EKG and Chest X-ray necessary for work visa?

[Xiao Kui]

My sister needs to have a physical for her work visa application process. she is going to be working in Beijing. I went through  a similar process and needed a physical prior to coming to China, but I didn't need to do the EKG, Chest x-ray, or ultrasound.  I was told my Dr could just write "not performed at this time" in those fields on the physical form. 

 

My job is going to be in Henan, she is going to be working in Beijing. Is Beijing stricter? are they requiring chest x-rays before coming to China because of MERS?

 

Also the whole getting a physical BEFORE coming to China is new to me - we used to just get that done once we got there at some gov't hospital.  Is this getting a physical prior to coming to China a new requirement of the work visa process or are companies and schools just trying to make sure they don't waste their time and money buying plane tickets and applying for visas for people who might not pass the physical?

 

thanks for the feedback!

[ChTTay]

I needed all those tests when I came to Beijing and also when I went I went to Yinchuan. The ultrasound is weird one. Lots of jokes about having babies from the men.

I'm not sure about why you need it before or when you're here etc. I was already in China the times I've had Medicals

[Lu]

Last time I got a work visa for China was in 2010 and at the time I did need to get it all done: chest X-ray, ECG, blood test, the whole circus. I think I could also have gotten this done after arriving in China, but I did it before leaving, not sure of the reasons (it was arranged by the organisation I was going to work for) but probably some combination of making sure I was going to get approved and a feeling of 'we can do it better/safer back home'. Also it probably saved me time. To my knowledge the chest X-ray is because they want to check for tuberculosis, not because of MERS. I never had an ultrasound (and I'm a woman even).

 

If I were your sister I'd just get all the health testing done before leaving. She should make sure she brings originals of all of it: the ECG, the chest X-ray, everything she can think of. If you don't they'll just make you do it again after arrival.

 

(The first time I went to China was 2002, before saving X-ray images on cd's became a thing. The whole class was carrying these huge big envelopes with X-ray images around.)

[ChTTay]

Oh, one more thing... Even if you go to BEIJING with the medical already done and your test testily in hand then you still need to go to the test center in Beijing. They need you to hand in all your tests and have them "verified". You pay a smaller fee than the tests and pick it up after a couple of days.

I had to do this even when I had tests done in another Chinese City. It applies to tests abroad too of course.

I've never seen x-Rays on CD!

[Johnny20270]

i had chest x-ray last November for visa purposes. ..... along with a lot of being shoved about from grumpy doctors in the medical center.

 

Had 2 vials of blood taken

[imron]

I agree with what the others have said.  Don't do any of this stuff in your own country and just get the doctor to write 'not necessary'.  If the relevant authorities need them, they'll make you do them again anyway and presumably she doesn't want to do it all twice so best to wait until she arrives to sort everything out then.

[Lu]

You certainly don't have to do it twice. If you just bring all the original things you just hand that in and you're good.

 

Both times I moved to China I had all the tests done back home, but I suppose having it done in China is also fine.

 

I've never seen x-Rays on CD!

You know, the image saved digitally and put on a cd. Perhaps I'm not explaining it right. If you need this I think you can just ask the doctor for it (back home, not sure about in China).

[abcdefg]

You know, the image saved digitally and put on a cd. Perhaps I'm not explaining it right.

 

You are explaining it right. Standard practice at most hospitals in the US for several years. It was initially done as a way of transmitting "bigger" imaging tests such as MRI and CT scans. Then, as equipment was gradually upgraded, it became common for "plain" imaging as well (Chest X-Ray, extremities/bones, etc.)

 

I live near a large public hospital in Kunming, and every day still see people walking nearby carrying their old-style, large-format X-Ray films.

[Xiao Kui]

thanks for all the excellent feedback - i think she is just going to get everything done here in the US to satisfy her employer, realizing full well that she will probably have to do it again when she gets to China. 

[ChTTay]

I don't think she will have to do it again. As I (and Lu) said, you just go to the test center and hand in the results you have. It's very straight forward. If there is something missing, you only do that test. I've done this in Beijing. Don't worry.

As for the x Ray on a CD, I thought you meant China! I've got a coupls of the big print outs somewhere. Luckily never needed an X-Ray in the UK.

[Lu]

realizing full well that she will probably have to do it again when she gets to China.

Both times I did this I didn't have to do everything over once in China. The second time they redid one test (I forgot which, something simple). Your sister should make sure she brings the originals of everything (actual x-ray picture, actual printout of ECG, etc) and it should be fine.