USCIS Civil Surgeon Near Me: Costs, Vaccines & Sealed I-693

To find a USCIS civil surgeon near you, use the official Find a Civil Surgeon tool on the USCIS website and search by ZIP code or address for physicians currently authorized to perform immigration medical exams.¹ You can also call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 for help locating a designated physician.² The exam produces Form I-693, the medical report USCIS needs before it can approve your green card.

Finding and Verifying a Civil Surgeon

Not every doctor qualifies. Only physicians specifically designated by USCIS can perform the immigration medical exam, and a report signed by anyone else will be rejected. Designated civil surgeons hold an M.D. or D.O. degree, carry an unrestricted medical license in the state where they practice, and have at least four years of professional experience after training (internships and residencies do not count toward those four years).³

The online search tool is the only reliable way to confirm a physician’s current designation. Enter your ZIP code and the tool returns a list of approved civil surgeons nearby. Check the doctor’s status before booking, because designations can lapse. The exam must be conducted in person inside the United States. The CDC does not allow civil surgeons to perform immigration medical exams by telemedicine.⁴

Military physicians are an exception worth knowing about. USCIS treats all military physicians as designated civil surgeons when performing immigration medical exams at military treatment facilities for U.S. veterans, service members, and their dependents.¹

One boundary matters: civil surgeons are for people adjusting status inside the United States. If you are applying for an immigrant visa through a U.S. consulate abroad, you see a panel physician authorized by the Department of State instead.⁴ Everything below applies to the civil surgeon path.

What to Bring to the Appointment

Coming unprepared is one of the easiest ways to waste time and money on a second visit. Have these items ready:

A valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID such as a passport or driver’s license. The civil surgeon records the ID type on Form I-693. For applicants under 14, USCIS accepts a birth certificate (with an English translation if needed) or an affidavit showing the child’s name, date and place of birth, and parents’ full names.⁵
Every written vaccination record you have: pharmacy printouts, the International Certificate of Vaccination (Yellow Card), or copies of medical charts. Only records showing the month, day, and year of each dose count. Missing records may force the civil surgeon to re-administer vaccines you’ve already had, which adds cost.⁶
Prior tuberculosis records if you have them: a positive TB test, chest X-ray, or treatment history. The civil surgeon needs these to evaluate your current status.
Form I-693 with Part 1 (your identifying information) already filled out. Do not sign it at home. You sign in front of the civil surgeon, who witnesses the signature.⁵

If you do not speak English fluently, you can bring an interpreter. USCIS allows an interpreter who is at least 18, fluent in both English and your language, and not also serving as your legal representative.

What Happens During the Exam

The civil surgeon follows technical instructions published by the CDC. Expect a physical examination, laboratory testing, and a vaccination review. A single visit is usually enough, but follow-ups are common when someone needs additional vaccines or when a test result requires further evaluation.

Physical Examination

The physician checks height, weight, blood pressure, heart rate, and general physical condition, and reviews your medical history. The exam screens for physical or mental health conditions that could affect admissibility. It is narrower than an annual checkup with a primary care doctor and focuses on the health-related grounds that can block a green card.

Laboratory Tests

USCIS requires screening for specific communicable diseases of public health significance. For exams inside the United States, those are tuberculosis, syphilis, gonorrhea, and Hansen’s disease (leprosy).⁷

Tuberculosis screening typically involves an Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) blood test for applicants aged two and older. A positive blood test triggers a chest X-ray to check for active TB disease, and signs of active TB on X-ray may require sputum samples. Gonorrhea screening through a urine test or self-collected swab is required for all applicants aged 18 through 24, and for others only when the civil surgeon suspects infection.⁸ Syphilis screening is done through a blood test.

Required Vaccinations

The civil surgeon compares your records against the required immunizations. Federal law requires proof of vaccination against mumps, measles, rubella, polio, tetanus and diphtheria, pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type B, hepatitis B, and any additional vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices that meet CDC criteria.⁹ The CDC adds a vaccine to the immigration list only if it protects against a disease that could cause an outbreak or one that has been or is being eliminated in the United States.

Which vaccines you actually need depends on your age and what you can document. Missing doses can be given at the appointment or by referral. The vaccination chart on Form I-693 must have at least one entry for every required vaccine, and USCIS may return an incomplete form.

Religious or Moral Objections to Vaccines

Refusing vaccines does not automatically disqualify you, but the path is narrow. USCIS grants a waiver only if you oppose all vaccinations in any form (not just specific ones), your objection is based on religious beliefs or moral convictions, and those beliefs are sincere. Objecting to a single vaccine while accepting others does not qualify. Tell the civil surgeon during the exam so the objection can be marked on Form I-693; you then file Form I-601 (or Form I-602 for refugees and asylees) to request the waiver, which is discretionary.⁹

How Much the Exam Costs

There is no standard fee. Civil surgeons set their own prices, and costs vary significantly by location. The physical exam and Form I-693 completion typically run between $200 and $400. Laboratory tests add roughly $100 to $300. Vaccinations can add anywhere from nothing (if you are up to date) to $500 or more. All in, expect to pay somewhere between $250 and $650 for the full process.

Most private health insurance plans do not cover the immigration medical exam itself, though some policies cover individual components like vaccines or lab work. Call both your insurer and the civil surgeon’s office before the appointment to confirm what is covered. Payment is typically due at the time of service.

Sealed Envelope and Submitting Form I-693

After the exam, the civil surgeon places the completed Form I-693 and any supporting records into a sealed envelope and signs or initials across the seal. Do not open it. If USCIS receives an envelope that appears tampered with, the officer will issue a Request for Evidence. The one exception: if USCIS itself opened the envelope while rejecting and returning your application package, you can refile that opened Form I-693 along with a copy of the rejection notice.¹⁰

USCIS now requires Form I-693 to be filed together with Form I-485, the adjustment of status application. If you do not include it, USCIS may reject the I-485.¹¹ Schedule the exam early enough to have the completed form in hand before you file. If USCIS later finds a problem, it will issue a Request for Evidence giving you a chance to fix it.

How Long Form I-693 Stays Valid

Pay attention to the date the civil surgeon signs. For any Form I-693 signed on or after November 1, 2023, the form remains valid only while the application it was submitted with is pending. If that application is denied or withdrawn, the form is no longer valid, and a future application would need a new exam.¹² Forms signed before November 1, 2023 retain evidentiary value for two years from the signature date.¹³

The old rule requiring the civil surgeon’s signature to be no more than 60 days before filing your I-485 has been eliminated, so you can complete the exam well in advance of filing.¹⁴

Fixing Errors on Form I-693

If you or USCIS spots an error on the completed form, take it back to the same civil surgeon. The physician can annotate the mistake, initial the correction, and note the date. For minor errors this is usually enough. Multiple or major errors may require a new Form I-693. Either way, the corrected or replacement form goes into a new, properly sealed envelope before you resubmit. Getting corrections handled before USCIS sends a formal Request for Evidence or Notice of Intent to Deny saves significant processing time.

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Find a Civil Surgeon
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Finding a Medical Doctor
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 8, Part C, Chapter 1 – Purpose and Background
4
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Designated Civil Surgeons
5
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record
6
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Technical Instructions for Civil Surgeons – Vaccination
7
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 8, Part B, Chapter 6 – Communicable Diseases of Public Health Significance
8
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Technical Instructions for Civil Surgeons – Gonorrhea
9
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Vaccination Requirements
10
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 8, Part B, Chapter 4 – Review of Medical Examination Documentation
11
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Now Requires Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record to Be Submitted
12
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Changes Validity Period for Any Form I-693 Signed on or After Nov. 1, 2023
13
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Announces New Guidance on Form I-693 Validity Period
14
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Removes 60-Day Rule for Civil Surgeon Signatures on Form I-693