The US immigration medical exam is mandatory series of medical tests carried out on a Green Card Aspirant for the purpose of ascertaining whether he is admissible to the United States or not. It is conducted by a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, USCIS, approved Civil Surgeon.

The immigration medical exam procedure takes nearly 4-5 hours. The medical examination includes a series of tests to check the aspirant for a variety of diseases, physical and mental disorders, addictions and vaccination. It will cost anywhere between $200 and $800 depending on the geographical location. The USCIS does not have fixed regulations for the charges that each civil surgeon takes.

Locate a good civil surgeon online based on your zip code from easyIME.com, schedule the appointment online and all you need is to simply show up on the day.

The medical examination begins with tests to detect Tuberculosis or the aspirant’s exposure to tuberculosis. The first is tuberculin skin test. If the aspirant tests positive, IGRA (Interferon Gamma Release Assay) test is carried out. What follows is Chest X ray. Pregnant women are exempt from this test for the time being if they present a certificate of their pregnancy from their physician or obstetrician. They are also provided with additional protection if they wish to undergo the radiograph.

Next are blood tests to detect Syphilis and HIV. Other diseases such as Gonorrhea, Chlamydia or communicable diseases that may cause an outbreak are checked for at this stage.

Once the aspirant is through these tests, civil surgeon checks for the presence of any physical or mental disorders. The aim is to check for any harmful behavior or any symptoms that may lead the aspirant to exhibiting harmful behavior in the future. A careful evaluation of the medical history is done at this stage.

What follows are tests to check for drug abuse or other forms of addiction especially narcotics. Once this is done, the final stage of the immigration medical examination procedure begins – vaccination.

Vaccines are charged for separately so it is recommended to check with the civil surgeon prior to setting up the appointment. If the aspirant has been vaccinated before, it is recommended to carry along certification from the health care provider. According to CDC, Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccination will be done for Influenza, Hepatitis B, Diphtheria toxoids, Pertussis, Polio, Measles, Rubella and Mumps. The vaccines are given based on the age of the aspirant.

There is a separate form for those who cannot take vaccines due to religious reasons. This form is available with most civil surgeons.

The i693 form is needed for this medical examination. You can download it from easyIME.com. Fill out the first page and don’t sign it unless your civil surgeon has filled the entire form. Once the civil surgeon signs the form, he will seal the form along with other test results in an envelope. Make sure your name and other contact details are correctly spelled before the results are sealed. If the seal is broken or the envelope appears to be tampered with, the results are rejected.

Deliver the results to the consulate within a week’s time and patiently wait for the call.

easyIME.com is a free service, which streamlines the immigration medical process for green card aspirants by helping them locate the right USCIS Civil Surgeon and schedule their USCIS immigration medical exam online. Green card aspirants can also find immigration lawyers near their zip code through this service.