Telehealth Pre-Screening for a Civil Surgeon Exam (2026)

A telehealth pre-screening for your immigration medical exam is a phone or online intake you complete before your in-person visit with a civil surgeon. It covers your medical history, current medications, and vaccination records, so the civil surgeon's office can flag missing documentation before you walk in the door. USCIS still requires the physical exam, tuberculosis test, and any required vaccinations to happen in person — a video call or online form cannot replace that part of Form I-693. Getting the pre-screening step right in 2026 is what keeps your in-person appointment short instead of turning into a second visit.

Why this matters

Form I-693 gets returned or delayed more often because of missing vaccination records than any other single issue. A telehealth pre-screening call or intake form catches that gap before your appointment, not after.

If you show up to your in-person exam without a vaccination record, without a prior Form I-693 (if one exists), or without knowing your TB test history, the civil surgeon has to stop and sort it out on the spot. That slows down your visit and can push your paperwork past the timeline you were counting on. ImmigrationMedicalExams.com offers online scheduling 24 hours a day specifically so applicants can handle this ahead of time instead of in the waiting room.

How to complete a telehealth pre-screening before your exam

Follow these steps in order. Rushing the intake is the most common reason applicants end up needing a second visit.

1. Schedule your appointment online. Book your visit and confirm whether standard 3-business-day completion or the 2-business-day expedited option fits your USCIS deadline.
2. Gather your documents before the call. You'll need a government-issued photo ID, your vaccination records (shot records, immunization cards, or a prior civil surgeon's Form I-693), and any past chest X-ray or TB treatment paperwork.
3. Answer the intake questions honestly and completely. Include your medical history, current medications, chronic conditions, and any prior positive TB test result. Leaving something out doesn't skip a step — it just moves the delay to your in-person visit.
4. Review your vaccination record with the office. This is where most gaps show up. If a record is missing a date or a specific vaccine, staff can tell you now rather than at check-in.
5. Get your in-person visit instructions. Based on what came up in pre-screening, you'll know what to bring and roughly how long the visit will take.
6. Attend your in-person exam. The physical exam, tuberculosis testing, vaccination-record review, and any required vaccinations happen here. This is the part telehealth cannot cover.

Why telehealth pre-screening steps vary

Not every applicant goes through the same pre-screening. What applies to you depends on a few specific factors:

• Age. Children and adults follow different USCIS vaccination schedules, so a child's pre-screening asks different questions than an adult's.
• Completeness of your vaccination record. Applicants with a full, dated immunization record move through pre-screening faster than those working from memory.
• Prior TB history. A previous positive TB skin or blood test, or past TB treatment, changes what testing and documentation your civil surgeon needs to review.
• Whether you've had a prior Form I-693. If a previous Form I-693 was returned or came back incomplete, pre-screening should identify what went wrong the first time.
• Country of origin and available records. Some countries issue standardized immunization booklets; others don't, which changes how much verification is needed.
• Pregnancy or conditions affecting vaccine eligibility. These can change which required vaccinations apply and when they can be given.

See the guide to USCIS vaccination requirements for a full breakdown of which vaccines USCIS requires and which exceptions apply.

Can a telehealth call complete my Form I-693 exam?

No, a telehealth call cannot complete your Form I-693 exam. USCIS requires a USCIS-designated civil surgeon to perform the physical exam and required tuberculosis testing in person. Telehealth covers only the history review and documentation check that happens before that visit.

What should I have ready for my telehealth pre-screening?

Have your photo ID, your complete vaccination record, and any prior Form I-693 or TB test results ready before the call. With those in hand, the civil surgeon's office can tell you exactly what's missing instead of guessing.

Does telehealth pre-screening speed up my in-person appointment?

Yes, a completed pre-screening speeds up your in-person appointment because the civil surgeon's office already knows your history and any documentation gaps. Applicants who leave the intake incomplete are the ones most likely to need extra time or a follow-up visit.

Working against a tight deadline

If USCIS has given you a short response window, pre-screening matters even more, because it is the only step that can happen before you're physically in the clinic. Applicants in that situation should read about the same-day immigration medical exam option and be clear about their deadline when they book. Same-day appointment availability is not the same thing as same-day completion of Form I-693 — standard completion is 3 business days in 2026, with a 2-business-day expedited option when scheduling, laboratory results, required vaccinations, and documentation allow.

FAQ

One last thing

The applicants who skip pre-screening almost always lose more time than the intake would have taken. A short call that surfaces one missing vaccine record in 2026 is far faster than discovering it mid-exam, when the civil surgeon has to pause, give the vaccine, and rework part of the visit.

Related guides

• Green card medical exam for U visa applicants
• I-693 medical exam for VAWA self-petitioners
• Immigration medical exam for TPS applicants