Uk Refuse To Accept Tb Test Certificate.

[aiir]

Hi all,

Firstly thanks to you all for the good luck and best wishes on our sv success, it is much appreciated..

I received a phone call today from the health control unit at Heathrow airport, they explained that Goi my wife had entered the UK without the necessary health clearence!! What the f--- are they on about I thought.. We have done everything they wanted and all was cleared on arrival at Heathrow. She explained that we would be hearing from our local health authority to have a second TB test done.

Ok what ever..... Then a second phone call from Torbay hospital, your wife must come in for a TB test, after I explained the situation about my wife being pregnant and the tests (sputum smear) had been done and this had been satisfactory, for her visa application and heathrow immigration and health control, she explained that now the UK is not accepting the BKK TB test certificate as they can be forged there for all people staying over 6 months would have to be re checked on arrival to the UK.

So I said to the lady at hospital, ok no probs we will come and have the test re done but my wife is pregnant and therefor cant have an xray, will it have to be the sputum smear test again? ( not a nice procedure for a pregnant girl). she replied.. No problem I will send her an appointment in 5-6 months time...then we can do an xray safely...

What a pile of crap... I still cant get my head around this..

[the scouser]

I must admit that it was only going to be a matter of time before someone started churning out counterfeit TB certificates. However, one would think the embassy would cross-check certificates with the issuing authority, but this would appear not to be the case.

So, with the whole process devalued, and people having to resit the test (albeit at no cost), I can see little merit in insisting that applicants undergo the test in the first place.

Scouse.

[the gent]

There is no reference to this either on the Embassy or the VFS websites which is odd to say the least if it is right that IOM TB certificates issued in Bangkok are now no longer valid as has been stated to the OP.

Given the incompetence prevailing within the Home Office generally, it would be difficult to accept any information without first challenging it.

The IOM certificate has several safeguards incorporated and bears unique references which can easily be verified by the Embassy visa section if doubts over authenticity are raised. Furthermore, if it is right that a spate of forgeries has occurred then it would be a simple matter for the IOM to submit weekly lists to the visa section of certificates issued which could be cross referenced when the applications are finally submitted.

From personal experience the TB testing process is difficult to abuse. For example, the applicant's x ray photographs are sealed in hospital letterheaded envelopes bearing the applicant's details. If this is submitted to the IOM bearing any evidence of tampering, it is rejected. Furthermore, the original certificate has to be submitted with the visa application to VFS who include it in the bundle passed onto the visa section.

Also, what is the likely incidence of IOM certificate abuse? The only people to gain from submitting a forgery would logically be those suffering from TB. Statistically, that must be a tiny minority and commonsense would suggest it unlikely to be in such numbers as to pose a threat to the entire process. The fee requested by the IOM is a modest 2000bt and the process is itself easily engaged and takes approximately 5 hours to complete. Hardly an insurmountable hurdle to those possessing a fine pair of bellows.

My instincts tell me the OP is the victim of bureaucratic nonsense. Given the daily accounts in the UK press of inept civil servants labouring under useless ministers why on earth should we be surprised by anything these buffoons do?

If I were the OP I would ask for my 2000bt back.

[lopburi3]

Who knows what person those x-rays are of? It could well have been a stand in. Such things have been known to happen.

TB is very serious problem here in Thailand. Much more common than most people seem to think.

[the gent]

Lopburi3,

The process begins with attendance at the IOM armed with ID card, passport and photographs of the applicant. These are copied and attached to the IOM form, signed by the applicant, which is placed in an envelope,sealed and returned to the applicant who then toddles off to the nominated hospital, either Bumrungrad or Phayathai. Before x ray, the bundle is handed to the nursing staff who check that the papers relate to the actual applicant.

It is foolproof.

[lopburi3]

And who says the person arriving and departing the hospital is the same person who obtained the envelope? Unless there is a finger print test done anyone with a similar appearance I am sure would not have a problem. Even if a fingerprint check were made that envelope could have been tampered with and fingerprints changed. This country is know for making counterfeit documentation of the highest quality. Do you really believe a sealed envelope is going to be a problem? Nor can the hospitals be above suspision. Nothing is ever foolproof.

[the gent]

Lopburi3,

I should have qualified my post. The process is relatively foolproof and is rooted in the real world where the vast majority live.

I cannot speak for the loopy fringe who prefer to languish in a twilight zone where Hollywood scripts might reign.

[lopburi3]

I assure you I live in the real world. And I suspect the UK authorities also do. It is not exactly James Bond to alter documentation.

[topfield]

In view of the above namely the iom certicate not being accepted by UK hospital(s)the Embassy should immediately take steps to correct the situation. This would presumably involve the embassy in certifying all iom certficates until the matter has been sorted out.

Whats the bet the embassy will not bother to do anything ? In the past they did not want to know anything about medicals and refered all inquirers to the Dpt of Health.

The logical solution is to stop the rip off iom service ...yes I say this advisedly as the same Thai government hospitals used to / and can do this for one quarter of what iom charges but are not allowed to do this any more , al least until the matter of the acceptability of their certificates has been dealt with.

In the meanwhile wives entering for settlement can be required to carry out the tests for free in their local nhs hospital after arrival AND while they are at it , have an HIV and Hepatitus B test carried out also.

[GU22]

Much as it pains me, I have to agree with 'the gent'.

There is nothing about this on any official website that I can find. If TB certificates issued in Bangkok were no longer valid then the official guidance would say something somewhere!

The reason for using the IOM is to prevent such forgeries, impersonation etc.

I feel that the OP is a victim of incompetence by Heathrow immigration who probably didn't tick the correct box and his local health authority who are probably misinformed.

However, to be sure I have today e-mailed UK Visas and will post their reply when received.

[topfield]

UK Visas is not the competant authority to deal with medical matters. The Department of Health is.

Were UK Visas competant they would have long ago initiated :

1, a reciprocal medical scheme similar to that in dozens of other countries including even Bulgaria whereby free treatment is available for each other's countries citizens. Is it right that a Thai visitor to the UK pays 400 pounds a day (fixed NHS charge for 2003 )for in hospital treatment whereas a UK visitor to Thailand pays 3000-5000 baht a day for in hospital treatment ?

2. a compulsory insurance scheme such as in Germany whereby without a medical insurance certficate , no visitor's visa may be issued.

[GU22]

UK Visas is not the competant authority to deal with medical matters. The Department of Health is.

But UK Visas are the relevant authority for UK entry matters, and this is an entry query, not a health one.

Were UK Visas competant they would have long ago initiated :

1, a reciprocal medical scheme similar to that in dozens of other countries including even Bulgaria whereby free treatment is available for each other's countries citizens.

Did you not sat that health matters are dealt with by the Dept. of Health, not UK visas?

I don't know why there are reciprocal health schemes with some countries but not others. Do you?

Is it right that a Thai visitor to the UK pays 400 pounds a day (fixed NHS charge for 2003 )for in hospital treatment whereas a UK visitor to Thailand pays 3000-5000 baht a day for in hospital treatment?

I don't think that anyone should have to pay for hospital treatment anywhere. But, unless you are a complete fool, you will know that wages and the cost of everything are considerably lower in Thailand than they are in the UK.

2. a compulsory insurance scheme such as in Germany whereby without a medical insurance certficate , no visitor's visa may be issued.

Agree with you on this. Any one who travels anywhere without insurance is very foolish.

[kelv23]

On the subject of TB and visas it states on the website that a TB test certificate is only required when the applicant is staying for more than 6 months . I am going to apply for a visa for my wife so we can take our son to see his grandparents for the first time, so from what the website states she doesnt need to have the TB test as we will be there less than 6 months.

With all of my previous experience with the British Embassy and how they sometimes forget to post ALL the requirements for just about anything you have to apply for Id be interested to know if anyone has applied for a tourist visa recently and if they had to produce the TB test certificate.

Thanks

[the scouser]

For a visit visa you definately do not require a TB certificate.

Scouse.