

 

Surgeon number 1 is about 30 minutes from me, but told me that he has never heard of a K-1 visa and refused to simply review her yellow book. When I told him her shots were given in China, he told me, since they were given overseas, he would not honor them and also have to give her the shots all over again. $200 for medical plus an office visit and the regimen cost for the shots.......needless to say I was not pleased and moved on.....

 

Surgeon number 2 is 3 hours away. Tells me he has been doing this for over 30 years, so make an appt. We can talk. I show him her yellow book. Tells me invalid since written in Chinese. I had to show him the English....Once he understands I let him know that I simply need to have her shots reviewed. He discourages this even after I show him the instructions and begins negotiating a price with me for the medical. We settle on $60 -- actual medical -- he does not even check for anything. So back to the shots....He tells me that she needs to have a TB skin test although this has already been done in China, so on Monday I have to go back. Tells me that she needs a flu shot and also test for Syphliss and that out of the kindness of his heart, he will not charge me for that test. I tell him none of these shots are required, but he claims to be the doctor....so after her shots, he starts to send Mei and his assistant back to for the Syph test and thankful realizes she does not need HIV. As we watch them both go he says to me that he thinks she could not leave China without this test and after looking at me and her, believes she is disease free. So he calls them back and tells me he will simply sign off that he gave her the test....As we are ready to leave, I ask them if we are finished and he said Yes. I said shouldn't she sign and date the form......they both embarrassed say -- yes. Tells me I can pay after coming back on Monday to have the TB looked at.....And during this whole process he keeps telling my wife that if I am bad to take the GC and go. Although he thinks I am a good guy, but just wants to warn her about what he has heard especially on the news. Also asks me several times, if I am offended by all of this....

 

My friends tell me not to go back, but I need this...what is the chance of CS getting things so messed up that you get and RFE and have to start all over???

 

Surgeon number 3 (my friends) is over 4 hours away - 1 way. Will do the review for $80, but highly encourages the full blown deal for $150. Right now, I wished I drove the extra hour......

 

Surgeon number 4 assistant could not understand me and actually hanged up on me..........I was beyond miffed....but I let it go....and little need to talk about surgeon 5...

 

Any thoughts, advice as my head is still swimming with all of this???

 

I am only a lowly Electrical Engineer with 5 years of schooling, but it still demanded the ability to read and desire to read. Every assistant/surgeon I talked to has never read the Instructions that are posted on the USCIS site for the I-693. How is this possible? How do they pick these guys to be CS?

 

Simply baffled and overly confused........

Edited April 10, 2010 by Henry and Mei (see edit history)

[dnoblett]

There really should be a way to report this to USCIS and have USCIS revoke their permit.

 

Again I had to visit the doctor and show them the instructions.

 

http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-693instr.pdf

[Henry and Mei]

There really should be a way to report this to USCIS and have USCIS revoke their permit.

 

Again I had to visit the doctor and show them the instructions.

 

http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-693instr.pdf

 

Yes, Dan, you gave me good advice on this like my friends, but it did not help. I already had everything highlighted to keep things -- simple and organized to be understood....still it did not help.....I felt like I was in China again trying to explain things. In China, I dealt with the reality that things are different there, but here......it seems like they know you have few options and that you need to follow their rules and not that of the government....

 

I knew going in to not be argumentative or combative about the rules, but they simply push you around, since you are at their mercy....and still having to pay for it all...

 

Wonder what it would be like if I really needed medical help?

 

And why can't GUZ help us out here........they have seen the medical and X rays....why can't they give us the option to have her shots reviewed as well? For the most part this seems like a very painful process for K visa holders that could be simply avoided...

 

Let us have the shots reviewed like CR and IR-1s...

 

Is there anyone besides my Congressman I could write to help future K visa holders???

Edited April 10, 2010 by Henry and Mei (see edit history)

[Sam and Fen]

I had a similar issue. Most civil sergeons want to do a complete medical.

 

I called about 8 of them before I found one that knew about the I693 requirements for K visa holders.

 

This doctor goes thru the yellow book and tells me Fen only had the TD but TDaP is required. At this point I just wanted it done so we got another shot for $80. Not sure if it was really needed but they showed me a piece of paper from USCIS that said it was needed. I had pulled this info on the computer b4 i went there and what I saw said it was not needed.

 

I remember reading in some previous posts there is a sergeon in Texas? that will do this thru the mail.

I think Dan or Randy might know if I am hallucinating?

[dnoblett]

You never know if a letter to your rep would help.

 

It is ridiculous how some of these doctors treat immigrants.

 

Yes one benefit of CR-1/IR-1 is you don't have to deal with A.H. Doctors and other pains when adjusting status.

[Henry and Mei]

I had a similar issue. Most civil sergeons want to do a complete medical.

 

I called about 8 of them before I found one that knew about the I693 requirements for K visa holders.

 

This doctor goes thru the yellow book and tells me Fen only had the TD but TDaP is required. At this point I just wanted it done so we got another shot for $80. Not sure if it was really needed but they showed me a piece of paper from USCIS that said it was needed. I had pulled this info on the computer b4 i went there and what I saw said it was not needed.

 

I remember reading in some previous posts there is a sergeon in Texas? that will do this thru the mail.

I think Dan or Randy might know if I am hallucinating?

 

Many know who I am and where I am from, so I did not want to overly incriminate those here, although I know full well that I could try and report them....

 

But probably like spitting into the wind.......and not really my cup of tea to cry every time I see injustice....

 

Simply here just reporting the facts and looking for a better way....

 

But doesn't stop the amazement, since we trust these people with our health and they should have a higher education than most/many...

 

Sort of like guys that get warnings from police officers and complain to their head for discipline procedures against the officers for being too leniant.......

 

So it looks like you have to find the CS like you/I/many do and make the best out of a poor situation...

 

Bottom line is I hope to get this step done soon, but Wow...another eye opener

Edited April 10, 2010 by Henry and Mei (see edit history)

[Randy W]

I had a similar issue. Most civil sergeons want to do a complete medical.

 

I called about 8 of them before I found one that knew about the I693 requirements for K visa holders.

 

This doctor goes thru the yellow book and tells me Fen only had the TD but TDaP is required. At this point I just wanted it done so we got another shot for $80. Not sure if it was really needed but they showed me a piece of paper from USCIS that said it was needed. I had pulled this info on the computer b4 i went there and what I saw said it was not needed.

 

I remember reading in some previous posts there is a sergeon in Texas? that will do this thru the mail.

I think Dan or Randy might know if I am hallucinating?

 

 

Yes, there was a doctor in Austin who would fill out the I-693 Vaccination section by mail provided you had had all the shots, but he has supposedly dropped his civil surgeon status (but is still listed in the Civil Surgeon locator list).

 

Dr. L. E. Arnold

4534 Westgate Boulevard, Suite 106

Austin, TX 78745

Tel: (512) 444-3131

Fax: (512) 447-4699

[warpedbored]

I recommend that those looking for a CS that will do the form for a reasonable fee make a chart of surgeons in an outward spiral with home at the center and start calling the closest ones first.

[jin01]

Sorry to heard all the hardships. We were more fortunate since we live SF. However, we did have to pay $80 (or was $100? I actually forgot...) But I kept saying to myself why I had to pay someone that much money for just filling out the form and signing it. This should have been done in GUZ (by US gov) and shouldn't cost anything extra. Ridiculous...

Edited April 12, 2010 by jin01 (see edit history)

[Henry and Mei]

Sorry to heard all the hardships. We were more fortunate since we live SF. However, we did have to pay $80 (or was $100? I actually forgot...) But I kept saying to myself why I had to pay someone that much money for just filling out the form and signing it. This should have been done in GUZ (by US gov) and shouldn't cost anything extra. Ridiculous...

 

Like in so many ways, thanks for this site, help and support....

 

To give you the rest of the story.....

 

We went back this morning to have the Td test read and get our cheap medical signed off. Unfortunately, not so quick and painless.

 

Actually, nothing was done at all. Before he even looked at the shot, he decided to inform me that he now wanted X-rays, which would cost me an additional $80. And again, he tells me that I do not have to pay until my next visit.....

 

My next visit, IN ALL HONESTY AND I HOPE THERE ARE NO CHILDREN READING BUT ...WTF (And I apologize to the ladies...)

 

I said thank you....BUT NO THANK YOU......

 

THEN HE TELLS MY WIFE THAT I AM BEING GREEDY...WHAT A GUY..

 

And he insists that he is trying to help me. I let him know that he can help me by giving me the bill, so I can leave......$50 blown....

 

And at the same time, his assistant kept shaking her head.

 

As I am paying the bill, she told me that this happens all the time. But most are more enraged than I am. She knows the rules also and that the good doctor is breaking them....so stay away from Stafford....TX

Edited April 12, 2010 by Henry and Mei (see edit history)

[Henry and Mei]

Bottom line was that I should have followed my gut and use my friends Dr. Tong in Spring/Cypress, TX. My friends just could not see why I should have to drive even further for a CS. They simply don't realize how fortunate they were with the local CS.

 

His wife runs the desk and phone and my experience is actually what she said and quoted.

 

They are both from China and helped soothe things over also with my wife. She was not understanding the whole process or why the other doctor was choosing to cheat me....

 

So in less than 30 minutes, we had the sealed envelope with the previously discussed $80.

 

So after 14 hours of driving and $130 later, I have the review of her shots as needed for her AOS. I may still not have approval by the time her medical expires, but at least we have a chance with her AOS soon ready for mailing...

 

Thanks again everyone......

 

As I was leaving I met a woman from Canada that had also experienced a lot of difficulty with several CS before she learned of Dr. Tong....but that is another story....

Edited April 12, 2010 by Henry and Mei (see edit history)

[dnoblett]

THEN HE TELLS MY WIFE THAT I AM BEING GREEDY...WHAT A GUY..

Now that is a beauty! How is being greedy? Why not do as the instructions say and stop ripping people off?

[Henry and Mei]

My thoughts exactly........

 

I had never seen such an operation. He knew how far I had to come and still had the nerve to keep sticking it to me...

 

On Friday, I knew things were bad by watching his assistant, who always stood behind, but not how bad. He couldn't even remember that his assistant was there last Friday, when we were in. Kept insisting to her that she was not there and did not give the Td and flu shots...

 

Kept telling me that my X-rays from China were no good and would not be available during the AOS process and so he would not sign the medical without taking X-rays....again, doing me a service he said...

 

I enjoy working with professionals......Okay, I need a beer....

 

But I hope my experience may help others that live here in South Texas...

[weiaijiayou]

Hearing about all of this, I guess we got lucky with our civil surgeon. She just forgot to sign off on one of the required vaccinations, causing us to get an RFE (updated medical info was requested within 30 days, I believe). I'd take carelessness on the forms over these kinds of insults any day of the week. Who is he to scare your wife based on a news story he saw?

[dnoblett]

How from Austin are you? Stafford to Austin is 161 miles, are you west of Stafford?