Medical extensions for illness when it’s time to go home
Posted date : Nov 13, 2017.
Dear Bird Talk,
With the new Canada/U.S. border-crossing procedures, the issue of days spent in the U.S. is becoming more and more troublesome for many of us. It recently occurred to me that if you have used up most of your 182 days’ entitlement and you are still in the U.S., and a medical problem arises making you unable to travel, thereby causing you to exceed the 182-day limit, is there a way to obtain a medical extension from the INS and who and how does one contact them and apply? Also, when transiting through the U.S. en route to another destination, does that stopover count toward one’s 182 days?
Denis Briggs
Ontario
Response:
Ed.: You can apply for a visit extension in writing to the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) and, with proper medical evidence, these are normally granted. It does take about six months to obtain approval and by that time, of course, you hopefully will be long gone. This has never been an issue for us. Your Medipac Travel Insurance is also automatically extended as long as you are hospitalized and continues for three days following your discharge. Also, in-transit days are not counted (see above).
