Immigration Medical Exam (I-693) for Illinois Applicants

An Illinois hospital appointment, not just an Illinois radius

Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP holds full staff privileges at Anderson Hospital, 6800 State Route 162, Maryville, IL. That is credentialed medical-staff membership at a hospital in the Metro East. The hospital can confirm it directly. The I-693 examination is done at the Woodson office beside Lambert Airport. That is where the testing and sealing process is set up. The hospital appointment is what makes the Illinois presence real and checkable, not just a claim.

What does the civil surgeon check during the exam?

Your visit covers your history and the USCIS-specified physical. It includes a immunization review with catch-up doses. It also includes on-site tuberculosis, syphilis and gonorrhea testing. Allow 2 to 6 hours. The form is sealed at whichever visit everything is complete. Costs: fees and timeline. Requirements by age: vaccine requirements.

Can an Illinois applicant use a civil surgeon in Missouri?

The designation is issued by the federal government. The sealed envelope is accepted at any USCIS office in the country. Dr. Padda appears in that registry as CSID 111051. He holds five American specialty-board certifications.

The drive from the Metro East

The Woodson clinic sits next to Lambert Airport. It is generally twenty-five to forty minutes from the Metro East towns. Our staff speak more than one language, and there is parking at the building.

Illinois communities we serve

Maryville, Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Collinsville, Troy, Alton and Belleville, plus the wider Madison and St. Clair counties. Each of those has a page of its own.

N-648 evaluations for Illinois applicants

Sometimes a medical or mental-health condition keeps an applicant from passing the English and civics test. The N-648 disability waiver is a separate evaluation that can excuse it. We do it in house and in the applicant’s own language.

The two Metro East county clinics

Vaccine gaps delay more forms than anything else. The exam is federal, but immunizations are local. The two Illinois counties we see most applicants from each run their own clinic.

Madison County states that “all routine adult and childhood immunizations are available,” and it takes many insurance plans. That includes Illinois Medicaid. It collects a co-pay at the visit. St. Clair County runs an adult immunization program for uninsured and underinsured patients. It charges a low administration fee and works by appointment. Doses can also be given during your exam.

Driving directions from Illinois to 4477 Woodson Rd, Suite 102.

Nearby: Maryville · Edwardsville · Collinsville · St. Louis County

Is the green card TB test a blood test or a skin test?

This is the part of the exam people know least about and worry about most. Under the CDC technical instructions for civil surgeons, every applicant aged two or older has an IGRA blood test — a blood draw. It is not the old skin test that needed a second visit to be read.

That change matters in real life. The skin test needed you back in the office 48 to 72 hours later. A blood test does not. That saves a whole trip for someone driving in from Illinois.

It also removes a long-standing source of false positives. An IGRA is not confounded (thrown off) by prior BCG vaccination. That is why so many people vaccinated as children abroad were told for years they had a positive skin test. They were told they needed further evaluation they did not need.

Applicants under two have an exam and a history instead. They are tested only where there are symptoms or specific risk factors.

Is the immigration medical exam a full physical?

It is not a general physical. It does not replace your own physician. It does not screen you for the things a routine check-up would. It is a defined federal exam with a defined scope. Findings outside that scope are noted and referred, not treated here.

It is also not an assessment of whether your application will succeed. The civil surgeon completes and seals a medical form. The decision belongs to USCIS, and no clinic can tell you how that will go. Anyone suggesting otherwise is selling something.

How soon can I get an appointment?

Most applicants are seen within days, not weeks. There is rarely a reason to wait. If you have a USCIS deadline, say so when you call. We schedule you against that date.

Come with identification, whatever vaccination records exist, and a list of medications. Those three things decide whether the visit finishes in one appointment. Two of them are usually already in a drawer at home.

Frequently asked questions

Is Dr. Padda connected to any hospital in Illinois?

Yes. He holds full staff privileges at Anderson Hospital, 6800 State Route 162, Maryville, IL 62062. That is credentialed medical-staff membership the hospital can confirm directly. The I-693 examination itself is done at the Woodson office in St. Louis.

I had the BCG vaccine. Will I fail the TB test?

No. BCG history is exactly why the testing has to be done precisely, not assumed. It is accounted for. More here: why precision beats assumption on TB.

Is the N-648 part of the I-693 appointment?

No. It is a separate evaluation with its own process and fee. Both can be arranged with the same physician, though. Details: the N-648 disability waiver evaluation.

What if I need my results explained after the visit?

The findings that go on the form are discussed with you at the appointment. You can reach the office afterward. Contact details are on the locations page.

Who is considered a civil surgeon?

A civil surgeon is a physician USCIS has designated to perform the immigration medical exam and to complete and seal Form I-693. The designation is federal. So the sealed envelope is accepted at any USCIS office in the country, whichever side of the river you live on. Dr. Padda appears in that registry as CSID 111051. He holds five American specialty-board certifications.

How much does a civil surgeon exam cost?

The I-693 exam is $390: nothing at booking with Regular, or $100 to schedule and $290 at the visit with Document Verified. The N-648 disability waiver evaluation is separate and has its own fee. The full breakdown is on the fees and timeline page. Bring identification, your vaccination records and a medication list. That way the form can be sealed in one appointment.

How do I find a USCIS civil surgeon near the Metro East?

Civil surgeons are listed in a federal registry. The designation works in every state. Dr. Padda is listed as CSID 111051. He examines at the Woodson office beside Lambert Airport. It is generally twenty-five to forty minutes from Maryville, Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Collinsville and Troy. He also holds full staff privileges at Anderson Hospital in Maryville, which the hospital can confirm directly.

Where to go

Clinic map & directions · Meet Dr. Padda, your civil surgeon