When to Reschedule vs. When to Proceed

The decision to reschedule or proceed with your immigration medical examination when you are feeling unwell depends on the nature and severity of your illness. As a general rule, if you have a fever — a temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher — you should reschedule your appointment. Fever is a medical contraindication for several vaccines that are commonly required as part of the immigration medical examination, including live vaccines such as MMR and varicella.

If you have a mild illness without fever — such as a minor cold, mild congestion, or a slight sore throat — you may be able to proceed with your appointment. However, we strongly recommend calling our office before you come in. Our clinical staff can help you assess whether it is appropriate to proceed based on your specific symptoms.

How Fever Affects Vaccine Administration

Fever is a contraindication for live attenuated vaccines, which include MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), varicella (chickenpox), and the live attenuated influenza vaccine. Administering these vaccines while you have a fever can reduce their effectiveness and may increase the risk of adverse reactions. For this reason, the civil surgeon will not administer live vaccines if you have a fever at the time of your appointment.

If live vaccines are required as part of your immigration medical examination and cannot be administered due to fever, your Form I-693 cannot be completed until those vaccines are given. This means you will need to reschedule at least the vaccination portion of your appointment, which may require an additional visit.

Inactivated vaccines — such as hepatitis B, Tdap, and meningococcal — are generally not contraindicated by mild illness or low-grade fever. However, the civil surgeon will use clinical judgment to determine whether it is appropriate to administer any vaccine when you are unwell.

Notifying Our Office Before Your Appointment

If you wake up on the morning of your appointment feeling unwell, contact our office as soon as possible — ideally before you leave home. Do not simply not show up without calling. Our staff can help you assess your symptoms over the phone and advise you on whether to come in or reschedule.

When you call, describe your symptoms as specifically as possible: Do you have a fever? How high? Do you have a cough, runny nose, or sore throat? Are you experiencing nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea? This information helps our clinical staff make an informed recommendation.

Rescheduling Without Penalty

We understand that illness is unpredictable. If you need to reschedule your appointment because you are sick, we will not charge a cancellation or rescheduling fee, provided you notify us before your appointment time. Illness-related rescheduling is handled with flexibility and compassion.

When you call to reschedule, let us know that you are rescheduling due to illness. We will note this in your file and work with you to find the next available appointment. In most cases, we can reschedule you within a few days to a week, depending on availability.

How Illness Affects Your Immigration Timeline

Rescheduling due to illness may delay the completion of your Form I-693, which in turn may affect your overall immigration timeline. If you have an upcoming USCIS interview or a filing deadline, let our staff know when you call to reschedule. We will do our best to prioritize your appointment and minimize any delay.

In most cases, rescheduling by a few days or a week due to illness will not significantly impact your immigration case — especially if your USCIS interview is still several weeks or months away. However, if your timeline is very tight, discuss this with our staff so we can help you find the fastest possible solution.

If you are in the middle of a multi-step examination — for example, if you have already had a TB skin test placed and need to return for the read — illness may complicate the timing. Contact our office immediately in this situation, as the TB skin test read must occur within a specific 48- to 72-hour window.