# Immigrant Visa Interview and Medical



## coolbadger (Sep 17, 2008)

Good evening all.

Can anyone advise me on what to expect for the Interview and Medical at the US Embassy in London? (immediate relative visa)

Also this may be a 'silly' question but are the Immigration officials interested in my two speeding fines in 1982/1983? I have a clean record apart from this! (and one parking ticket!)

Cheers

Richard


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

By all accounts, the interview lasts a whopping 10 minutes or so. The main purpose is to determine if you really are who you claim to be, and that you don't appear to be a terrorist of any sort. (OK, no wearing your Lawrence of Arabia outfit and muttering subversive things like "death to the infidels" or "George Bush is an idiot" during the interview.)

Don't worry about the speeding fines or parking tickets. Most native born 'Merricans have at least a few to their credit. Especially given that your fines are ove 20 years old. If they should come up, chalk it up to "youthful indiscretion" or something like that.

I doubt you'll get the medical at the Embassy - possibly they'll give you a list of doctors they use for the medical exam, or ask you to take an appointment. In any event, what they're mostly interested in are communicable diseases like VD, AIDS or tuberculosis.
Cheers,
Bev


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

coolbadger said:


> Good evening all.
> 
> Can anyone advise me on what to expect for the Interview and Medical at the US Embassy in London? (immediate relative visa)
> 
> ...


Yep -- watch out for the questions.

Have you ever been arrested.....? means arrested for anything, anywhere, anytime and irrespective of the outcome.

You're not usually arrested for a speeding offense, though, unless it's criminal speed. That and the parking offense comes under "citations". They pop up on the naturalization application form.

Best bet for the medical is to make sure you've had all your jabs from your GP and take proof with you -- otherwise you'll be jabbed again at your expense. Stupidest thing I've ever heard happening at a medical is someone admitting to smoking weed -- you can bet that was the end of his visa!

You don't say what the interview is for -- and I'm too lazy to go and look. Which visa?


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

Boy, that would be a way to cut the number of applications! Announce that no one who had ever had a parking ticket or speeding ticket would ever be given a visa. Then the only applicants would be people who have never dirven a car, or those from countries where tickets are never issued.


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## Tiffani (Dec 4, 2007)

and most Americans would not technically be allowed visas into their own country hahah


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

They would mostly be people from New York City, since that is doubtless our largest pool of unlicensed adults.


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## hdawno (Oct 1, 2008)

Hi, 

I am English living in New York. I had to viit the US Embassy in London to get my visa and am going again on friday to renew our visas.

I have never heard of the US Embassy doing medicals. Neither me or my husband needed medicals to live in the US and were not required to have one for our visa renewal. So, i wouldn't concern yourself too much with it!

The interview is pretty straight forward, your interview may only be afew minutes, but they are always running late and it can take several hours to process your paperwork.Basically if all your paperwork has been approved for you to make an appointment, you have pretty much got the visa, unless you say something really bad during your interview!


Hope thats of some help and Good Luck!


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Immigrant Visa Interview - Medical Examination Immigrant Visa Interview - Medical Examination Frequently Asked Questions

Fees are paid to the physician.


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

hdawno said:


> I have never heard of the US Embassy doing medicals.


Depends on the visa.....and your history. An immigrant visa always has one. some non-immigrant visas have them (e.g. K1), and some non-immigrant visas will require one if your history so dictates (e.g. DUI).


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## thescotsman (Dec 14, 2009)

Would a person with a physical disability since birth but otherwise healthy automatically fail this medical purely on the grounds that they have this disability and thus have their visa refused.


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

thescotsman said:


> Would a person with a physical disability since birth but otherwise healthy automatically fail this medical purely on the grounds that they have this disability and thus have their visa refused.


No. But the medical may raise the question of that person becoming a public charge.


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## thescotsman (Dec 14, 2009)

Fatbrit said:


> No. But the medical may raise the question of that person becoming a public charge.


What is a 'public charge'? I really dont like the sound of that at all!


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

thescotsman said:


> What is a 'public charge'? I really dont like the sound of that at all!


Benefits.


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## Green Cheek (Dec 18, 2009)

If you are coming on an immediate relative visa you will need to have a medical. It can only be done at Bendinck Mansions by the Knightsbridge Doctors Practice. It costs £190 and once you have your date for the Visa interview you need to contact the Practice yourself and organise the medical. Once the medical is done, as long as there are no problems, your results are sent to the Embassy, usually about 3 days later. The medical is actually a complete waste of time but they have to earn their vast amount of money somehow. I say this as a medical person myself. Anyway, you will have to fill in a form online to take with you on the day. Make sure your innoculations are up to date or you will have to fork out more money to have them done there. Once there, you will have to fill in another form (same questions as the other one!) while you wait. You will have a chest x-ray and then get called in to see a Dr who will, once again, ask you the same questions (yawn) and get you to sign across your photo and sign to verify who you are. This all takes no more than half-an-hour, including the form filling and you would have a much more throrough examination with your GP. The Dr I saw had about as much bedside manner as my budgie, but at least my budgie appeared to like me!

At the embassy, they will merely go through your paperwork to make sure it is all there at the first station. You will then go to pay for the visa. After another long wait you will be called up to swear an oath that as far as you are aware, all the info you have provided is true. They will ask you a few questions about the circumstances surrounding your move, tell you that your visa will be with you in the next 3-5 working days and give you a form to take to another desk for the courier service to send you your visa. I got there at 8.30 for a 9am appt and left at 1pm. There are no phones inside and you are not allowed to take a mobile in so make sure you make some kind of plans if you are meeting anyone.

All the instructions are on the American Embassy London site. Just follow them through and hopefully you will have no problems.

All the best.


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