Emergency Entries into the U.S.

There may come a time when an unforeseen circumstance arises and you need a loved one to come to the U.S. immediately. There may be a crisis in the country that your family member lives, or you may have a medical condition that requires your relative to be with you.  To address these urgent needs, the U.S. has laws that may allow your family member to come to the U.S. temporarily to address the emergency situation, even if they are inadmissible, or are not allowed to come or return to the U.S.  This article will address just a few ways you can have a family member join you in the U.S.

Humanitarian parole is a means to bring someone to the U.S. that otherwise is inadmissible to the U.S. where there is a compelling emergency.  The most common examples are where there is a medical emergency or funeral.  Anyone can file for a humanitarian parole but you must show an urgent humanitarian reason or a significant public benefit.  So even if you have been deported from the U.S., or are barred from returning to the U.S. for having lived there unlawfully, you may still be eligible to return to see your family.  If the application is granted, you must leave within the length of stay granted to address that emergency.

Alternatively, for those that are otherwise eligible to apply for tourist visas, in an urgent situation, they may be able to obtain an expedited appointment at your local U.S. Consulate abroad.  Often, the U.S. Consulate will take several months to process a visa application.  However, if there is some type of urgent circumstance, you can submit an application for a visa and expedite the process if you can provide the proper paperwork to demonstrate the compelling nature of your visit.

Of course, these are just a few ways to come to the U.S. quickly.  Some other methods are applications for asylum, self-petitions as a battered spouse, or even Temporary Protected Status to individuals from certain, designated countries due to the conditions there.  However, these methods are outside the scope of this article.  If there are any urgent matters that require the issuance of visas immediately, speak to an experienced attorney that can help you.