Humanitarian visa in the United States: how it is issued, requirements and who is entitled to it

United States of America offers a wide variety of permits and visas stay in the country. Each one has a specific destination and the requirements to elaborate it vary according to the cases and circumstances.

One of them is the humanitarian visa. This special permit can be granted to people who require a temporary stay in the North American country for “Humanitarian reasons urgent or of significant public benefit,” according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

However, the relevance of this urgency will be assessed in the specific case. This permission is generally granted to applications for medical or public interest emergencies. The aforementioned departments instead indicate which are the specific cases in which the visa can be granted:

• Provide care or help a family member with a serious or terminal illness.
• Receive medical treatment in the country.
• Join a family member in the US for urgent matters.
• Participation in legal proceedings in the United States.
• Donate organs to someone in need.
• Attend a funeral or care for a deceased relative in the country.

How is the United States Humanitarian Visa processed?

In order to successfully process a humanitarian visa from the United States, a number of steps must be followed. The first is to complete the form I-131, which represents the application of the travel document. Once this is satisfied, Form I-134 must be completed, representing a Affidavit of economic patronage —This means that it has the means to support itself without public intervention.

The next step is attach documentation that he supports the petition, i.e. that he refers to the urgent matter which makes the prolonged stay necessary. Then, the corresponding fee must be paid, that is $575. In this link you can search and calculate the fees for different procedures related to this visa.

To find out how much the procedure costs—if there are any price changes—you must enter your I-131 form number, enter your age, and the type of procedure (Temporary trip abroad).

Once the process is finished, the Department of Homeland Security will contact the applicant by letter in a time that can go from From 90 to 120 days after shipment. Likewise, if the urgency is immediate, chances are everything will speed up and your visa will be processed as soon as possible.