ALL immigrant visa applicants, regardless of age, require a medical examination by an approved panel physician prior to the issuance of a visa.

In Jamaica there is only one facility accredited by the US Embassy to perform this exam — Andrews Memorial Hospital. Medical examination results from other physicians will not be accepted. It is your responsibility to schedule a medical exam once you have been scheduled for your visa appointment. We strongly urge you to call the hospital to make your medical appointment immediately after you register your appointment for your visa interview online, to allow the results of the exam to be transmitted to the embassy in time for your interview. If you are unable to complete your exam prior to your visa interview, please come to your interview but understand we cannot issue your visa without the results of the panel physician exam.

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Q: Can I go to my interview if my medical is not complete?

Yes. If your medical is incomplete or you have been unable to schedule an appointment, you can still attend your interview appointment and complete the rest of your medical requirements after the scheduled interview. Upon completion of your visa interview, please be sure to schedule your appointment with Andrews Memorial Hospital and complete all required exams as soon as possible.

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Q: What can I do to prepare for my medical?

The best preparation for your medical examination is to ensure all your vaccinations and medical treatments are up to date. If there are vaccines you are missing, please try to obtain them prior to your panel physician exam, if possible. If you are still awaiting the opportunity to schedule a visa appointment, you should take advantage of that time to update your vaccinations to prevent potential delays in the visa issuance process. Although we cannot accept medical examination results from other physicians, you can receive vaccines or treatments for illnesses from other institutions anywhere on the island and send the results to Andrews Memorial Hospital for their review.

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Q: What are the latest CDC requirements for immigrant visa (IV) applicants entering the United States?

Effective October 1, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requires all age-appropriate applicants for US immigrant visas worldwide to be vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to the panel physician examination, which is a prerequisite for immigrant visa consideration. Applicants will need to complete the full series of the COVID-19 vaccine regardless of whether they have had COVID-19. However, applicants do not need to wait the two weeks for full vaccine efficacy prior to their medical exams. If applicants have completed the full series of COVID-19 vaccine shots, they can proceed with their medical exam. Applicants will have to provide documentation of their vaccination to the panel physician.

We strongly recommend all immigrant visa applicants obtain the full COVID-19 vaccine series as soon as possible to avoid any possible delay in the processing of their visa applications. The US Embassy’s panel physician provider, Andrew’s Memorial Hospital, can provide more information. The Ministry of Health offers information on vaccination sites at the following online address: https://vaccination.moh.gov.jm/.

Q: What if I fail my medical?

If a panel physician identifies a substance abuse issue, you may be found temporarily ineligible for visa consideration. At the time of your refusal, you will receive a letter that will instruct you to contact the panel physician directly to initiate your medical reporting and will provide the date after which you can resume your visa application process.

Vaccines required for a complete medical:

• COVID-19

• Hepatitis A

• Hepatitis B

• Influenza

• Influenza type b (Hib)

• Measles

• Meningococcal

• Mumps

• Pneumococcal

• Pertussis

• Polio

• Rotavirus

• Rubella

• Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids

• Varicella

To assist the panel physician, and to avoid delays in the processing of an immigrant visa, all immigrant visa applicants should have their vaccination records available for the panel physician’s review at the time of the medical examination.

The latest information on our operating status can be found on our website at www.jm.usembassy.gov or by visiting www.travel.state.gov. Keep on top of embassy news on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/USEmbassyJamaica/ and by following @USEmbassyJA on Twitter. We also answer general consular questions on our Facebook and Twitter pages.