My US Visa medical exam experience

My fiancé received an email from Abu Dhabi US Embassy instructing us to proceed with our interview appointment on June 26, 2024. I’ve created an account immediately; paid the fees and booked the first available slot I saw. I did it just as soon as we received the email because I was thinking that if I did not do it fast maybe the slot would be filled fast. Drafting our DS160 form helped a lot because when we received an email, it was ready for submission. My original visa interview was August 20, 2024. It has been almost two months of waiting so I planned to do my interview three weeks before it.

However, as mentioned previously, we always checked every day if the embassy would open a slot to the nearest date. Good enough, on July 3, 2024, we’re able to secure a new interview date – that is July 18, 2024. I immediately went to one of the embassies’ accredited clinics – NMC Medical Centre located in Deira Dubai that same day. I need to leave work early so I can come during their working hours.

NMC Deira is very accessible by metro. It is opposite Abu Hail Metro Station and is open every day including holidays for US medical services. No need to have an appointment as well. I went to the clinic and asked the guard on duty where to go. He pointed me to Room No. 18 where all visa-related medical services are processed.

Here are the requirements during the medical exam:

1. DS160 confirmation page with bar code
2. Embassy appointment letter
3. Four passport US size photos – white background
4. Original and 4 copies of passport
5. Vaccination Records

There will be a form to be filled in including basic information such as name, birth date, address, intended address, where to stay in the US, contact name, contact numbers etc. Once all the documents have been verified, the medical fee then needs to be paid. For US visa medical services, the fee will be paid directly to the cashier not in the normal queue. No need for token/numbers. After the payment you need to go back to Room No. 18 to present the payment receipt, then the nurse will start scheduling the medical process including doctor’s consultation, blood extraction and x-ray.

Doctor’s consultation is pretty straight forward.  The doctor will ask about medical history, medications, surgery if any and do the physical exams. However, the most concern I believe is the vaccination. Since my fiancé’s always researching and reading what are the requirements in this K1 visa. He’d come up with the vaccination requirements. He gave me a quite long list of vaccines I should have or be having prior entering the US and before the visa interview since medical exam is one of the vital requirements. Although quite many, some of the vaccines should’ve been obtain since childhood. A proof of vaccination should be presented to the physician to have the evaluation what will be the additional vaccine that one should be taken.

We kept everything ready as much as we could prior to the interview and so I had consulted a general physician on what vaccines I may be requiring based on the required US vaccine list. My parents don’t keep any record of my vaccines since I was little because they thought it will not be needed anymore. I informed them to get my vaccination record in our local municipality health center so I will know what the vaccines I got since I was little. The doctor also gave me shots that she thinks necessary. I got flu vaccine and Hepatitis A & B. I also have my covid vaccine certificate.

I brought all the vaccine certificates during my medical exam, and I thought that was good enough. However, the doctor still prescribed me vaccines. She told me that I need to have anti-tetanus and MMR (measles, mumps & rubella). I told her that I had chicken fox when I was in elementary and so she only gave me shot for Tetanus. However, they still need to test my blood and if it turns positive for Varicella, I still need to have the other shot as it is required. I took the anti-tetanus the same day and waited for the blood test to see if I still need the other vaccine. The test turns positive and so I need to go back to the clinic a week after to have the shot.

After all the tests are done, the nurse will give a paper indicating the date when the results can be picked up. I took my exam on July 3, 2024, and the result date was July 13, 2024, if all the test results were normal. Thankfully, mine is all good.

The medical exam will also be released from Room No. 18. There were two envelopes given by the nurse. One is strictly for the US Embassy (one of the requirements during interview and only the consular officer will be allowed to open) and one for you to be presented to US Immigration upon entry in the United States. There’s also a copy of Vaccination Sheet (US) – complete records of previous and new vaccines. The nurse told me to keep a copy since they cannot produce another copy of it. This vaccination record will be needed when applying work to the United States.

Below are the fees paid during my medical exam. Note that fees vary depending on age and other factors such as vaccines taken, or you are going to take.

Overall, my experience in NMC Medical Center is fast and easy.