Xray Abnormality
 

I've submitted my medical and xray for my working holiday visa to NZ.

I was told by the panel physician who coordinated these tests that my xray was a bit abnormal with apex shadow on both lungs.

I have no symptoms of anything and have never been to a TB risk country, nor have I left the country or been sick more than a few times in literally a decade.

I was advised by the panel physician to submit my application and wait; that immigration nz will contact me if there is any issues in a few days.

It's been over a month now and there is no response; I've been told my application has been forwarded to the medical assessors.

What I am wondering is if seeing my family doctor to receive xrays and further tests to rule out any issues can then be presented as evidence to immigration to help my application? I want to avoid taking TB or other tests that will prolong the application process for months.

Re: Xray Abnormality
 

Having any visa application referred to an NZ Immigration medical assessor will always slow things up. There are not very many of them to handle the case load.

It would be the medical assessor that will decide whether they want further tests or not, however you have nothing to lose by trying to line your ducks up with further tests and results.
In any case , taking those results to your family doctor to discuss the unexpected xray results would be a wise move on your part.

Re: Xray Abnormality
 

TB is unfortunately quite common in the UK these days, and you could have become a carrier without even showing serious symptoms. Checking with your GP might be a good idea.

Re: Xray Abnormality
 

Do you know if seeing a GP and ruling out TB or an infection through them is actually useful though? As in can I provide those results to the medical assessor or case officer to expedite my application or alleviate their worries?

The problem is that it can take 2 months to hear back from the medical assessors, and then if they want you to take a TB test it goes on for 3 months, and then it's another while to do the application process all over again.

This turns what would have been a week-month application into 6-9 months.

But if my GP can rule out TB quicker, and I can have that evidence when the medical assessor contacts me, can I provide that as evidence to show I do not in fact have TB and don't require a lengthy sputum test on their end?

Re: Xray Abnormality
 

If you have the skin/blood/sputum test to rule out TB then yes, you can submit that to your case officer.
All in all, you need to see your GP & possibly a consultant who will be able to eliminate the cause and also be able to suggest the cause.

Re: Xray Abnormality
 

I had an anomaly on my chest xray, only found out when we handed our application in in person back in 2011. They made a comment about the fact that the application will of course go to medical assessor because of the xray. The panel doctor had not mention to me about this even though I had requested that they do so if anything showed up.
I went straight to my GP and discussed with her, she sent me for a chest xray that day and got the results back a few days later. turned out it was just scarring from many years earlier when I had pleurisy. She wrote me up a report about it so I was ready if the medical assessor came back for further information. In my case they did not and passed it through without further investigation.
Why are you assuming its related to TB?

Re: Xray Abnormality
 

You need to realise that there are two issues here.
The immigration side I will leave for those in the know.
But you really should see a GP to establish the facts for the sake of your own health and those around you. TB is treatable but you should catch it as soon as you can IF it is TB, It is still a serious condition and you should look into it as a completely separate issue from your visa.

Re: Xray Abnormality
 

I believe it always was, and IIRC there are seven strains of TB, two of which are so mild that you can have had it and not realize. …. Not sure about being "a carrier" though, but he could certainly have been infected and his lungs scarred by the disease. :unsure:

Re: Xray Abnormality
 

I'm not assuming it's TB. Like I said, I don't have any symptoms. However, the shadows are in both upper lungs, which I believe is where TB can be. My worry is mostly because I assumed that immigration is incredibly cautious, and anyone who even has an abnormality that could in any way look like TB or infectious will be given a TB (sputum) test.

You also say you had scarring. That might look entirely different on an xray than shadowing and might be able to be ruled out immediately based on nothing but the xray images; shadowing might not (idk I'm not a lung specialist). Plus, you also have a history to explain why you have scarring, whereas I have a clean history and no explanation.

Re: Xray Abnormality
 

Yea. The panel physician that coordinated the tests told me not to panic and that there is no point to see my GP because it's probably nothing and they would contact me if there was an issue and how to fix it anyway; also stating the GP can't help me with my visa because it has to be through immigration's instructions and doctors.

Although with that said, I was also wondering if immigration can look at your most recent medical records? I figured if I start panicking and going and getting xrays and tests from GP, then perhaps it look bad to a medical assessor/case officer (if they can see your medical records). Like maybe they would think I do have something if I'm going around getting all these tests; whereas if I left it alone they might just give me a pass as it's probably nothing. Idk maybe I'm just being paranoid here but I'm just trying to avoid delays. I work from home, had an xray last year that was clear, am barely around people for long, etc -- so I don't feel like I have anything.

Re: Xray Abnormality
 

That is perfectly possible with some strains of TB. :nod:

Re: Xray Abnormality
 

Immigration may request that you supply a copy of your medical records but under UK Data Protection laws they cannot access them without your permission

Re: Xray Abnormality
 

I can understand your concern over a delay with the WHVisa processing time as you probably had a set travel date in mind. As I wrote there are relatively few medical assessors to deal with the referral caseloads so there will be a delay whilst they get to your application to consider it. They deal with the global case load in order of referral. At one point there were just 4 medical assessors and the timeline was around 10 weeks. I am trying to find the current info on this .

Which country are you residing in? UK? Elsewhere?

When the NZ immigration case officer received your application they will have used a check list to approve , decline or pass the application for further checking. As your xray has shown issues , it was passed to a medical assessor. Yes. The concern for them will likely be if TB is present. Your concern should be that there are shadows at all given that your last xray one year ago was clear & you have felt you had no ill health - as in bronchitis, acid reflux, pleurisy , pneumonia etc. As MrsFychan wrote, there can be many reasons for scarring and shadows on lungs . Your GP ( family doctor) can send you for an xray and review your medical history to hopefully pinpoint the cause. No. NZ immigration cannot access your medical records at all without your permission.

As it has already been a month, you could try contacting a case officer to ask how long current referrals are taking. I would again suggest you get your ducks in a row by visiting your family doctor to request further chest xrays with a thought to pinpoint the cause. Once you have this then you could submit to NZ Immigration .

Was this an online application?

Re: Xray Abnormality
 

Yes it was an online application. Also, I am from Canada.

I went to my GP and he believes I do not have anything (given my history and that I have no symptoms); however, he didn't initiate the xray obviously.

He suggested I get another chest xray through him and then compare that to the one I also had last year, and if both are clear as the one last year was, then the xray which I did a month ago for immigration is a glitch --- especially as I couldn't be free of something like TB on an xray in a month. He then suggests I should send both the old xray and newest xray which are clear to Immigration.

I guess my question is if sending these xrays in BEFORE the medical assessor comes to a decision to give to the case officer regarding my application status is a good idea, or if I should do so after the case officer has gotten back to me with the decision of the medical assessor?

Furthermore, what evidence is needed to prove these xrays are legitimate and are actually of me? Xray reports are literally just sheets of paper with some text that could easily be reproducible/altered in something as basic as microsoft word. Now there are some unique numbers such as ACCESSION # (e.g. 1234567A) and MRN # (e.g. 123456) but I'm not sure if immigration can do anything with that. So do you know if the medical assessor would call my GP or is there another way to verify the legitimacy of the documents to him/her?

Re: Xray Abnormality
 

I'd go along with that logic.

Do it now. Do it before.

Confirmation & identifying letter from your doctor should do it.

Re: Xray Abnormality
 

Re: Xray Abnormality
 

Do you know if this could cause additional delays? I don't know. I am sort of in a state of mental paralysis here.

I do worry if I start sending in additional information at this point to my case officer, to then direct to my file in the medical assessor's queue, that it could delay things further.

There isn't really mention of this on the Immigration website; where you should send in additional info before the MA has viewed your case. I worry the additional information could slow things down, and then the MA might still reject it and require further tests on their end.

Conversely, not doing it if it would prevent the need for a sputum and much delay would also be a bad thing.

This is very stressful and I am unsure how to proceed :(

Avoiding Additional Tests by Sending Medical Proofs to the Medical Assessor
 

I am just curious if anyone has actually avoided additional delays and additional tests like sputum and more xrays by sending in additional new tests they proactively acquired on their own from their family doctor?

I had a minor abnormality on my xray showing upper shadowing.

I'm trying to decide whether getting xrays through my GP and then sending those to a case officer to then forward to the medical assessor BEFORE he sees my application/medicals for the first time is wise; as a way to sort of counter a knee-jerk cautionary reaction on the part of the medical assessor to ask for a sputum and additional tests.

I've seen people on this forum saying it was both a good idea -- as the medical assessor might pass you given additional xrays which say come back clear -- and a potentially bad one -- that the additional stuff you send in might just cause more delays as it wasn't requested and might not work anyway.

I am pretty confident if I get an xray through my GP it will come back clear or at worse it will be a benign lingering infection or some benign tissue or something; however, I am not sure what to do with this xray if I get it done.

Does anyone have personal experience with this, where sending additional xrays in after submitting your medicals to a medical assessor's queue, while still waiting for the medical assessor to view your case for the first time, actually got you a pass from the medical assessor?

I have an xray I took in July 2018 which was clear of abnormality. I have an Xray I took for immigration last month which showed an abnormality and upper shadowing. And if I get an xray now which shows my lungs to be clear and comparable to last year, then I can send both the July 2018 xray and new xray in to discredit the one immigration has from last month as a glitch.

Again, I am unsure whether this will work or just cause delays. Rather than speculating I was hoping some of you might have experience.

Re: Xray Abnormality
 

It will not be additional delays. It will be the same delay but with underpinning information to show why the dodgy xray is fine and there is no reason to decline the application.
I think you may be misunderstanding how the process works a little bit.

Your case was passed to a medical assessor. It is currently wiating in a case load pile to be processed.
Once the medical assessor looks at the application they will do one of two things.
1) Deline the application on health grounds
2) Ask for further information before making a yes/no decision.

They do not decline and then ask for more info. Their decision is final. From there it is a long drawn process of a medical waiver which you really do not want for just a WHV.

As I have written before, you really need to get your ducks in a row .

Get a new xray.
Have your doctor write a confirming identifying letter to accompany both the new and previous xrays.
Get your doctor to arrange for a TB skin test. There is no need for it to be sputum at all. The results of this could be with you within 2/3 days.

The application is already stalled and delayed. All you can do is to help move it along . Nothing you do will delay it further.
Giving the extra info now could speed things up as a medical assessor may be glad to remove one case from their huge pile.

I hope this helps .

Re: Avoiding Additional Tests by Sending Medical Proofs to the Medical Assessor
 

I would just wait, no point sending anything in unless they ask for it.
As suggested in the other thread, maybe just drop the CO a polite email

Re: Avoiding Additional Tests by Sending Medical Proofs to the Medical Assessor
 

I have merged this thread with the previous one and placed all in the main NZ forum.
Saves confusion when responding.

Re: Xray Abnormality
 

It did.

In the days since the first post the OP could have organised a TB skin test and an xray .

If not for the NZ MA and NZ immigration then to ensure his own peace of mind as to the cause.

Hopefully the MA will pass the application in a few weeks time when it reaches the top of the everlasting heap. If not then it will either be declined without recourse really or further info will be requested to explain the xray. It will then return to a queue of all those cases awaiting further information.

If the OP has a case offcer point of contact then it can only be to the good to send in further info now to underpin that the standard of health passes merit.

I am not sure why a sputum test keeps being mentioned. A simple skin test will do the trick that the OP is free of TB. However if it is suspected that there is non-latent TB disease then a sputum test is required. In any case, the MA and NZ immy will want to know what the shadow is all about. Having said that , the rules for a temp visa like a WHV do vary a little from that of a residency visa so there may be some leeway with this.

Re: Xray Abnormality
 

I've never heard of anyone being rejected for xray issues; they seem to always follow with a sputum test. The reason sputum test is required I believe because its more definitive than any other TB test. Every person who immigration flags for medicals suspected of TB seems to go for a sputum test; I've never heard of anyone getting a skin test from immigration.

Re: Xray Abnormality
 

Do you have a wide knowledge of TB and how it affects immigration?
For personal reasons I am interested that skin tests are not given any consideration. Links to your info would be genuinely appreciated.

Re: Xray Abnormality
 

Then you have no worries.

Perhaps there is a misunderstanding in what the concern was and is.

I had read it that the concern was a delay due to an xray showing a shadow on both lungs. My suggestions were simply about how to best manage the issue to pehaps aid the application given it has been referred to an NZ MA. The skin test suggestion was merely to rule out tb in advance of an NZ MA requiring their own tb test. Entirely up to you how you proceed .

please note that Mrs F provided further info with an explanation of her shadow found. If you do not wish to line up the ducks so to speak then just wait it out and hope for an approval.

Re: Xray Abnormality
 

Skin tests are not particularly reliable test for TB, with both false positives and false negatives being possible, especially with respect to whether there is a current TB infection.

A sputum culture is far more reliable, though it can take several weeks to complete, but provides reliable evidence of current infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria.