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Non-immigrant Visas

Information On Visas For Medical Emergencies

To complete your application and schedule an appointment, please follow the four steps detailed on our “How Do I Apply” http://damascus.usembassy.gov/non-immigrant_visas/untitled.html  page. Alternatively, you may telephone the Embassy between 2:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., Sunday through Wednesday, to request an expedited appointment. The Embassy telephone number is 3391-4444 – please ask for the Consular Section, NIV Unit. Alternatively, you may send an e-mail at any time to nivdamascus@state.gov with the subject heading “URGENT: MEDICAL EMERGENCY,” including your contact information in the text of the email. You will still be required to bring all the forms described on the “How Do I Apply” page.

In addition to the required forms from the “How Do I Apply” page, if traveling for medical treatment, please bring:

  • Statements from a medical professional in Syria or Lebanon outlining and explaining diagnosis, previous treatment, prognosis, and reasons why further treatment in the U.S. is required;
  • written verification from a hospital or clinic in the U.S. showing what treatment is possible, verifying an appointment date, and estimating costs of the proposed treatment;
  • proof of the ability to pay for the proposed treatment.


Before a visa can be issued, all applicants must demonstrate strong social, familial, and economic ties to their country of residence, which compel them to return after a temporary visit to the United States.

Nonimmigrant visa applicants are advised that the United States Government has instituted measures aimed at enhancing background checks on visa applicants. These new measures may result in longer waiting periods to receive visas.  For this reason, the Embassy urges applicants to apply for nonimmigrant visas well in advance of planned travel dates.

Please address all inquiries about nonimmigrant visas to the consular mailbox at nivdamascus@state.gov, or visit our website at: http://damascus.usembassy.gov/

Note: Interviews may NOT be scheduled via telephone or email.