Once, while I was working as a vice consul in Jerusalem, an American expat (doctor) friend took pity on a young Palestinian man whose face had been disfigured (broken jaw and teeth) by the rifle butt of an Israeli soldier. He asked me to tell him the best way to get a visa for this young man so he could go to the United States, at my friend's expense, for surgery. A group of doctors in Ohio had already agreed to perform the operation as a charitable effort. I replied that, even with all those things lined up, there was no way that an unemployed Palestinian youth was going to get a visitor's visa without extraordinary intervention. "Do you mean Congress?" my friend asked. I laughed. We handled Congressional requests every day by saying, Sorry, can't help." "No," I said, "I mean the Press." I then explained that the U.S. State Department is protective of its public image and that he should try to arrange affairs so that the local press in Ohio created an expectation of the arrival of the young Palestinian. And that's what he did, and the operation was a success, and the young man returned to the West Bank soon after a brief convalescence.
It's easy for a prosperous, healthy expat to take pity on the tragic cases that one finds abroad. Can something be done? Yes, always. You can mount a valiant and massive effort, as my friend did, or you can find charities that reach overseas. There are many. I invite representatives to tell us about the good works being done overseas.
A public relations effort is _not_ absolutely necessary. The Immigration and Naturalization Act, which is the legal basis under which visas and such are issued, requires only that the vice consul issuing the visa be convinced that the visa applicant will be returning after their trip to the US. Entry to the US for extra-ordinary humanitarian purposes routinely take place at the border or port of entry in the US WITHOUT ANY VISA. The Department of Homeland Security (legacy INS) can allow anyone into the US - whether they have a visa or not. Humanitarian cases are the most prevelant examples.
But I digress - because it is likely that a single entry 3 month visa could be issued to this young Palestinian on a "humanitarian basis."
If you want to get into the small details, take a look at the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) regarding travel to the US for medical purposes.
The crux of the issuance in this case is its humanitarian dimension and whether the issuing officer has good reason to believe that the applicant will be returning after their trip to the US.
Posted by: Anonymous | December 24, 2005 8:05 PM | Permalink to Comment