Can I Get a U.S. Visa to Receive Medical Treatment?

The modern medicines and progressive medical research governed within the United States arguably make this one of the best healthcare systems in the world. With such advanced healthcare services, it is no wonder that many foreigners travel to great lengths to become patients in this country. Luckily, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) allows non-immigrants to use a B-2 visitor visa for tourism to receive medical treatment in the country. Follow along to find out how a proficient attorney at our Lyndhurst family & individual immigration law firm, the Law Offices of Salvatore A. Falletta, can help you legally obtain a United States visa for medical purposes.

How can I get a B-2 visitor visa to receive medical treatment in the United States?

Since you wish to use your B-2 visitor visa specifically for medical treatment in the United States, you may have to supplement Form DS-140, Nonimmigrant Visa Application, with unique pieces of proof. Examples of such proof are as follows:

• You must explain how the medical treatment you require for your illness or ailment is not available in your home country.
• You must prove that you have the financial means to pay for your stay in the United States, along with the medical treatments you are seeking (i.e., bank statements, an Affidavit of Support, etc).
• You must show that you have a specific date after treatment in which you intend to return to your home country (i.e., a copy of your unexpired visa, plane tickets, travel itinerary, etc).
• You must prove your local treatment physician’s diagnosis of your illness or ailment and their recommendation to seek medical treatment in the United States (i.e., a letter with an official letterhead).
• You must prove a United States physician’s willingness to accept you as a patient and treat you for your illness or ailment (i.e., a letter with an official letterhead).
• You must show your willingness to submit to a medical examination at the United States Embassy or Consulate (i.e., schedule an appointment).

Under what circumstances might I be ineligible to temporarily visit for medical purposes?

Unfortunately, you may have an illness or ailment that the USCIS rules as automatic inadmissibility into the country. This is especially true if you have a sexually transmitted disease, bacterial disease, or contagious disease that is considered to be of “public health significance.”

What’s more, it may be more difficult to obtain a B-2 visa if you are pregnant. This is because the USCIS discourages the practice of women traveling to the country to deliver a child who would automatically become a citizen. For this, you may have to make extra efforts to prove that this is not your primary reason for travel, even if your illness or ailment is pregnancy-related.

This is all to say that, before moving forward with your visa application, you must consult a talented attorney from our Lyndhurst family and individual immigration law firm. So please reach out to the Law Offices of Salvatore A. Falletta today.