I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2878 

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect to temporary 

admission of nonimmigrant aliens to the United States for the purpose 

of receiving medical treatment, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 9, 2011 

Mr. COHEN (for himself and Mr. ISSA) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect 

to temporary admission of nonimmigrant aliens to the 

United States for the purpose of receiving medical treatment, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Compassionate Visa 

5 for Medical Treatment Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. NONIMMIGRANT CLASSES FOR ALIENS SEEKING 

2 MEDICAL TREATMENT AND IMMEDIATE FAM3 ILY MEMBERS. 

4 Section 101(a)(15)(B) of the Immigration and Na5 tionality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(B)) is amended— 

6 (1) by striking ‘‘(B)’’ and inserting ‘‘(B)(i)’’; 

7 and 

8 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘(ii) an alien having a residence in a foreign country 

10 which the alien has no intention of abandoning who seeks 

11 to enter the United States temporarily and solely for the 

12 purpose of receiving medical treatment (including partici13 pation in a research study) for a disease or condition that, 

14 if left untreated, threatens to undermine the alien’s sur15 vival or day-to-day functioning with an increased likeli16 hood of a progression from a less severe to a more severe 

17 disease or condition; or 

18 ‘‘(iii) a son, daughter, spouse, or parent of an alien 

19 described in clause (ii) if accompanying or following to join 

20 such alien;’’. 

21 SEC. 3. CONDITIONS ON NONIMMIGRANTS RECEIVING MED22 ICAL TREATMENT IN THE UNITED STATES 

23 AND FAMILY MEMBERS. 

24 Section 212(q) of the Immigration and Nationality 

25 Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(q)) is amended— 


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1 (1) by striking ‘‘(q)’’ and inserting ‘‘(q)(1)’’; 

2 and 

3 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(2) For each principal alien admitted under clause 

5 (ii) of section 101(a)(15)(B), not more than two family 

6 members may be admitted under clause (iii) of such sec7 tion. 

8 ‘‘(3) The initial period of authorized admission for 

9 a nonimmigrant described in clause (ii) or (iii) of section 

10 101(a)(15)(B) may not exceed 6 months. Such initial pe11 riod may be extended in increments of up to 1 year by 

12 the Secretary of Homeland Security based on documented 

13 need for the principal alien described in section 

14 101(a)(15)(B)(ii) to continue to receive medical treatment 

15 in the United States. 

16 ‘‘(4) In the case of a parent admitted as a non17 immigrant under clause (iii) of section 101(a)(15)(B) in 

18 order to accompany or follow to join a child admitted 

19 under clause (ii) of such section, if the parent’s initial pe20 riod of authorized admission is extended under paragraph 

21 (3), the Secretary of Homeland Security shall authorize 

22 the parent to engage in employment in the United States 

23 during the remainder of the parent’s period of authorized 

24 admission as such a nonimmigrant, and shall provide the 

25 parent with an ‘employment authorized’ endorsement or 


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1 other appropriate document signifying authorization of 

2 employment.’’. 

3 SEC. 4. CONSTRUCTION. 

4 The amendments made by this Act shall not be con5 strued to permit an alien admitted to the United States 

6 under the provisions of such amendments to adjust status 

7 to that of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent resi8 dence. 

Æ 


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