Every applicant who is applying for the Green card, irrespective of age has to go in for the Immigration Medical Exam.

We recently looked at the form I_693 form and how it has to be filled up by Civil Surgeons as a part of the applicant’s application for the Green Card process.

There are some more steps in filling up the I-693 process:

TB Steps (cont’d):

STEP 2: Determine whether a chest X-ray is required. A chest X-ray (CXR) is required if :

• The result of the applicant’s TST or IGRA test is positive;
• The applicant is immunosuppressed, regardless of TST or IGRA result;
• The applicant has signs or symptoms of TB, regardless of TST or IGRA result; or
• The applicant was exempted from the screening test (since this indicates a prior positive reaction).

If a CXR is required, the civil surgeon should request the applicant bring any prior CXRs performed. The civil surgeon should review prior CXRs for evidence suggestive of past TB disease or future development of TB disease.

The physician interpreting the current CXR should also be made aware of prior CXRs and what they indicate.

The civil surgeon is also responsible for ensuring that the X-ray technician checks the applicant’s identity. This is to ensure that the CXR belongs to the individual actually applying for the immigration benefit.