Short answer: Medical records located abroad can still be useful to preserve and organize. Start by identifying what exists, where it is kept, who may be able to obtain a copy, and whether getting it would create a safety or privacy risk. Do not endanger anyone or alter a record just to make it easier to obtain.
This page provides general information and organization guidance only. It does not decide whether evidence is legally sufficient, tell you what to file, or replace advice from a licensed immigration attorney or DOJ-accredited representative.
Start with an inventory, not a risky retrieval attempt
Write down the name of the hospital, clinic, doctor, laboratory, pharmacy, or other provider; the approximate date of treatment; the city and country; and what type of record may exist. If you already have photographs, scans, discharge papers, prescriptions, bills, appointment cards, or messages about the treatment, preserve those too.
If another person has lawful and safe access to the records, note that person's name and relationship to you. But do not pressure someone abroad to contact a hospital, police office, government agency, or other institution if doing so could expose that person—or you—to danger.
Preserve what you can verify
When you receive a copy, keep the file exactly as received before creating edited or compressed working copies. Record when you received it, who sent it, how it was sent, and any information you know about where it came from. If the record is incomplete, say that rather than guessing what may be missing.
If a document is not in English, keep the foreign-language document together with any English translation. USCIS and EOIR have translation requirements for documents submitted in immigration matters, so verify the current instructions that apply to the agency handling the case.
If you cannot get the record
Do not create a replacement record or rewrite a medical document from memory. Instead, keep a factual note of the treatment you remember, the provider or facility if known, the approximate date, and the steps you took to locate the record. A lawyer can review whether other available records—such as photographs, prescriptions, bills, witness information, or later medical documentation—are relevant to the issue being discussed.
The absence of a record does not tell you by itself what the legal result will be. Whether corroborating evidence is reasonably available is a case-specific question.
A practical way to organize this
Use a simple evidence index with columns for date, source, file name, short description, language/translation status, and where the original is stored. Keep uncertain information marked as uncertain. Do not change an original document to make it fit a timeline or another record.
If you are preparing for an attorney meeting, bring the index and the records you already have. You can also use the free Evidence Toolkit to organize a timeline, evidence inventory, missing-evidence list, witness list, and attorney questions.
Check current sources before filing
Agency rules can change, and the rules for USCIS, Immigration Court, and the Board of Immigration Appeals are not identical. Verify the current source that applies to the forum handling the case.
- USCIS: Form I-589 and current instructions
- EOIR Policy Manual: Documents
- Immigration Justice Campaign: Asylum application and supporting evidence
For case-specific questions about relevance, disclosure, authentication, safety, deadlines, or how a document should be presented, use the Legal Help Center or speak with a qualified immigration representative.