Questions and Answers > EB-5 Investments

How does the USCIS determine "good health"?

I have read that one requirement of the EB-5 program is that the applicant must be in "good health." How does the USCIS determine this and what are they looking for to determine that an investor is healthy?

Answers

• Reza Rahbaran

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on March 4, 2014

  The foreign investor will undergo physical exams primarily to check for communicable diseases. Please refer to the form I-693 on the USCIS website as reference.

• A Olusanjo Omoniyi

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on November 5, 2013

  An EB-5 investor, like every immigrant, seeking to enter the United States is required to be in good health. This is determined by screening the immigrant, like an EB-5 investor, for health-related grounds of inadmissibility particularly for communicable diseases so as to protect the public. Currently, the U.S. laws require that immigrants who have significant health problems should not be allowed into the country so as not to endanger the health of the public, in essence the U.S. public needs to be protected from being exposed to diseases. In order to determine that any immigrant does not have any infectious disease, the rule is that all immigrants who are applying to enter the U.S. are required to be examined by civil surgeons designated (pre-approved) by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). In case of investors who are outside the U.S., they are required to undergo medical examination by physicians designated by the U.S. Department of State and coordinated by the U.S. Embassies. The civil surgeon will conduct a medical examination for communicable diseases such as tuberculosis (TB), measles and other physical and mental examinations. In addition, immigrants are required to show proof of vaccinations for various diseases that may endanger the public the result of their examinations must show the immigrants are disease-free and does not have any disease that can infect the U.S. public. All EB-5 applicants are advised to work with their immigration attorneys in ensuring this requirement is met as part of their applications. If you need further information, our office can certainly help provide additional information.

• Roberto Ortiz

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on November 4, 2013

  Once the I-526 application is approved and you file your residency application, you have to submit a medical exam. The medical exam will let USCIS know if you have any health problems that might make you ineligible. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you.

• Shahzad Q Qadri

  RC Creator

  Answered on October 30, 2013

  An investor will undergo a physical, provided the investor does not have communicable diseases such as TB, they will be permitted to immigrate.

• Philip H Teplen

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on October 28, 2013

  Health is merely proof that the applicant does not have infectious disease.

• Lynne Feldman

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on October 25, 2013

  After the I-526 is approved the applicant will be given a medical exam. You can review the I-693 at the USCIS website for an indication of what the doctor is looking for but primarily they want the applicant current on their shots, an no communicable diseases that aren''t under treatment such as tuberculosis.

• A Mina Tran

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on October 25, 2013

  As a part of the green card process, you will have to undergo a medical exam. The U.S government is primarily concerned about communicable diseases that can effect the general public. You are not required to be in perfect health in order to get a green card.

• Ying Lu

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on October 24, 2013

  You will have to go through a physical examination by a civil surgeon designated by USCIS before your green card can be issued. The diseases that trigger inadmissibility are those communicable diseases of public health significance as determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).

• BoBi Ahn

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on October 23, 2013

  After the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Petition is processed and approved, in order to either file for immigrant visa (consular processing) or adjust status to permanent residence (if you are already in the U.S.), you must have your medical examination done by a USCIS designated Dr. There are certain health conditions (certain communicable diseases) which may bar you from applying for permanent residence.

• Ed Beshara

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on October 23, 2013

  The question of the investors health as well as for the spouse and family members, if applicable, will arise at the time of the U.S. consulate interview for the review and issuance of the conditional residency for the investor and family members. Before the U.S. consulate interview the investing family members will be required to undertake a medical examination by a designated doctor approved by the U.S. State Department. The health of the applicant becomes important and if there are signs of the applicant having contagious diseases or being a drug addict or habitual drunkard then there may be grounds of inadmissibility. Therefore it is important to have one''s own doctor perform a medical examination first to see if there any issues that may come up in a subsequent medical examination by a designated U.S. State Department doctor.

• Gregory Romanovsky

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on October 23, 2013

  They want to make sure you do not have some terrible infectious diseases (such as syphilis, tuberculosis, etc.) that you can spread in the United States. You also have to be mentally healthy.

• Neena Dutta

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on October 23, 2013

  This refers to a determination by a civil surgeon (there is a list for each country) that you do not possess certain communicable diseases. It is not like a full physical where a doctor will measure your overall fitness, but rather which vaccinations you have been given, and whether you have any diseases which would deem you unfit. Even in instances where a person has a certain illness, there are also waivers which can be obtained.

• Edward Litwin

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on October 23, 2013

  All immigrants must have a medical exam to be sure that they do not have any dangerous, contagious diseases. I believe this may be what you read about.

• Salvatore Picataggio

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on October 23, 2013

  This would come up during the obtaining of Conditional Permanent Residency (at the US Consulate or through Adjustment of Status with USCIS), and the main concern is communicable diseases.

• Boyd Campbell

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on October 23, 2013

  The applicant will undergo a medical examination during consular processing.

• H Glenn Fogle Jr

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on October 23, 2013

  Being in "good health" is not a requirement. There is a medical exam where one is tested for various diseases and confirming necessary vaccinations. There are waivers available if people have certain inadmissible illnesses. However, there is no "good health" standard or requirement in U.S. immigration law.

• Fredrick W Voigtmann

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on October 23, 2013

  There is no "good health" requirement. You may be referring to INA Section 212(a)(1), which makes inadmissible any applicant with a "communicable disease of public health significance." As long as the applicant does not have such a disease or a physical/mental disorder that would pose a threat to others, and as long as the applicant is not a drug abuser or addict, then health is not an issue.