The I-693 mental health screening looks for one narrow legal category: a mental disorder with associated harmful behavior that has posed, or may pose, a risk of harm to the applicant or others. Depression treated with medication is health care. So is anxiety managed with counseling. Neither is inadmissibility.
The mental health questions on the immigration medical exam cause more panic than almost anything else on the form. Applicants assume they’re a hunt for a reason to deny. They aren’t.
What does the immigration medical exam ask about mental health?
Under CDC technical instructions, the exam looks for a narrow legal category: mental disorders with associated harmful behavior. That means conduct that has posed, or may pose, a risk of harm to the applicant or others. It is not a review of your stress or your grief about leaving home. It is not a review of your therapy history or normal life struggles. Depression treated with medication, anxiety managed with counseling: these are health care, not inadmissibility.
Does a mental health diagnosis alone make me inadmissible?
The legal standard pairs a diagnosis with documented harmful conduct. One without the other is not the category. This is why honest, true answers help applicants. Answers that dodge the question create stories that do not match up. Those mismatches, not treated conditions, are what cause problems.
Is it normal to be nervous at the immigration medical exam?
Feeling anxious about a high-stakes visit is a normal human response. It is not a clinical finding. Answer questions truthfully and completely. Do not offer stories the questions don’t ask for. The screening is built for public safety. The overwhelming majority of applicants pass through it without issue. That includes those with treated mental health conditions.
If you are struggling with your mental health, please reach out to a qualified professional. In the U.S., you can call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Related reading: USCIS Medical Exam Is Not a Physical: What It Is · I-693 Exam: What St. Louis Applicants Must Know · I-693 Immigration Medical Exam Cost — $390 Flat, St. Louis
Frequently Asked Questions
Will a history of depression or anxiety affect my green card?
Treated mental health conditions are not, by themselves, grounds of inadmissibility. The screening looks for mental disorders with associated harmful behavior. That is a specific legal category.
Should I hide my therapy or medication history?
No. Answers that dodge the question create mismatches (inconsistencies). Those cause the problems applicants fear. Honest, true answers help your application.
What does ‘harmful behavior’ mean on the I-693?
Conduct associated with a mental disorder that has posed or may pose a risk of harm to the applicant or others. It is a defined standard. It is not a judgment about normal mental health care.
Will stress or grief about leaving home count against me on the I-693?
No. The mental health screening is not a review of your stress or your grief about leaving home. It is not a review of your therapy history or normal life struggles. Under CDC technical instructions, it looks for one narrow legal category: a mental disorder with associated harmful behavior that has posed, or may pose, a risk of harm to you or others. Normal feelings about a big move are not that category.
How should I answer the mental health questions at the immigration exam?
Answer truthfully and completely. Do not add stories the questions do not ask for. Answers that dodge the question create mismatches (inconsistencies). Those mismatches, not treated conditions, are what cause problems. The screening is built for public safety. The overwhelming majority of applicants pass through it without issue. That includes people with treated mental health conditions.
Watch the full video above, and explore the rest of the series on our YouTube channel.
Schedule Your Exam in St. Louis
Schedule Your Exam Text (314) 886-5902 Call (314) 960-9100
Dr. Gurpreet Padda, MD — USCIS-Designated Civil Surgeon (CSID 111051)
4477 Woodson Rd, Suite 102, St. Louis, MO 63134 — minutes from St. Louis Lambert International Airport
🌐 ImmigrationExam.us
🕗 Mon–Wed 8:00am–5:00pm · Thu 8:00am–12:00pm · Closed Friday & federal holidays
💵 I-693 exam $390 · Follow-up visit $190 · N-648 case review $400 (credited toward evaluation) · N-648 evaluation from $1,400
This article is educational information about the immigration medical examination process. It is not legal advice and does not create a physician–patient relationship. For legal questions about your case, consult a licensed immigration attorney.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP — USCIS-designated civil surgeon (CSID 111051), board certified in Anesthesiology, Pain Medicine, Interventional Pain Management, Addiction Medicine, and Obesity Medicine. Last reviewed September 2026.