Immigration Physicals in Fayetteville, NC

Carolina Infectious Disease PA is an U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) designated approved medical practice. Our providers are well qualified to conduct an immigration medical examination. An immigration medical exam (form I-693) 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.

Certain diseases of public health significance make an individual inadmissible to the United States. The exam is the process to remove these grounds of inadmissibility.

Purpose of the immigration medical exam

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 immigration medical examination, the resulting medical examination 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:

  • Communicable disease of public health significance
  • An immigrant’s failure to show proof of required vaccinations
  • Physical or mental disorder with associated harmful behavior
  • Drug abuse or addiction

Selecting a Doctor for your exam

The immigration medical exam must be conducted by a physician designated by USCIS (also known as a "civil surgeon"). Carolina Infectious Disease is registered with USCIS and our providers are designated civil surgeons. To find an approved doctor near you, go this webpage (https://my.uscis.gov/findadoctor) or call the USCIS Contact Center at (800) 375-5283.

What to take to your medical exam

In preparation for the medical examination, you take the following items:

  • Valid passport or other government-issued photo identification
  • Vaccination records
  • Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record (if adjusting status)
  • The required fee (varies by doctor, please call our office for more details)
  • Report of the condition and any special education or supervision requirements (if anyone in your family is immigrating with learning disabilities)
  • List of medications (if you are being treated for a chronic medical condition or taking medications on a regular basis)
  • Tuberculosis certificate from your doctor (if you’ve had a previous positive skin test for tuberculosis) proving that you were adequately treated
  • Certificate of clearance signed by a doctor or public health official, proving that you were adequately treated (if you have had syphilis)
  • If you have a history of harmful or violent behavior resulting in injury to people or animals, information that will allow the doctor to determine whether the behavior was related to a psychiatric or medical problem, or to drug or alcohol use
  • If you have been treated or hospitalized for psychiatric or mental illness, or alcohol or drug abuse, written certification including the diagnosis, length of treatment, and your prognosis.

Vaccinations

We will make sure 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 (MMR)
  • Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids (Tdap)
  • Hepatitis B
  • Varicella
  • COVID-19 plus booster

If you’ve already been vaccinated, bring your vaccination reports to the doctor. The report will need to be a certified translation if it is not already in English. If you haven’t been vaccinated, the doctor will give you an order to get the vaccines that you need. Depending on the type of vaccination, an additional visit may be required.

Medical History

Our staff will ask questions about your medical history. Of particular interest to the doctor is any time you have ever:

  • Stayed at a hospital or experienced significant events in your health history; or
  • Been put in an institution for a chronic physical or mental condition; or
  • Been sick or disabled so seriously that it resulted in a “substantial departure from a normal state of well-being or level of functioning.”

The doctor will also ask specific questions about habitual drug use. Applicants who are found to be drug abusers or addicts are inadmissible. Recovering drug addicts who are in remission, however, are admissible. Likewise, if the applicant is classified as a drug abuser or addict, the applicant can apply again for permanent residence if his or her drug abuse or addiction is in remission. If you have a history of drug abuse, even if it’s not in your medical records, consult with an immigration attorney before attending the green card medical exam.

Physical Examination

The doctor will then give you a physical examination. Typically, the physical exam includes looking at your eyes, ears, nose and throat, extremities, heart, lungs, abdomen, lymph nodes, skin, and external genitalia. The doctor will also blood tests.  If you are pregnant, contact your respective embassy or consular office to inquire about a postponement.

Upon Completion

When the examination is complete, the doctor will prepare a form provided by USCIS with results and findings. If your immigration medical exam is inside the United States, the civil surgeon will give you Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, in a sealed envelope. Do not open the envelope under any circumstance. Submit the medical exam along with Form I-485, Application to Adjust Status. If you have already filed your adjustment of status application, submit the envelope at the USCIS green card interview. The results of your immigration medical exam are generally valid for two years. Specifically, the Form I-693 is valid only when a civil surgeon signs it no more than 60 days before the date an applicant files the application for the underlying immigration benefit; and USCIS adjudicates the application within two years from the date of the civil surgeon’s signature.

As you can see, there are many steps to take to get immigration physicals. However, you do not have to navigate this process all on your own. Instead, you can trust the team at Carolina Infectious Disease PA to help you get the vaccinations and examinations you need to get your green card. We will work with you to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible without any unnecessary complications with your application process.

If you need an immigration physical in Fayetteville, NC, look no further than Carolina Infectious Disease PA. We offer USCIS physicals to those in and around Fayetteville, NC. To get in touch with a member of our team today, give us a call at (910) 568-3903. You can also reach us through our contact page and fill out our online form. We will get back to you as soon as possible to answer your questions.