Refugee Health Guidelines

Guidelines for pre-departure and post-arrival medical screening and treatment of U.S.-bound refugees

Woman showing patient chest x-ray

Many health conditions may affect the health of refugees; therefore, CDC provides guidelines for health-care providers who may see refugees at any point during the resettlement process.  These guidelines aim to:

• promote and improve the health of the refugee
• prevent disease
• familiarize refugees with the U.S. health-care system

The links below provide domestic and overseas guidelines for general refugee health screenings and care; 10 domestic guidelines and 2 overseas guidelines are available.  All the guidelines are based on current medical knowledge and the advice of experts in refugee health. The guidelines are meant to assist health-care providers but are not mandates.  New guidelines will be posted on this website as they become available. 

CDC also works with physicians to provide specific instructions for the medical care of refugees before their resettlement in the United States and when they are changing their visa status. These specific directives (called Technical Instructions) focus on the medical screening of refugees and immigrants for certain diseases, such as tuberculosis, in accordance with U.S. immigration law. The Technical Instructions are only meant to be used by two types of health-care providers: panel physicians, who perform overseas screening, and civil surgeons in the United States, who do the exams for adjustment of visa status.  The Technical Instructions should not be confused with the domestic or overseas guidelines provided below.