What should the applicant expect in a family green card medical exam?

What is the goal of the medical exam?
To determine whether the applicant is inadmissible for health reasons. An applicant can be found inadmissible for health reasons. The goal of the medical exam is to ensure that the applicant:

• Has all required vaccinations
• Has not been infected with a serious contagious disease
• Is not abusing drugs or addicted to drugs
• Does not have mental disorders
  

Can the exam be carried out by any doctor?
No. Whether inside the United States or abroad, the exam must be carried out by a doctor approved by the U.S. government for such purposes.

Can the exam be performed in any country?
No. The applicant’s medical exam must take place in the country where the applicant applied for a green card.

How do applicants filing from within the United States find an approved doctor?
There are numerous doctors in the U.S. who can perform the medical exam. The best way to find them is to use the locator designed by USCIS and to enter a convenient zip code.

How do applicants going through consular processing find an approved doctor?
There are usually only between 1 and 3 doctors in any given country outside the United States that are able to carry out this medical exam. In order to find a qualified doctor in the appropriate country, we highly recommend checking both of the following sources of information. If the sources differ, we suggest relying on the most recently updated information:

• The website of the U.S. consulate that is processing the applicant’s application (the one where the interview will take place).
• The relevant section of the website of the U.S. Department of State. The applicant can choose the appropriate city from a drop-down list, and the website will then open a PDF containing relevant information on the medical exam procedure as well as the name, address and telephone number of qualified doctors.

What should the applicant bring to the medical exam?  At least the following:

• Full vaccination or immunization records (or be prepared to have the necessary vaccinations on the spot)
• Passport (or travel document)
• 3 photographs

What should the applicant expect during the medical exam?

• Physical examination.
• Review of medical history through a series of questions.
• Collection of a blood sample to be used for various tests, including drug, syphilis and others.
  

What will the doctor do?

• Decide whether the individual’s condition and behavior “posed or is likely to pose a threat to the property, safety, or welfare of the alien or others.”
• Combine all documentation (vaccination record, forms, x-rays) to create a file.
• Give the results to the individual to take to the visa interview or, in consular processing, send the results directly to the U.S. embassy or consulate