Each year in the United States, more than 800,000 people apply to become Lawful Permanent Residents, which entails getting a green card. The good news is that 88% of these applicants are successful and we want you to be successful, too.
One of the most important steps in your green card process is to complete your Immigration Medical Exam and Vaccination Record (Form I-693), which is where the team at Forest Urgent Care comes in. Both Dr. Waiho Lum and Dr. Ping Wong have extensive experience helping people to navigate this part of the immigration process, and we’re sure we can help you, too.
To make everything go more smoothly, we want to provide you with a few tips that will pave the way forward to your American Dream.
As the name suggests, the goal of the immigration medical exam and vaccination record is to make sure that you’re in good health and that you don’t pose a threat to public safety.
So, we want you to bring any medical records you have to your appointment, especially those that detail previous vaccinations. In particular, we’re looking for evidence of immunization against:
If you don’t have these records, please follow the other tips we outline below and still come see us. We can work toward getting your vaccinations current here at our clinic, so please don’t have them done somewhere else, as we know exactly what you need.
It’s a good idea to print out at least two copies of the I-693 form (click here for the form and information about filling it out). Please only fill out the first part of the form marked “applicant” and leave the rest blank. Please do NOT sign the form before you visit because we need to witness you signing the form.
It’s also a good idea to bring along a list of any medications you’re taking or bring the medications so we can see what you’re taking.
You can expect us to collect a sample of your urine during the exam, so please be sure to drink enough water before your appointment with us, and don’t urinate before you get here.
If your English isn’t very good, we recommend that you bring someone along who can translate. During your exam, we ask you questions about your medical history, so it’s important that we understand each other.
If you do some preparation before your visit, the process will go more quickly once you’re here. On our end, we know exactly what we’re doing. We complete the exam and the forms as required and make sure you have everything you need for this part of your application.
Also, please keep in mind that we may have to complete the exam over two visits if we need to update your vaccines and tests.
If you have more questions about how to prepare for your immigration medical exam, please don’t hesitate to contact us at our New York City office in Forest Hills, Queens. Or you can visit our clinic during our hours of operation, which are Monday through Friday from 8am to 7pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 5pm.
