USCIS Introduction 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: How can an applicant find a USCIS-designated civil surgeon in their area?
- By calling their local hospital
- By using the civil surgeon locator tool on the USCIS website (Correct answer)
- By asking their primary care physician for a referral
- By contacting the CDC directly
Correct answer: By using the civil surgeon locator tool on the USCIS website
USCIS provides an online civil surgeon locator tool at uscis.gov to help applicants find authorized physicians near them.
Question 2: What should an applicant do if they believe a civil surgeon made an error on their Form I-693?
- Cross out the error and initial it themselves
- Contact USCIS directly to report the error and request a new form
- Return to the civil surgeon to have the form corrected, as only the civil surgeon can amend it (Correct answer)
- Submit the form with a written explanation of the error
Correct answer: Return to the civil surgeon to have the form corrected, as only the civil surgeon can amend it
Only the civil surgeon who completed the exam can correct Form I-693; the applicant cannot alter the sealed document.
Question 3: What is the consequence of an applicant tampering with a sealed Form I-693 envelope before submitting it to USCIS?
- USCIS will simply reseal the envelope and process the application
- USCIS will reject the form and require a new medical exam at the applicant's expense (Correct answer)
- The application will be denied and the applicant may be barred from future applications
- There is no consequence as long as the form contents are unchanged
Correct answer: USCIS will reject the form and require a new medical exam at the applicant's expense
Tampering with the sealed envelope compromises the integrity of the medical exam, and USCIS will reject the form and require a new exam.
Question 4: Which of the following best explains why USCIS requires immigration medical exams?
- To ensure immigrants can afford US healthcare
- To protect public health by identifying communicable diseases and ensuring required vaccinations (Correct answer)
- To prioritize healthier immigrants for visa preference categories
- To establish insurance eligibility for newly arrived immigrants
Correct answer: To protect public health by identifying communicable diseases and ensuring required vaccinations
The medical exam protects public health by screening for communicable diseases and verifying vaccination compliance before granting immigration benefits.
Question 5: What happens to Form I-693 after USCIS reviews it as part of an I-485 application?
- It is returned to the applicant for their records
- It becomes part of the applicant's permanent immigration file (Correct answer)
- It is destroyed after five years per federal record retention rules
- It is forwarded to the applicant's state health department
Correct answer: It becomes part of the applicant's permanent immigration file
Form I-693 becomes a permanent part of the applicant's immigration file maintained by USCIS.
Question 6: Can an applicant use the same Form I-693 for multiple immigration applications filed years apart?
- Yes, as long as the civil surgeon's information is still current
- No, Form I-693 is only valid for two years from the civil surgeon's signature date (Correct answer)
- Yes, if no new health conditions have developed since the original exam
- No, USCIS requires a new exam for every separate immigration benefit application
Correct answer: No, Form I-693 is only valid for two years from the civil surgeon's signature date
Form I-693 expires two years after the civil surgeon signs it and cannot be reused for a later application after that period.
Question 7: Which of the following statements about the USCIS medical exam cost is accurate?
- The cost is set by USCIS and is the same nationwide
- The cost is set by each civil surgeon and can vary; it is not covered by the USCIS filing fee (Correct answer)
- Medicare and Medicaid are required to cover the cost of the immigration medical exam
- USCIS reimburses applicants for the medical exam cost after approval
Correct answer: The cost is set by each civil surgeon and can vary; it is not covered by the USCIS filing fee
Civil surgeons set their own fees for the immigration medical exam, and the cost is separate from and not included in the USCIS I-485 filing fee.
USCIS Introduction 5
How can an applicant find a USCIS-designated civil surgeon in their area?