When applying for a United States green card and permanent resident status, part of the U.S. immigration process is a medical examination sometimes called the green card exam or immigration physical. This exam is to ensure the applicant doesn’t have health conditions that pose a risk to public health.

Green card examinations differ from conventional medical examinations in that they require a civil surgeon designated by the U.S. government to perform the exam. Fortunately, Great City Medical in New York City offers a range of primary healthcare needs, as well as the required green card medical exam NYC for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

 Dr. Mikhail Akselrud is a qualified green card doctor and USCIS civil surgeon authorized to perform USCIS immigration medical exams for green card applicants and eliminate any public health grounds for denying requests based on a medical condition.

When filing your Form I-485 Adjustment of Status, you are required to submit a medical exam Form I-693. The physical examination for your green card isn’t much different than a conventional medical exam from your primary care physician, but it must be done by a doctor authorized by U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), called a civil surgeon. The examination will take a minimum of two visits, with two or three days in between for the laboratory to perform and report blood test results.

First Visit

During your first visit to the civil surgeon’s office, you’ll receive a thorough examination of your eyes, ears, nose, respiratory system, cardiovascular system, extremities, skin, lymphatic system (lymph nodes), and gastrointestinal system. Screening for physical or mental illness or mental disorders that may lead to harmful behavior or substance/drug abuse is also included.

Blood will be drawn to aid in testing for communicable diseases that pose a public health risk, including gonorrhea, Hansen’s disease, tuberculosis, and syphilis. Hansen’s disease is tested by observation, and gonorrhea is diagnosed using a urine test. The remaining illnesses are diagnosed using a blood test, such as the QuantiFERON (IGRA) blood test for tuberculosis, and a urine sample. If the IGRA test is found positive, a chest x-ray is required.

With Form I-693, you are required to submit proof that all vaccination requirements for your age, which include measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), tetanus-diphtheria (TD), varicella, meningococcal, and influenza. If some of the required vaccinations have not been done, you must receive all missing vaccinations necessary to meet the requirements. Also, all applicants need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

If you have done some vaccinations in the past, you must provide your medical records, confirming the vaccinations. If you no longer have the vaccination records, you can have blood titers drawn to test your immunity to MMR and varicella. Blood titers measure antibodies, which will verify immunity to certain diseases, so you will not need to repeat this required vaccination again. If the blood titers results show that you are not immune, you will need obtain a booster shot.

Second visit

Two to three days after your first visit your blood results will be ready, which will be used to complete Form I-693. In the event that your blood titers are low or something is abnormal, we will inform you of what needs to be done prior to your visit. In most cases your second day is an administrative visit, which is used to finalize the paperwork.