USCIS Professional Standards & Competencies 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Civil surgeons are required to use which edition of the CDC's Technical Instructions when conducting immigration medical exams?
- The edition current at the time of their designation
- The most current edition published by the CDC (Correct answer)
- The edition specified in each individual applicant's USCIS notice
- Any edition published within the last 5 years
Correct answer: The most current edition published by the CDC
Civil surgeons must always use the most current CDC Technical Instructions for immigration medical examinations to ensure compliance with up-to-date standards.
Question 2: Which of the following is NOT a requirement for a physician to become a USCIS-designated civil surgeon?
- Be licensed to practice medicine in the state where exams are performed
- Have at least 4 years of professional experience after medical training
- Be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (Correct answer)
- Complete USCIS civil surgeon training
Correct answer: Be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident
USCIS does not require civil surgeons to be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents; they must hold a valid state license, have sufficient experience, and meet other professional criteria.
Question 3: A civil surgeon realizes they made a documentation error on a submitted Form I-693. What should they do?
- Contact the applicant to have them retrieve and resubmit the form
- Submit a corrected Form I-693 directly to USCIS with an explanation (Correct answer)
- Notify USCIS by phone and wait for instructions before taking any action
- Do nothing if the error is minor and unlikely to affect the decision
Correct answer: Submit a corrected Form I-693 directly to USCIS with an explanation
Civil surgeons should submit a corrected Form I-693 with a cover letter explaining the error directly to USCIS to maintain accurate records.
Question 4: Which vaccination is specifically required for immigration medical exams under the CDC Technical Instructions for all eligible applicants?
- Hepatitis C vaccine
- Influenza vaccine (current season) (Correct answer)
- Yellow fever vaccine
- Dengue vaccine
Correct answer: Influenza vaccine (current season)
The influenza vaccine for the current season is among the vaccines required by the CDC Technical Instructions for eligible immigration applicants.
Question 5: During a follow-up exam, a civil surgeon determines that a previously identified Class B condition has now progressed. What classification change is required?
- The condition remains Class B until USCIS reclassifies it
- The civil surgeon upgrades it to Class A if it now meets inadmissibility criteria (Correct answer)
- The condition is automatically downgraded to non-reportable
- The civil surgeon submits an amended Form I-693B only
Correct answer: The civil surgeon upgrades it to Class A if it now meets inadmissibility criteria
If a Class B condition progresses to meet Class A inadmissibility criteria, the civil surgeon must reclassify it as Class A on the updated Form I-693.
Question 6: What is a civil surgeon's obligation if an applicant refuses a required vaccination during the medical exam?
- Complete the exam and do not document the refusal
- Document the refusal on Form I-693 and note the vaccination as not administered (Correct answer)
- Postpone the entire exam until the applicant consents
- Report the refusal to USCIS via a separate enforcement notice
Correct answer: Document the refusal on Form I-693 and note the vaccination as not administered
Civil surgeons must document vaccine refusals on Form I-693, noting which vaccines were not administered and the reason, allowing USCIS to make the admissibility determination.
Question 7: A civil surgeon operating in a group medical practice may have another physician in the practice administer the vaccination portion of the exam. Which statement is accurate?
- This is permitted as long as the administering physician is also a designated civil surgeon (Correct answer)
- This is permitted and does not require additional documentation
- This is never permitted; only the designated civil surgeon may perform all parts of the exam
- This is permitted only for influenza vaccinations
Correct answer: This is permitted as long as the administering physician is also a designated civil surgeon
Only a USCIS-designated civil surgeon may perform or directly supervise each component of the immigration medical exam, including vaccinations.
USCIS Professional Standards & Competencies 3
Civil surgeons are required to use which edition of the CDC's Technical Instructions when conducting immigration medical exams?