Adjustment of status, or “AOS” as it is called, is part of a procedure that enables a lawful applicant to gain access to permanent residence, without having to leave the country while applying for an immigration visa.
Adjustment of status involves applying for the status of permanent residence while the applicant is inside the United States. The other alternative is Consular processing, which is applying for the same from abroad. Adjustment of status is related to the applicant’s personal history and his financial, health, family, political and criminal background.
VARIOUS CRITERIA TO ADJUST STATUS
EMPLOYEE: As an employee you can adjust status if you have an approval for an employment-based visa petition.
ASYLUM/REFUGEE STATUS: If the applicant has been in the country for at least 1 year from the time of receiving asylum or refugee status then the applicant can qualify for the same.
GREEN CARD LOTTERY: If the applicant has received information from the Department of State that a visa has been won in the Green Card Lottery then the status can be raised to that of Diversity Visa.
U S RESIDENT BEFORE THE YEAR 1972: “Registry” status can be exercised by the applicant if he or she has continuously stayed in the country since or before January 1, 1972.
One of the steps to acquiring the Green Card or any other adjustment visa in the United States is the Green Card Medical, something that could turn out to be quite an expensive affair. As it is mandatory for visa applicants to go through the medical some things should be kept in mind while going in for it!
The medical exam consists of a physical checkup, along with the administration of vaccines, with tuberculin skin tests and blood tests too that could be conducted, if the Civil Surgeon administering the test feels so. So the entire immigration medical could cost anything between 200 and 500 dollars. Apart from this, if vaccinations too are administered then an additional cost will have to be borne for them. It is advisable to assemble a list of all the vaccines that the applicant had taken before and if there is certification for the same that would be really beneficial. The applicant should carry the certificates of all the vaccines that had been received in the past.
If the applicant is working it is advisable to take a day off from the job, because the entire process of the Immigration Medical could take around 4 to 5 hours, and there are certain vaccinations that could need follow up. So it is better that the applicant stays away from work, to ensure that the medical goes off smoothly.
USCIS conducts the Immigration Medical Examination for all those aspirants who are in the process of adjusting status and have to apply for a green card or for any other kind of visa. USCIS stands for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. It is a body that handles all the immigration processes in the country of the United States. The examinations are conducted by qualified medical practitioners who are empaneled by the USCIS.
MAIN OBJECTIVE OF CONDUCTING THE IMMIGRATION EXAMINATION
The sole purpose of conducting the green card medical examination or the immigration medical examination is to verify whether the visa aspirant is suffering from any major disease or abnormal health condition that could pre-empt him or her from getting admissibility into the country, especially on health grounds that could endanger society.
With the help of a portal like easyIME it is now easy for aspirants to go in for the immigration medical examination.
Once the doctor is selected by the applicant online the time slot most suitable to the aspirant should be selected, and even in this, the applicant will be helped by easyIME to fix up an appointment with the concerned USCIS Civil Surgeon. So all that the applicant will have to do is to show up at the doctor’s clinic at the designated time!
Step 5:
Once you have collected all the documents necessary, filed copies of them and sent the needed, original papers to USCIS you will then have to wait for the Green Card Medical exam. This is a compulsory exam that all applicants going through the visa process have to undertake.
The Green Card Medical could prove to be expensive – the exam involves some physical examinations and the necessary vaccinations – the applicant has to go in for a body check-up, TB testing and some blood tests, if required. The Immigration Medical could cost anything between 200 and 500 USD. For the vaccinations the applicant might have to pay more. It is important to talk to your health care worker and confirm which vaccines have been taken by you before. A certificate stating the same could help.
You might have to take a break from your daily routine or work, as the exam could last for around 2 to 4 hours at least. Also, it could happen that the vaccinations could require you to have a follow up.
Step 6
A USCIS –approved Civil Surgeon will have to conduct the entire procedure of the Immigration Medical Exam for you – this is mandatory. There are some tools that could help you in your search- a site like www.easyIME.com gives applicants a free listing of Doctors in the area of their choice – you could try it out. An appointment too can be scheduled with the doctor online.
Step 7
On the fixed date and time do show up at the Surgeon’s! A form called the I-693 form will have to be filled up and signed by the doctor taking your exam – it will be handed over to you to in a sealed envelope, which will then have to be forwarded to the authorities at USCIS.
