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Currently Designated Civil Surgeons

Depending on the immigration benefit sought, an applicant may be required to undergo a medical examination. Immigration medical examinations conducted inside the United States must be performed by a civil surgeon who has been designated by USCIS.  (Immigration medical examinations conducted outside the United States must be performed by a panel physician who has been designated by the Department of State.)

Civil Surgeons’ Responsibilities  

Civil surgeons must perform the immigration medical examination according to the Technical Instructions for the Medical Examinations of Aliens in the United States (Technical Instructions or TIs), published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia.  These Technical Instructions include:

  • The Technical Instructions for Medical Examinations of Aliens in the U.S. (1991)
  • The Tuberculosis (TB) Component of the Technical Instructions for the Medical Examination of Aliens in the U.S. 2008 (effective May 1, 2008)
  • Adjustment of Status for U.S. Permanent Residence Requirements: Technical Instructions for Vaccinations 2009 (effective December 14, 2009)
  • 2010 Technical Instructions for Mental Disorders and Substance Abuse for Civil Surgeons (effective June 1, 2010)
  • Any updates to the documents listed above as published on CDC’s website

Each of these documents and subsequent updates can be obtained from CDC’s website and are linked on the right side of this page.

CDC does not mail hard copies of these documents; it is the responsibility of the civil surgeon to obtain these documents online and comply with the requirements of the Technical Instructions.

Failure to comply with the Technical Instructions may result in the revocation of civil surgeon designation by USCIS.

Civil Surgeon Seminar Series

USCIS, in coordination with CDC, provides regular instruction on how to perform the immigration medical examination according to the Technical Instructions and correctly capture results of the exam on Form I-693. Powerpoints from the recent Civil Surgeon Seminar series are linked on the right side of this page.

For more information on upcoming seminars, please contact USCIS Customer Service and Public Engagement at public.engagement@dhs.gov.

Questions and Updates

For currently designated civil surgeons:

If your inquiry/request is... Then
An immigration-related question or question about completing Form I-693

Send inquiry to USCIS Customer Service and Public Engagement at public.engagement@dhs.gov

A question about a completed Form I-693 that is being adjudicated at a USCIS service center (as opposed to a field office)

Send inquiry to USCIS Service Center Operations at scopsscata@uscis.dhs.gov

A medical question about the immigration medical examination or the Technical Instructions

Send inquiry to CDC at cdc@cdcinfo.gov

To update your contact information, add additional office locations, or terminate your designation as a civil surgeon  Send request to the civil surgeon coordinator at your local USCIS field office. You can find the address of your local USCIS field office by using the Local Office Locator . You can also send your request to USCIS at public.engagement@dhs.gov

USCIS Civil Surgeon Locator

A public list of designated civil surgeons is available online through the Civil Surgeon Locator.

 www.uscis.gov/civilsurgeons



Last updated: 11/26/2012