Immigration medical examination and I-693

Plan the full I-693 cost

The core immigration package is listed starting at $350, including the civil-surgeon exam and core immigration labs. Ask for an itemized estimate before you begin. Vaccines, titers, chest imaging or other case-specific care may be additional. Bring existing vaccine and treatment records so the surgeon can determine what is still needed. Ask who pays for any outside referral and whether a replacement or follow-up visit carries another charge. A lower examination fee alone does not establish the total price.

Choose the correct mailed or online handoff

For a mailed I-485, submit the civil surgeon’s original sealed envelope with the application as instructed. For an eligible online I-485, USCIS instructs you to open that envelope and upload the completed I-693. Keep the original form and envelope until the final decision, because USCIS may request them. Use a separate personal copy to check the record. Do not alter the surgeon’s completed information or reseal an envelope yourself.

Confirm who will sign Form I-693

Use USCIS’s civil-surgeon directory to check the actual examiner. A clinic offering labs or intake is not automatically the place where a designated surgeon signs your form. Nao lists intake at 11 clinics and final civil-surgeon visits at StuyTown, Hicksville or Mineola. Ask which clinician will examine you, where the final visit occurs and what must be finished first. Check the actual examiner in USCIS’s directory.

Immigration medical examination and I-693

An immigration medical examination checks the medical documentation needed for your immigration case. For many applicants adjusting status in the United States, a USCIS-designated civil surgeon completes Form I-693 after reviewing the examination, required screening and vaccine records. The exam does not grant immigration status. Your USCIS instructions and case category determine whether you need a full examination, vaccination documentation or another process.

How immigration medical examination and I-693 works

The civil surgeon follows CDC Technical Instructions rather than treating an ordinary annual physical as a substitute. Screening depends on age and clinical findings. For example, the immigration TB pathway requires an IGRA blood test for applicants age two and older, with chest imaging and public-health referral when indicated. A positive TB screening result needs interpretation and follow-up; it does not by itself prove active contagious TB.

Eligibility: Immigration medical examination and I-693

Confirm that the clinician who will sign your form is a designated civil surgeon. A clinic network name or a general medical license does not establish that designation. Bring the USCIS notice if your case already contains a medical request. Refugees and some applicants with an overseas examination may have different documentation requirements, so check your case instructions before paying for a duplicate examination.

What to expect: Immigration medical examination and I-693

First, share your case deadline and the records you have. Next, the team reviews identity documents, vaccination history and the tests your case requires. Complete any ordered tests, missing vaccine documentation or referrals. The civil surgeon then reviews the completed medical information, signs the appropriate form and gives you the original in a sealed envelope. Ask for a personal copy and check names and dates before submitting the original.

Preparing for your appointment

Bring photo identification, vaccine records, a medication list, relevant treatment records and any USCIS medical notice. Ask whether records need a translation and whether an interpreter can attend. Do not sign the applicant certification until the civil surgeon instructs you. For a new signature today, USCIS accepts the 01/20/25 edition. Keep every page from the same edition. Vaccine requirements depend on age and the CDC instructions; COVID-19 vaccination is no longer a civil-surgeon vaccination requirement.

Risks and when to seek help

Tell the clinician about symptoms, current treatment, pregnancy, vaccine reactions and conditions affecting vaccination or testing. Do not skip prescribed medicines or conceal medical history to try to finish faster. A finding may require treatment, records or a referral before the form can be completed. If a vaccine is not appropriate, the civil surgeon documents the applicable medical assessment under the Technical Instructions rather than promising a blanket exemption.

Follow-up and treatment review

Handle the envelope according to your filing method. For a mailed I-485, submit the original sealed envelope. For an eligible online I-485, USCIS instructs you to open that envelope, upload the completed I-693 and retain the original form and envelope until the final decision. Forms signed on or after November 1, 2023 generally remain valid only for the application with which they were submitted. Earlier signatures generally have a two-year evidentiary period. A rejected, withdrawn or denied filing needs case-specific review.

Appointments, costs and coverage

Nao lists intake across 11 clinics, with final civil-surgeon visits at StuyTown, Hicksville or Mineola. The published core self-pay package starts at $350 and includes the civil-surgeon exam and core immigration labs; vaccines, titers, imaging and other case-specific items may cost extra. Confirm the examiner, final-visit site, complete price and appointment steps before travel. Same-day intake does not promise a completed form or a USCIS decision that day.

Medical sources

• USCIS Form I-693
• USCIS Policy Manual: Review of Medical Examination Documentation
• USCIS Find a Civil Surgeon
• CDC Vaccination Technical Instructions for Civil Surgeons
• CDC Tuberculosis Technical Instructions for Civil Surgeons