USCIS Integrates The Application Process For Civil Surgeons

12 Mar 2014

USCIS has put into practice a new procedure to judge and receive applications for awarding the designation of civil surgeons at the Nation Benefits Center. The change in the process requires physicians who are seeking designation of ‘civil surgeons’ to submit an official application at the USCIS Lockbox. Integrating the application process for the civil surgeons will enhance the intake application process, improve USCIS’s tracking ability, management of civil surgeon applications, increase uniformity and consistency in USCIS, the decision making capabilities related to civil surgeon matters and improve integrity and overall efficiency of the process.

Physicians who are looking for the designation of civil surgeon have to fill the Civil Surgeon Designation Application, Form I-910,  and pay an application fee of $615. The latest submission form and procedure implements provisions of the agency’s Fee Rule 2010.  It will not have an effect on existing civil surgeons.

Earlier, this civil surgeon designation process used to be a local one and used to held at the field office or in a district with jurisdiction over the office of the civil surgeon’s location. This latest process is mentioned in depth in Part C, Volume 8, policy manual of the USCIS and substitutes the designation of civil surgeon’s help manual found in 83.4 Chapter of the AFM (Adjudicator’s Field Manual).

The new policy on civil surgeons endorses and clarifies the role, purpose, and tasks of civil surgeons; makes clear the process for judging civil surgeon applications; summarize the expert qualifications that are required for the civil surgeon designation; clarifiers the application requirements for the designation of civil surgeons; confirms USCIS’s capability to withdraw the civil surgeon designation and explains the cancellation grounds; and also offers advice on complance and continuance on the list of civil surgeons.