USCIS Professional Standards & Competencies 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A civil surgeon's USCIS designation is valid for how long before it must be renewed?
- 2 years
- 3 years
- 5 years (Correct answer)
- Indefinitely until revoked
Correct answer: 5 years
Civil surgeon designations are valid for 5 years and must be renewed to remain authorized to conduct immigration medical exams.
Question 2: Which action by a civil surgeon would constitute a violation of USCIS ethical standards?
- Refusing to examine a patient who cannot pay upfront
- Reporting a communicable disease to public health authorities
- Completing Form I-693 for a patient they have not personally examined (Correct answer)
- Charging a fee for the medical examination
Correct answer: Completing Form I-693 for a patient they have not personally examined
Civil surgeons must personally perform the examination; signing Form I-693 for a patient they have not examined is a serious ethical and regulatory violation.
Question 3: When a civil surgeon discovers during the exam that an applicant has an existing untreated Class A condition, what is the correct action?
- Complete Form I-693 noting the condition and submit immediately
- Refer the applicant for treatment before completing the form (Correct answer)
- Deny completing the exam and refer the applicant to USCIS directly
- Exempt the applicant if they appear otherwise healthy
Correct answer: Refer the applicant for treatment before completing the form
A Class A condition must be treated or appropriately addressed before the civil surgeon can certify the examination as complete on Form I-693.
Question 4: Under USCIS policy, civil surgeons are prohibited from having which type of relationship with USCIS adjudicators?
- Professional correspondence about exam results
- Financial or personal relationships that create conflicts of interest (Correct answer)
- Submitting corrected Form I-693 packages
- Requesting guidance on specific medical classifications
Correct answer: Financial or personal relationships that create conflicts of interest
Civil surgeons must maintain independence and avoid financial or personal relationships with USCIS adjudicators to prevent conflicts of interest.
Question 5: A civil surgeon who loses their state medical license must:
- Continue practicing until USCIS is formally notified by the state board
- Immediately cease conducting immigration medical exams (Correct answer)
- Apply for a USCIS exemption within 30 days
- Transfer their case files to another civil surgeon within 60 days
Correct answer: Immediately cease conducting immigration medical exams
A valid, unrestricted state medical license is a prerequisite for civil surgeon designation, so losing the license requires immediately stopping all USCIS medical exams.
Question 6: Which best describes the civil surgeon's responsibility when an applicant discloses a mental health history during the exam?
- Automatically classify it as a Class A or B condition
- Evaluate whether the condition meets USCIS inadmissibility criteria using current diagnostic standards (Correct answer)
- Report it to USCIS separately from Form I-693
- Decline to document it to protect applicant privacy
Correct answer: Evaluate whether the condition meets USCIS inadmissibility criteria using current diagnostic standards
The civil surgeon must evaluate mental health disclosures against USCIS inadmissibility criteria, applying current CDC and DSM diagnostic standards objectively.
Question 7: Form I-693 must be submitted to USCIS in what condition to be considered valid?
- Photocopied with a certified stamp
- In an unsealed envelope for USCIS review
- In a sealed envelope with the civil surgeon's signature across the seal (Correct answer)
- Digitally submitted via USCIS's online portal
Correct answer: In a sealed envelope with the civil surgeon's signature across the seal
Form I-693 must be placed in a sealed envelope with the civil surgeon's signature across the seal to ensure the integrity of the medical record.
USCIS Professional Standards & Competencies 2
A civil surgeon's USCIS designation is valid for how long before it must be renewed?