K1: I-693 and DS-3025

[wavedom]

According to some instructions, an immigrant who applies for AOS from K1 to is required to have the vaccination part of the I-693 filled out and signed by a civil surgeon.

1. What does it actually mean if the DS-3025 states that the vaccine history is incomplete and that the “applicant may be eligible for blanket waiver(s) because vaccination(s) are not medically appropriate”? Is a waiver given by the USCIS case officer or is it something that the applicant has to apply for separately? If the vaccinations requirements are met (either because the applicant has taken the shots or because they are not medically/age appropriate), will the case officer more or less automatically grant a waiver for those vaccinations that the applicant hasn’t taken?

2. Is the civil surgeon just copying the vaccine history from the DS-3025 onto the I-693 without demanding another medical exam? From what I’ve read, some civil surgeons refuse to do that since they want the applicant to have another medical exam.

3. Does it matter when the civil surgeon completes the I-693? Does the applicant have to be married to the USC first or can it be done immediately after entering the US?

[barbarajlw]

According to some instructions, an immigrant who applies for AOS from K1 to is required to have the vaccination part of the I-693 filled out and signed by a civil surgeon.

1. What does it actually mean if the DS-3025 states that the vaccine history is incomplete and that the “applicant may be eligible for blanket waiver(s) because vaccination(s) are not medically appropriate”? Is a waiver given by the USCIS case officer or is it something that the applicant has to apply for separately? If the vaccinations requirements are met (either because the applicant has taken the shots or because they are not medically/age appropriate), will the case officer more or less automatically grant a waiver for those vaccinations that the applicant hasn’t taken?

2. Is the civil surgeon just copying the vaccine history from the DS-3025 onto the I-693 without demanding another medical exam? From what I’ve read, some civil surgeons refuse to do that since they want the applicant to have another medical exam.

3. Does it matter when the civil surgeon completes the I-693? Does the applicant have to be married to the USC first or can it be done immediately after entering the US?

I am going straight to Q3 you have to be married to USC from the K1 to AOS anyways .
If the vaccination report says "incomplete" then yes I strongly advise you find a CS and have the DS 3025 transcribed over to the I-693 vaccinations part only and no if the medical is within the 1 year validity date then no other medical is required and don't let a CS tell you other wise.

[nichole]

According to some instructions, an immigrant who applies for AOS from K1 to is required to have the vaccination part of the I-693 filled out and signed by a civil surgeon.

1. What does it actually mean if the DS-3025 states that the vaccine history is incomplete and that the “applicant may be eligible for blanket waiver(s) because vaccination(s) are not medically appropriate”? Is a waiver given by the USCIS case officer or is it something that the applicant has to apply for separately? If the vaccinations requirements are met (either because the applicant has taken the shots or because they are not medically/age appropriate), will the case officer more or less automatically grant a waiver for those vaccinations that the applicant hasn’t taken?

A blanket waiver means the officer reviewing your case can grant it with no special application from you. You can be given a waiver because the shot is not age appropriate, or you have allergic reactions to some components, or you are pregnant for some shots (measles), or enough time hasn't passed (in the case of shots in a series where there is a wait between doses), or it's not flu season when you had the exam. Yes he will grant it if your sheet is marked

2. Is the civil surgeon just copying the vaccine history from the DS-3025 onto the I-693 without demanding another medical exam? From what I’ve read, some civil surgeons refuse to do that since they want the applicant to have another medical exam.

Civil surgeons are in private practice and can do that. Many just don't realize a K1 doesn't need another exam because they don't read their memos or instructions. They deal with more immigrants adjusting from work, student, etc who are already in the US and didn't have an exam overseas, so they robotically spout off the immigration medical routine. Find another doctor.

3. Does it matter when the civil surgeon completes the I-693? Does the applicant have to be married to the USC first or can it be done immediately after entering the US?

No it doesn't matter if married or not.

IMPORTANT: If you got all the needed shots recorded on the DS-3025 visa exam vaccination sheet and it is properly filled out then skip the civil surgeon and I-693 entirely. You can get approved on the DS-3025. Many, many, many people do this.

Adults need

• MMR
• Tdap or Td or DTP (within last 10 years)
• Varicella (or the DS-3025 marked VH because you had the chickenpox disease)
• Flu shot - only if the exam was during flu season (Oct 1-Mar 31) Doesn't matter that it's flu season now if the exam was before Oct 1.

All of those must be on the DS-3025. If you got some shots later or the DS-3025 is missing anything, then see a civil surgeon. So look for these things on the DS-3025:

1. The shots listed above.
2. The rest marked not medically appropriate or age appropriate or time interval.(waiver things)
3. Results marked- "Incomplete, eligible for blanket waiver"
4. Doctor signed and dated it.

Send a photocopy of the complete DS-3025 with the AOS. They will have to find the original medical forms and DS-3025 in your files. Sometimes those go missing. You turned them in at immigration in an envelope, but they sometimes don't get matched up with your AOS application.

[wavedom]

Thanks for the reply Nichole, I appreciate it.

Two follow-up questions:

1. Even though some people might have their AOS application approved without the I-693, there are also people who get an RFE because it's not included in the application. Would you say that the outcome simply depends on what mood the USCIS officer is in when he/she reviews the application, or is there some unofficial rule that makes the USCIS officer ignore the fact that the I-693 is missing as long as everything else is in order?

2. The required vaccinations on the DS-3025 include some more than just those that you mentioned. The remaining ones are marked with "Not Routinely Available". Is this a reason for granting a blanket waiver? If they were medically or age inappropriate I can understand that the officer would grant a waiver, but is the reason that they're not routinely available good enough to get away with it?

[nichole]

Thanks for the reply Nichole, I appreciate it.

Two follow-up questions:

1. Even though some people might have their AOS application approved without the I-693, there are also people who get an RFE because it's not included in the application. Would you say that the outcome simply depends on what mood the USCIS officer is in when he/she reviews the application, or is there some unofficial rule that makes the USCIS officer ignore the fact that the I-693 is missing as long as everything else is in order?

It's not luck or mood. I know a hundred people who have done this. Why do people say they get RFEs?
--Because they think any old DS-3025 will do. They think they wouldn't have gotten a visa if it wasn't complete. Fact is, you can get a K1 visa with zero shots...but you can't get a greencard,
--Because they are not smart enough to understand the language of the RFE and conclude it's the I-693. I read those posts everyday.
--Because they aren't able to figure out if their DS-3025 meets the "properly completed" standards. There was a Canadian doctor who wasn't signing the sheets. Yes they got RFEs. They weren't complete.

Read the instructions for the I-693...the form instructions from USCIS, not a forums instructions. See page 4. It mentions if a properly completed ds-3025 is not included in your medical file...that part. It's indicating a properly completed form in your files will do it. I've read the adjudicators field manual and what they look for. I've studied this. I summarized what a properly completed DS-3025 would need. 1-4.

2. The required vaccinations on the DS-3025 include some more than just those that you mentioned. The remaining ones are marked with "Not Routinely Available". Is this a reason for granting a blanket waiver? If they were medically or age inappropriate I can understand that the officer would grant a waiver, but is the reason that they're not routinely available good enough to get away with it?

I would say no, that is not a reason listed in the adjudicators field manual. Think it through---you're in the US now and they are available so you can go get them before you adjust status. And thus you would need a civil surgeon. BUT if your panel physician just marked the wrong column on shots you don't even need (child shots) and you have the other exact ones for AOS with dates, then you may get by with it. Reason? #3 in the field manual says

Step 3 . If the required vaccinations were not received or not marked as “not medically appropriate” as of the date the medical exam was conducted, determine whether the missing vaccinations would still be required as of the date of adjudication.

That tells me they will look for the required shots and if they find them documented, it's okay. You could try it and go pay big bucks to a civil surgeon only if you get an RFE, which is no big deal on AOS. But if you get an RFE, it's not because you didn't send the I-693, it's because your DS-3025 was not completed properly. See the difference?? If you've got a totally proper DS-3025, you don't need a civil surgeon.