How To Get A Visa To Come To The U.S. For Necessary Medical Care
Although many kinds of Visas are applied for and granted routinely, other types of Visas are much less known, and applied for much less frequently. One type of Visa that many people are unaware of is the one that allows people entry into the country for the purpose of medical treatment.
The B-2 Medical Visa
The B-2 is a Visa that is used both for tourists, which is common, but which is also used for medical treatment, a lesser known purpose of the Visa. It may seem strange for the same visa to apply to both pleasure-based vacation, and necessity-based medical treatment, but they are considered the same Visa.
How to Get the Visa
However, obtaining the Visa isn’t easy. It isn’t just for people who prefer United States doctors, or who want treatment in the United States out of convenience. To get the Visa, the applicant has to show that:
- The treatment you are receiving is medically necessary
- The same treatment is not available in your home country, and
- That you can afford to pay for the treatment when and if it is provided here in the United States. That includes the costs of travel and the ability to afford personal expenses you may incur while in the United States getting treatment. Many people who come from overseas are shocked at the cost of medical care in the United States.
You also must demonstrate that your visit is temporary—that is, that it is only for the purpose of getting the medical treatment, for however long the treatment takes. Usually, this can be done by showing you have and are maintaining a permanent residence outside the United States, and that you have family, or some other connection to your home country. You must also have a valid passport that will allow you to return home, at the completion of your treatment.
Those who are pregnant have an additional hurdle. Pregnant applicants must show they are not coming to the United States for the purpose of giving birth—however, medical complications that may be associated with, or caused by the pregnancy or birth, do qualify for the Visa.
Getting Required Documentation
As you can see, a large part of proving you should get the Visa, is demonstrating medical need. To show that, you’ll need a letter from your doctor in your home country on official letterhead describing your condition. The letter will also have to state why you need treatment, why it’s unavailable in your home country, and the doctor must agree that the United States has the treatment that you need.
Even once you have that, the quest is not finished: You’ll then need a letter from your United States doctor(s), demonstrating your treatment plan, how long treatment will take, and the cost of the treatment.
Immigration goals can be difficult, but they are attainable. Contact the Palm Beach County immigration attorneys at Devore Law Group today for immigration law help.
Resource:
do.usembassy.gov/go-united-states-medical-treatment/
