The Doctors doing Immigration Physical

If anyone wants to file an application for adjusting status to Permanent Residency (Green Card), they have to undergo a physical examination from a doctor listed by Citizenship and Immigration Services. The doctor has to ensure that the person has received all their shots and have to communicable diseases. The shots required by US Government are:

Hepatitis B at birth, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 months, 12 yrs

DTP 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 months, 4 years, 12yrs

IPV 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 months and 4 years

HiB 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 months

MMR 1 year and 4 year

Chicken Pox (varicella) 1 year and 12 years

PPV and PCV 2 months, 4 months and 6 months

TD Booster every 10 year

FLU last October


Many clients especially from developed countries have already had these vaccines. Since these vaccines are also required by most schools, most students have already had them. Same is true for clients coming in on K visas and adjusting status here.

Yet the doctors prey on these immigrants. Most of the doctors on the list are Foreign Medical Doctors (FMGs) I understand that GPs with good practices would not want to do immigration physicals. But it is very hard to find an ethical doctor.

The average cost of this physical should be about 150 USD. Yet clients routinely get charged anywhere between $600 to more than $1000/- The doctors give shots which very often these people have already had. The physical comes in a sealed envelop and lawyers or clioents cannot see it. So there is no way of verifying anything inside.

Also very often the doctors make mistake in filling out these forms. The client comes to know about this only through a Request for Information in an Employment based case, or at the Interview in Family based case. The clent has to take the form back to the doctor to correct the mistake. Very often they are charged again, this time for the mistake of the doctor.

I propose that we lawyers suggest the names of these doctors to the CIS, and offer proofs of these totally illegal activities. The CIS will then have a mandatory obligation to report these matters to the State Board of Medicine and the Attorney General's Office.

For more information contact Houston Immigration Lawyer or Houston Immigration Attorney, Annie Banerjee