JeremyK

Extract from: http://london.usembassy.gov/faq-imm-proc.html#iv062 ; as of 16th April 2013.

How long will I have to travel to the U.S. once the immigrant visa is issued?

Immigrant and fiancé visas are normally issued for the validity period of the medical examination, the maximum validity of which, is six mnths. K3 & K4 visa holders are issued a visa valid for travel for two years. Please refer to the individual sections for further information.

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So there is 6 months from the date of the medical exam to enter the US, including the time the consulate takes to (presumming they do) approve a visa.

I see from the timelines thread some people have been waiting two months between their medical exam and their visa interview. Not too much time once you know; to get everything packed up and organised. Just a comment I guess, I kind of expected it to be from the date the visa is granted.

jeffreyhy

For immigrant and K-1 visas issued in the UK, the visas were valid for 6 months from the date the visa was issued up until fairly recently - roughly a year or so ago. For visa issuing posts in some countries it may still be 6 months from the date the visa is issued.

The change in the UK is the result of the UK being added to the list of countries where newer CDC guidelines for Tb apply, guidelines that limit the validity of the medical exam to 6 months.

The lesson to be learned by visa applicants who need more than a few months to immigrate after receiving the visa is, don't have the medical exam done any earlier than necessary.

Regards, JEff

JeremyK

Hi Jeff,

Thanks I wasn't thinking along the lines of any medical requirement.

My line of thought was wow, we could have less than 3 months to close up shop here, and move to the US.

Its not the giving notice at work which is a problem, but packing, shipping, selling what we are not taking etc and we wanted to do a little travelling before we settled. More things to think about.

Jeremy.

Noorah101

Also keep in mind that if you are doing an Immigrant Visa (NOT a K-1), then you can enter the USA and become a US PR, then turn around and go back to the UK for a few more months if necessary, to tie up loose ends.

Rene

S Folinsky

What is the length of the validity of the medical? I read the sentence as being the longer of the validity of the medical or six months from issuance of the visa. This is a new one for me.

jeffreyhy

As I understand it:
- The CDC has two Technical Instructions for Tb Screening and Treatment, the 1991 instructions and 2007 instructions that I believe are also referred to as the Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) instructions. The DOT instructions became applicable to the UK effective April 1, 2012. Shortly after this we started seeing posts in which people reported that their visas were valid for less than 6 months from the date of issue. It became evident that the expiration dates were 6 months from the medical exam.
- 9 FAM 42.66 N5.1 says, in part, that the normal period of validity of a medical exam is 12 months, and that for posts using the 2007 Tb TIs, if a Class A condition exists that is non-Tb the medical exam is valid for only 6 months. (And if a Class A Tb condition with waiver, 3 months.)
- So what about the situation (hopefully common) where there is no Class A condition of any kind? I don't know. But the sentence the OP quoted seems clear that the period of validity of the medical exam is 6 months. Maybe the consular section in the UK is misapplying the FAM in this regard? Or there's something more in there that I haven't found?

Regards, JEff

S Folinsky

I can't say that I have experience with this -- but the key detail in what you quote is the reference to "Class A condition." I read it as a person having no class A condition will have an exam valid for six 12 months. There are conditions other than TB that are class A. So my reading is confirmed -- the visa is valid for six months unless the medical expires before then -- whether 3 months, 6 months or a year.

jeffreyhy

I agree with what I think you intended to write, "a person having no class A condition will have an exam valid for ... 12 months." [delete the "six"]

I disagree that your reading is confirmed. Rather, I think the statment does say that the medical exam has a maximum validity of six months but is incorrect in saying so. In any case, the recent anecdotal evidence seems to indicate that the consular section in London is only issuing immigrant visas that are valid for a period that is 6 months from the date of the medical exam. Since the issue came up about a year ago I haven't seen posters writing that their visas are valid for 6 months from issuance, only for a shorter period that inevitably turns out to be 6 months from the medical exam. My explanation may be wrong, if so we need another one.

Or maybe all Brits are Class A?

Regards, JEff

EDIT: Let's confirm that we're talking about the same statement, the one posted on the US embassy in London's web site that reads "Immigrant and fiancé visas are normally issued for the validity period of the medical examination, the maximum validity of which, is six mnths." (the inclusion of the second comma in the sentence doesn't help)

JeremyK

Just reviewed Rich's thread here and sure enough six month expiry from the date of the medical exam.

Level of detail in his post answers many questions

Speedwell

I examined my husband's passport and you're right, his visa was good for 6 months from the date of the exam.

civilservant

Feeling ok Speedwell? You just resurrected a 4 month old thread

Speedwell

There was a post between Jeremy's post and mine when I posted that... I don't know where it went. No, I don't go poking about in 4-month-old stuff unless I'm looking for corroboration on something I know we discussed back then. Maybe a system glitch