Emergency Medical Visa (B2?)

[Daisy.Chain 317]

19 hours ago, Boiler said:

I know there are people here who know the medical stuff, I do not.

 

I assume there would be some logical medical connection why someone would be a match? Just from a practical perspective you would want to narrow down possible candidates.

 

Medical B would include the medical paperwork and evidence the costs are covered 

 

Yeah, there is a much higher chance of a match from a family member, esp an immediate family member. A parent is a 50% chance and a sibling is 25% which is amazing compared. A live donor is way better than a deceased donor as far as function as well. We have a lot of offers and I want to narrow down candidates from his family as much as possible though to avoid unnecessary flights/expenses. No need to plan for 50 people when 2-3 might do.

 

Is "Medical B" the B2 visa?

[Daisy.Chain 317]

13 hours ago, Skyyy said:

you can take the patient to the donor's country and do the surgery there if things do not work as you wish

Yes, this is our backup plan but I have high hopes we can figure it out here. It would be a huge health risk for him to travel at this point in the disease progression and then restart the testing/donation at a center there. I'm planning paired donation (where I give one to someone else in need and their loved one gives a kidney to my husband) prior to that. Family is the best match though for a few reasons so it is our #1 choice.

[Daisy.Chain 317]

20 hours ago, SalishSea said:

Omg, sending love to you!  My husband has a kidney transplant, so I totally get it.

 

Just wanted to say that in the absence of a match in the family, there also may be the option for you to donate a kidney to a third party, and for your husband to receive an unrelated matched kidney.   Sounds like he does have potential family matches, though, which is excellent.  Can any of the potential donor testing be done in the DR?

 

Btw, I don't usually recommend this, but in your case it might be good to contact your US senator/congressional rep for assistance.  Especially given the time urgency.....and, they might be more willing to help because of the PR/human interest aspect.

 

Feel free to DM me if you want.  My husband received a sibling's kidney >20 years ago, and is doing great - even got through a COVID infection unscathed.  *Hugs*

Aww, thank you! I definitely will.

 

 

 

We can do some of the testing in the DR but then I think we'd have to repeat it here in the US - maybe not if I csn figure out sone way to certify it?  This is one of my questions for the consult meeting!

 

If I can't figure out the expedite I am going to ask my rep/senator for sure.

 

Thanks again for the *hugs* and advice!

[Daisy.Chain 317]

11 hours ago, milimelo said:

This one would definitely work for early appointment expedite. You can request it yourself after you pick a date that's available (even if months later), or you can go through your congressional representative(s) for it. In either case, you have to have an existing appointment (sounds like you have one already) but as circumstances have changed you're now requesting an earlier appointment for medical testing purposes. Your congressional representative can work for you - you just provide as much information as possible to make it easy on all sides. Good luck! 

Thanks, I needed to know this! We have piles of medical paperwork. I have to get some final forms signed hopefully on Tuesday and then it should be complete.

 

Both siblings currently have scheduled tourist visa appts a few months down the road. I will check with them asap to look for an expedite request - I think I remember it now! So it's not a form to send somewhere, it's actually on the appt form itself - thank you so much! We'll check into this ASAP and ask our senator if we don't get it.

 

I appreciate the help. I was thinking I'd have to mail a physical document so where and couldn't figure it out.

[Daisy.Chain 317]

2 hours ago, JeanneAdil said:

DR can do the matches needed

they do transplants

 In 2022, the number of organ transplants, including kidney, heart, lung, liver, pancreas, and small bowel, performed in the Dominican Republic added up to 62 interventions, up from 46 transplants reported a year earlier.

 

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1033802/dominican-republic-number-organ-transplants/

 

this is so hard when time is short and u worked so hard to be together

u have my sincere prayers for a successful transplant

 

Thank you! In comparison, my current transplant center does over 1,000 transplants of the kidneys alone per year. My husband has a rare condition that affects his kidneys but is caused by an autoimmune condition - so for example there is likely to be more complicated scarring on his kidneys (due to the cobdition before they operate, not due to the operation itself) so we're looking for an experienced surgeon who has seen s lot of complications.

 

If we go to the DR the trip alone risks his life as he is pretty fragile, but that is our backup plane if absolutely nothing else works. We are going to try paired donation where I give a kidney to someone else and their loved one gives Mr. Daisy a kidney first so I don't think we'll need to risk the journey. I am hoping for the best possible outcome which is generally from family, but we will consider other alternatives if needed.

.I never knew I'd need to do so much research on all this stuff. I learned not terribly long ago that kidney transplants don't remove the diseased kidney (in the condition my husband has). They just add a new one in this maintaining a little of the original function and adding to it. It makes sense but is weird. Some people have even more than 3 kidneys bc of this!

[SalishSea 16,882]

1 hour ago, Daisy.Chain said:

Thank you! In comparison, my current transplant center does over 1,000 transplants of the kidneys alone per year. My husband has a rare condition that affects his kidneys but is caused by an autoimmune condition - so for example there is likely to be more complicated scarring on his kidneys (due to the cobdition before they operate, not due to the operation itself) so we're looking for an experienced surgeon who has seen s lot of complications.

 

If we go to the DR the trip alone risks his life as he is pretty fragile, but that is our backup plane if absolutely nothing else works. We are going to try paired donation where I give a kidney to someone else and their loved one gives Mr. Daisy a kidney first so I don't think we'll need to risk the journey. I am hoping for the best possible outcome which is generally from family, but we will consider other alternatives if needed.

.I never knew I'd need to do so much research on all this stuff. I learned not terribly long ago that kidney transplants don't remove the diseased kidney (in the condition my husband has). They just add a new one in this maintaining a little of the original function and adding to it. It makes sense but is weird. Some people have even more than 3 kidneys bc of this!

Correct!  My husband has his shriveled non-functioning kidneys still.  The transplant is actually more anterior to regular kidney location, and the scar is on his right lower belly/side.

 

And I totally agree about sticking to your original plan.  Transplant medicine is very specialized, and you want the center/surgeons/program to have LOTS of experience, which would not be found in a country like the DR.

 

The paired donation is probs our backup plan, although I'm not sure what the age cutoff is to donate.  

[JeanneAdil 6,244]

14 hours ago, Daisy.Chain said:

Thank you! In comparison, my current transplant center does over 1,000 transplants of the kidneys alone per year. My husband has a rare condition that affects his kidneys but is caused by an autoimmune condition - so for example there is likely to be more complicated scarring on his kidneys (due to the cobdition before they operate, not due to the operation itself) so we're looking for an experienced surgeon who has seen s lot of complications.

 

If we go to the DR the trip alone risks his life as he is pretty fragile, but that is our backup plane if absolutely nothing else works. We are going to try paired donation where I give a kidney to someone else and their loved one gives Mr. Daisy a kidney first so I don't think we'll need to risk the journey. I am hoping for the best possible outcome which is generally from family, but we will consider other alternatives if needed.

.I never knew I'd need to do so much research on all this stuff. I learned not terribly long ago that kidney transplants don't remove the diseased kidney (in the condition my husband has). They just add a new one in this maintaining a little of the original function and adding to it. It makes sense but is weird. Some people have even more than 3 kidneys bc of this!

I didn't say go to DR/ I answered your post that said DR  wouldn't know how to do the pretest/i pointed out they do kidney transplants so they know the procedure to match one of his DR relatives for the transplant to be done  here.  

As u said , u have only 6 months.    you want a visa to bring someone in for match testing? 

what if they are not a Match?

another visa for other family member? 

and maybe another?

DR can do the testing for several members and then u go for the visa for the transplant with assistance from US Doctors for the emergency visa  a lot faster than trying to get one or more a visa to test them here

and yes,  the  kidney is not removed unless it is infected

[Daisy.Chain 317]

Hi everyone,

Here is an update on our progress in case anyone else goes through something similar or was interested :) : 
 

We are almost a month in to the kidney transplant process and Mr. Daisy has undergone the transplant evaluation and is -barring complications from the single remaining exam Monday- ready for transplant and to be listed! The medical expedite for a tourist visa for his siblings is done by going in to the B2 application in ustraveldocs (on a desktop, not a phone - at least not on my phone as of 12/23) and selecting "emergency request". The requirements on that website state:

• Medical Emergency
  Purpose of travel is to obtain emergency medical care, to accompany a relative or employer for emergency medical care, or to travel to be with an immediate family member (mother, father, brother, sister, child, grandparent, or grandchild) undergoing emergency medical care in the United States. Required proof: A letter from the doctor who is treating or will treat you or your loved one. The letter must describe the medical condition and the urgency of the situation. You must also present evidence of your relationship to the sick or injured person.

The medical letter is relatively easy to write - we have piles of medical things. The "evidence of your relationship to the sick or injured person" - Could this be as simple as sibling's birth certificate and Mr. Daisy's, both showing the same parents? I am coming from K1 "evidence of relationship" where I included a TON of things, so that seems too easy.

[TBoneTX 43,418]

This sounds hopeful.  Prayers and fingers crossed.

[SalishSea 16,882]

On 1/10/2024 at 2:25 PM, Daisy.Chain said:

Hi everyone,

Here is an update on our progress in case anyone else goes through something similar or was interested : 
 

We are almost a month in to the kidney transplant process and Mr. Daisy has undergone the transplant evaluation and is -barring complications from the single remaining exam Monday- ready for transplant and to be listed! The medical expedite for a tourist visa for his siblings is done by going in to the B2 application in ustraveldocs (on a desktop, not a phone - at least not on my phone as of 12/23) and selecting "emergency request". The requirements on that website state:

• Medical Emergency
  Purpose of travel is to obtain emergency medical care, to accompany a relative or employer for emergency medical care, or to travel to be with an immediate family member (mother, father, brother, sister, child, grandparent, or grandchild) undergoing emergency medical care in the United States. Required proof: A letter from the doctor who is treating or will treat you or your loved one. The letter must describe the medical condition and the urgency of the situation. You must also present evidence of your relationship to the sick or injured person.

The medical letter is relatively easy to write - we have piles of medical things. The "evidence of your relationship to the sick or injured person" - Could this be as simple as sibling's birth certificate and Mr. Daisy's, both showing the same parents? I am coming from K1 "evidence of relationship" where I included a TON of things, so that seems too easy.

That’s great news, Daisy!  Please keep us in the loop.  Sounds like he will be all set up to receive the best possible care.

[Daisy.Chain 317]

Hi everyone! New fear unlocked - can anyone help with this?

 

This emergency medical visa is quite a process! The doctor's signatures are taking longer than I thought to get. Fortunately Mr. Daisy is on a new medication that might help extend things a few weeks (although it makes him feel like #######)   As far as the expedite is concerned.. both siblings that are potential kidney donors already have a B1/B2 visa in progress and have for a few months. They were going to come to visit/for tourism until this came up.

 

So now when I need the expedite for a different reason - medical- do I need to RESUBMIT (and pay both fees again) for a B2 visa (medical) visa? Or is that included in the B1/B2 visa? Travel.state.gov says "Visitor visas are nonimmigrant visas for persons who want to enter the United States temporarily for business (visa category B-1), for tourism (visa category B-2), or for a combination of both purposes (B-1/B-2)"

BUT on the DS-160 it specifies:

 

I'm not sure if resubmitting would help or confuse the issue. What do you think?

 

#tbonetx
#Boiler 

[Boiler 43,720]

Step 3

Schedule an appointment online for the earliest available date. Please note that you must schedule an appointment before you can request an expedited date. At the time you schedule your appointment, you will see an onscreen message showing the earliest available appointment date, which includes emergency appointments. Accordingly, you may find that it is not necessary to request an emergency appointment because there are no earlier dates available. If you wish to proceed with requesting an emergency appointment, then complete the Emergency Request Form or contact the call center to request assistance. Please be sure to note the type of emergency you believe qualifies you for an emergency appointment. Once you have submitted your request, please wait for a response from the Embassy, which will come via email.

Step 4

If the Embassy approves your request then you will receive an email alerting you to schedule your emergency appointment online. Please understand that the call center cannot schedule your emergency appointment for you, but agents are able to assist you if questions arise. Should the Embassy deny your request for an emergency appointment, you will be notified of the denial by email and you should keep your existing appointment.

Note: The email confirming or denying your request will come from no-reply@ustraveldocs.com. Some email applications have rules which filter unknown senders into a spam or junk mail folder. If you have not received your email notification, please look for the message in your junk and spam email folders.

[Daisy.Chain 317]

Update for anyone else in the same situation:

 

The emergency expedite process was comparatively straightforward. The person applying just goes I to US travel docs and hits "apply for expedite", upload documents and write a brief description of the situation. Both siblings' medical expedite appointments were approved within 24 hrs, and given about a week in which to schedule (although you could schedule out farther, you had to do the scheduling within a week). After the appt approval but before the appt I also had our state rep call the embassy. That was not helpful  or a smooth process - they are used to calling for potential immigrants, not for B2 medical visas and I explained a LOT of times but still wasn't sure they understood the process-.

 

One visa was denied for no specific reason and the other was delayed (they kept the passport) while the sibling gets some legal documents together that require a judge and could take months which is longer than we currently have available, health-wise.

 

I'm pretty bummed about the denial -Mr. Daisy is not doing well at all- and also am hoping the getting-the-documents process somehow goes quickly.

 

I understand that there are NO immigration guarantees but am so frustrated to see so many people -even people we distantly know- walk across the border or abuse/overstay their B2 tourist visas having had that plan all along and then have free housing, food tickets, work etc with no immediate consequences. We try the legal way with stable 40+ yr old siblings who have traveled internationally, have good jobs and what the heck? Lots of disillusionment this week.

 

If anyone is A+ or O+ and is interested in kidney donation, please reach out! 😭

[millefleur 5,039]

7 hours ago, Daisy.Chain said:

One visa was denied for no specific reason and the other was delayed (they kept the passport) while the sibling gets some legal documents together that require a judge and could take months which is longer than we currently have available, health-wise.

Did they give a paper with the reason for the denial? It's usually 214(b) but it seems they almost always provide some reason why it was denied. Very sorry to hear about this.

 

I hope you can get the legal documents for the sibling, maybe see if there's any way you can get an emergency expedite for those?

 

I totally agree with you on the frustration of the B visa process. I've known plenty of people who got approved who frankly didn't seem like they met any kind of strict requirement for showing ties to their country, it's baffling sometimes. I once had the opportunity to ask a consular officer "How do you make the decision?" and he told me "Some people just look trustworthy" - maybe he was just joking, but sometimes given the seemingly random outcomes of who gets approved and who doesn't, makes me wonder...

[Daisy.Chain 317]

6 hours ago, millefleur said:

Did they give a paper with the reason for the denial? It's usually 214(b) but it seems they almost always provide some reason why it was denied. Very sorry to hear about this.

 

I hope you can get the legal documents for the sibling, maybe see if there's any way you can get an emergency expedite for those?

 

I totally agree with you on the frustration of the B visa process. I've known plenty of people who got approved who frankly didn't seem like they met any kind of strict requirement for showing ties to their country, it's baffling sometimes. I once had the opportunity to ask a consular officer "How do you make the decision?" and he told me "Some people just look trustworthy" - maybe he was just joking, but sometimes given the seemingly random outcomes of who gets approved and who doesn't, makes me wonder...

No reason, just the general denial - not even a comment from the person who gave it to her. She said the woman who called her up looked irritated before she even got to the window. I asked our rep to request the "why" and they did but I haven't heard yet.

 

I'm less sure about expedited through the Dominican legal system but BIL is moving as quickly as he can! 😕