Currently Designated Civil Surgeons

This page offers information for physicians USCIS has already designated as civil surgeons.

Depending on the immigration benefit sought, an applicant may be required to undergo a medical examination. Immigration medical examinations conducted inside the United States must be performed by a civil surgeon who has been designated by USCIS. (Immigration medical examinations conducted outside the United States must be performed by a panel physician who has been designated by the Department of State.)

How to Become a Civil Surgeon

If you are interested in becoming a civil surgeon, please go to our “Prospective Civil Surgeons” Web page for more information.
USCIS has special designation policies for certain qualified physicians who are employed by a state or local health department (to conduct the vaccination assessments for refugees seeking adjustment of status), and for physicians employed by the armed forces (to conduct the entire medical examination). Visit the “Prospective Civil Surgeon” page for detailed information about USCIS’ designation policies for these physicians.

Tune in to our Podcast for additional information on how to become a Civil Surgeon.

Civil Surgeons’ Responsibilities

Civil surgeons must perform the immigration medical examination according to the Technical Instructions for the Medical Examinations of Aliens in the United States (Technical Instructions or TIs), published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. These Technical Instructions include:

• The Technical Instructions for Medical Examinations of Aliens in the U.S. (1991);
• The Tuberculosis (TB) Component of the Technical Instructions for the Medical Examination of Aliens in the U.S. 2008 (effective May 1, 2008);
• Adjustment of Status for U.S. Permanent Residence Requirements: Technical Instructions for Vaccinations 2009 (effective Dec.14, 2009);
• 2010 Technical Instructions for Mental Disorders and Substance Abuse for Civil Surgeons (effective June 1, 2010);
• 2013 Technical Instructions for Syphilis and Hansen’s Disease (effective January 1, 2013); and
• Any updates to the documents listed above as published on CDC’s website.

Each of these documents and updates can be obtained from CDC’s website and can be found on the right side of this page.

CDC does not mail hard copies of these documents; it is the responsibility of the civil surgeon to obtain these documents online and comply with the requirements of the Technical Instructions.

Failure to comply with the Technical Instructions may result in USCIS revoking the civil surgeon’s designation.

Civil Surgeon Seminar Series

USCIS coordinates with CDC to provide regular instruction on how to perform the immigration medical examination according to the Technical Instructions and correctly capture results of the exam on Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record.  PowerPoint presentations from the recent Civil Surgeon Seminar series can be found on the right side of this page.

For more information on upcoming seminars, please contact USCIS Customer Service and Public Engagement at public.engagement@uscis.dhs.gov.

Questions and Updates

For currently designated civil surgeons:

USCIS Civil Surgeon Locator

A public list of designated civil surgeons is available online through the Civil Surgeon Locator

  This page can be found at www.uscis.gov/civilsurgeons