Background: (District Guidelines)
It is a national immigration policy to prevent aliens infectious with tuberculosis from entering the U.S. To enter the U.S. as permanent legal residents, aliens are required to have a medical examination in their country of citizenship or as for refugees their country of exit. Included in this medical examination is an evaluation for active infectious tuberculosis (TB), which is documented on the federal forms DS-2053 & DS-3024 (attached). If infectious TB is suspected on an alien's chest X-ray, a minimum of three sputa are collected. The smear results then determine the alien's TB condition classification as TB Class A, B-1, or B-2.
Based upon the smear results, if the alien is determined to be non-infectious, s/he is allowed permanent entry into the US within 6 months of the medical examination. (Permanent entry continues to be within 12 months for immigrants with no classified health conditions identified).
At the US point of entry (POE) and through one of eight quarantine stations, the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) has a USPHS official review the alien's health information on the DS-2043 and DS-3024, as indicated. If the alien has a TB classified condition, a goldenrod notification form, the CDC 75.17, is generated. This form (attached) lists the alien's classified TB status, his/her immigration status (immigrant, refugee, asylee, etc), an alien 8-digit number (A #), name, sex, date of birth, port and date of entry, a contact name and address, and often a contact phone number.
Also at the US POE, the alien is requested to report to the local health department at his/her destination so that s/he can be evaluated for TB disease/infection in the US. This verbal request is followed with a written request and is mailed to the alien at the address s/he has provided to the USCIS. Lastly, the quarantine station mails the classified alien's arrival information to the state health department of the alien's reported destination. In Virginia these come to DTC Newcomer Health Program.