Nonimmigrant Visa Services

Information On Visas For Medical Emergencies

To apply for a temporary visitor visa for medical treatment, applicants (or a designated representative) must visit the U.S. Embassy, Sunday through Wednesday, between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in order to schedule an appointment for an interview.  It is possible to have an expedited appointment, but you must ask when you make the appointment.  
 
To make an appointment, please bring:
1) A passport valid for at least six months from the date of the interview; 2) a fully completed, signed and printed electronic version of the DS-156 (found on line at: http://evisaforms.state.gov) with supplemental form DS-157 (http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/79964.pdf); 3) one photograph (see information on photo requirements); 4) a photocopy of the personal data page of the passport, date of passport issuance and expiration, and of most recent U.S. visa; 5) $131 non-refundable application fee (Only the new series of U.S. bills will be accepted).

For the interview, please bring:
A passport valid for at least six months from the date of the interview; and all supporting documents demonstrating social and economic ties as well as eligibility for a visa for medical treatment (these may include letters of invitation, bank statements, family book, letters of employment, property documents, previous passports, and proof of legal status of family/friends in the U.S.)

 If traveling for medical treatment, please also bring:
1) 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; 2) 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; 3) proof of the ability to pay for the proposed treatment.

Before a visa can be issued, all applicants/patients 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 temporary 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 other inquiries about nonimmigrant visas to the consular mailbox at: nivdamascus@state.gov, or browse our website at: http://damascus.usembassy.gov/consular.html

Note:   Interview Appointments ARE not scheduled via E-Mail or telephone.