Chapter 5 - Civil Surgeon List

A. Overview

USCIS maintains a nationwide list of civil surgeons available to the public. Applicants may search the list for civil surgeons designated in their area at USCIS.gov (via the Civil Surgeon Locator) or through the USCIS Contact Center’s toll-free number at 1-800-375-5283. 

Physicians on the civil surgeon list are generally current in their designation as civil surgeons. Since the list is updated weekly, it is advisable for the applicants to check that a physician is still on the civil surgeon list as close as possible to the date of the immigration medical exam appointment. If uncertain, applicants should also confirm with their doctors regarding their civil surgeon status prior to the immigration medical examination.

B. Requests to Update the Civil Surgeon Information

A civil surgeon should inform USCIS of any change that is relevant to the civil surgeon designation within 15 days of the change.^[1]

If an officer at a USCIS field or district office receives a request to update the civil surgeon list, he or she should forward the request to the National Benefits Center (NBC) for review. 

C. Maintaining the Civil Surgeon List

USCIS reviews all requests from civil surgeons to update contact information or to terminate the civil surgeon designation. USCIS also updates the civil surgeon list accordingly, as well as removes civil surgeons whose designations have been suspended or revoked. 

1. Request to Update Contact Information

If a civil surgeon’s request to update contact information involves a move to a new state, then evidence of medical licensure in the new state^[2] must accompany the request before the officer may approve it. If this evidence is missing, the officer may request this information through the issuance of a Request for Evidence (RFE). 

2. Termination, Suspension, or Revocation

If a civil surgeon requests to be removed from the civil surgeon list or if USCIS determines designation should be suspended or revoked, the officer should annotate the date and reason for removal. Records of former civil surgeons should be retained internally; the information may be relevant, for instance, to the adjudication of a medical examination the civil surgeon completed before he or she was removed from the civil surgeon list or if the physician re-applies for civil surgeon designation in the future.

3. Updates and Review of Civil Surgeon List

USCIS ensures the civil surgeon list is updated in a timely manner to reflect any changes in a civil surgeon’s contact information or designation status. In addition, USCIS performs a review of the civil surgeon list on a bi-annual basis, at a minimum, to ensure that all publicly available civil surgeon information is current and accurate.

If during this review USCIS learns that a civil surgeon is no longer performing immigration medical examinations in the location specified as part of the designation, or is no longer practicing medicine at all, USCIS may terminate the civil surgeon designation and remove the physician from the list. USCIS should follow regular revocation procedures.

Footnotes

[^ 1] See uscis.gov/i-910 for more information on how to update contact information.

[^ 2] The physician must show that he or she continues to meet the professional qualifications to be a civil surgeon in the new state.