How to Use the USCIS “Find a Doctor” Feature

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Published by Mei in Resources | Updated 2024

Coming to the US on a green card? You and every family member needs to submit medical examination by a doctor. It must be a USCIS authorized doctor, known as a “civil surgeon”. This is to prove that you are not inadmissible to the United States on public health grounds and that you will not be a burden on the state.

The official US list is on the USCIS website here Find a Doctor page. Do not go to a doctor recommended by a friend until you check their name here as licenses are revoked regularly.

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How to Use “Find a Doctor” to Set Up Your Medical Exam

If you are in the USA the “Find a Doctor” feature allows you to enter your ZIP code. If you need to undergo an immigration medical exam, then you must find a doctor from this database. The ZIP code will reveal the civil surgeons in your area designated by USCIS. However, if you apply from abroad, you will have to see a panel physician that the U.S. Department of State authorizes.

Call all the Drs within your area to ask their availability, fees, and whether they accept your health insurance.

Medical exam fee payment depends on the physician so we recommend that you phone call around a few to get the best price or if they accept your insurance. Ask if they include x-rays, ask about charges of vaccines. Check with the office to ensure they take the payment you prefer.

Check with your insurance company if any vaccinations that are required are covered by your insurance company under “preventative care”.

When to Schedule Your Exam with “Find a Doctor”

It’s important to make sure you schedule your medical exam at the right time. Everything – including the results’ validity period and the scheduling process for the medical exam. The results are only valid for a certain amount of time.

If you file from within the U.S., you have two options regarding the scheduling of the medical examination:

Before You Apply for Your Green Card

You can schedule your medical exam before applying for a green card. If you are required to submit the results from your medical exam together with your application package this exam should include all the government forms required and the supporting documents.

Now, while you have this option, you are not obliged to go for it. But if you choose concurrent filing, you should ensure that the medical exam results on Form I-693 are signed by your civil surgeon only in the last 60 days before submitting the green card application.

If you got the signature more than 60 days before you shouldn’t send it with the application and documents. It’s best to hold out until you are about to file and get your exam.

If you are required to go to an interview you could wait to bring the form to the interview or provide it after filing the green card application. You will not be asked to go through a medical exam again if you use this method.

Bear in mind that the medical results have a two-year validity from the doctor signing it. For this reason, it is essential to bring it to the interview or send it before the expiration date. If filing concurrently by the time your green card priority date becomes available there may be a chance that your medical exam/biometrics may be out of date and may need to be retaken.

  • Go with the cheapest
  • Ask if the office will give a copy of the file to you
  • Try get an appointment close to when you are intending to submit your application
  • Ask for their vaccination pricelist
  • Get there early
  • This is not a time to ask about a pain that has been nagging you
  • Bring someone with you for comfort

After Filling Out Your Green Card Application Package

It is possible to send your medical results after submitting your green card. If you do this, you can either bring the form to the green card interview or send it to USCIS as soon as you’re done submitting the green card application. We don’t like this – a lot can go wrong – it might get lost or you may receive a Request for Evidence which can slow down your application.

What to Bring to Your Exam?

To make sure everything goes smoothly and that you can be evaluated by a physician, you should bring a few documents along. Here is what you should have with you when you go to the exam:

  • Your medical history
  • Vaccination or immunization records
  • A letter presenting any treatment plan for potential health problems you might have. The letter must be provided by your regular doctor.
  • Copies of potential previous chest X-rays
  • Print out of I-693 from USCIS website Fill in Part 1 but only sign when in the office witnessed by the Dr or assistant.
  • A government photo ID eg. state ID, passport, travel permit, work permit, or driver’s license
  • Your health insurance card if you have one (before bringing your insurance, though, you should check with the doctor’s office to find out if your insurance is accepted)
  • Medical exam fee payment (the amount will depend on the physician, and before you pay, you should check with the office of the doctor to discover the payment options it accepts)
  • Wear clean underwear.

Also, depending on where you are applying from, you will have to bring an extra document. If you’re applying from within the U.S., you will have to provide Form I-693, aka the “Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record”.

Usually, doctors have Form I-693 at their office, but it is still better to download the form yourself from the USCIS website to ensure they use the latest version. Submitting an expired form will result in a rejection, so it’s best to save time and download the latest version, then bring it to the office.

Furthermore, if you wish to save some time, you may also complete parts of the form before going to the appointment. However, do not sign it until told by the civil surgeon.

If coming in with your family you’ll also need their records and I.D. For children 14 years old or younger, bring identification that shows their name, date and place of birth and parent’s full name. Possible forms of identification include your long-form birth certificate (with an English translation) or a signed affidavit.

What Happens During the Exam?

You will undergo a medical exam that is different from the routine one you get from your family doctor.

Usually, the doctor looks over the medical and immunization history you brought to the appointment and will also ask you certain questions about your health. A basic physical exam will also be performed.

The physician will look for various conditions, such as drug abuse or addiction, any communicable diseases, conditions that do not allow you to support yourself, or any mental or physical disorders that are associated with harmful behavior. PLEASE NOTE: The Dr will assess your mental state. Please be calm and pleasant during the exam. You need to prove to the doctor that you are a potential worthy citizen.

Different methods will be used to discover potential problems, such as vaccination screening, urine and blood tests, tuberculosis tests, and alcohol and drug screening.

The doctor will test for communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, gonorrhea and syphilis.

The tuberculosis test is done in two parts. You will be required to return to the doctor’s office within two to three days to have the results read and/or be X-rayed.

You can chose not to receive your vaccinations at that time. You can price out other locations after your exam and then chose to get vaccinated in their office on your TB results day or bring in your evidence(photocopied) then to the Drs office of your vaccinations to include in your packet.

Depending on your country of residence there may be other vaccinations/examination that are necessary. You may have to give a urine sample. Depending on time of year you may be required to get a flu or COVID shot.

If you are pregnant, confirm that the vaccines are safe.

If you have a serious illness they may be concerned that you may become a ‘burden on the state’. You should be aware of this. You might need to seek consul from an attorney before your exam.

At the end of the exam, the doctor will give you a “pass” or a “fail” grade.

DO NOT OPEN THE PACKET THAT THE DOCTOR GIVES YOU.

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Final Thoughts

A medical exam is necessary if you want to apply for a green card, use the Find a Doctor directory. Ensure you know how you can pay the fee at the office and provide all necessary documentation in order to ensure the appointment goes smoothly. Vaccines can rack up the price of the visit so make extra effort to get all your vaccine records before going into them. Do not open the sealed package from the Doctor.

For USCIS information check out USCIS Policy Manual Volume 8, Part B, Chapter 4.

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All articles are written from our experiences and the experiences of our colleagues. These are fantastic visas and we wish to empower others in applying. This information is for general guidance only and shouldn’t be considered legal advice.

If you have any questions or encounter any issues that we have left out let us know – it is important that others are aware. Email here!