The medical exam consists of a physical exam, an evaluation for Tuberculosis (TB) which involves a skin test and sometimes a chest x-ray, and a blood test.
If you have any of the following communicable diseases you are considered inadmissible:
- Infectious state Tuberculosis (TB)
- Syphilis
- Chancroid
- Gonorrhea
- Granuloma Inguinale
- Lymphogranuloma Venereum
- Hansen’s Disease (infectious leprosy)
- Quarantinable diseases including: cholera, diphtheria, plague, smallpox, yellow fever, viral hemorrhagic fevers, SARS, or pandemic flu
- Any events report as public health emergency of international concern to the World Health Organization under the International Health Regulations of 2005
There are some health related waivers available so it is important to meet with an attorney to discuss your options.
I am often asked about what vaccines/boosters are required as part of the medical exam. All immigrants are required to have an assessment for the following vaccine-preventable diseases: Mumps, Measles, Rubella, Polio, Tetanus and Diphtheria Toxoids, Pertussis, Haemophilus Influenzae Type B, Rotavirus, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Meningococcal disease, Varicella, influenza, and Pneumococcal Pneumonia.
If you need to find a Civil Surgeon to perform your Medical Exam please visit: www.uscis.gov and select “Find a Medical Doctor (Civil Surgeon)” from the Customer Tools section
More information is available at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website www.cdc.gov under Immigrant and Refugee Health, Medical Exam: Frequently Asked Questions
Other health considerations regarding inadmissibility:
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) section 212 persons who have, or had, “a physical or mental disorder and behavior associated with that disorder may pose, or has posed, a threat to the property, safety, or welfare of the alien or others” are also inadmissible.
Drug abusers and addicts are also inadmissible to the United States under the INA.