Trackers / Parents' visit planner

Parents' visit planner

Planning a visit from your parents? Pick their consulate and the date you'd like them to land. We work backwards to when to apply, check the length of stay, and list what to sort out before they fly.

Wait times: State Department estimates as of Nov 9, 2026.

Before they fly

Visitor medical insurance for every day of the trip. Look at the coverage limit (higher is better for older parents), how pre-existing conditions are handled (many plans cover only a sudden flare-up, if at all), the deductible, and whether it pays hospitals directly.
Medicines for the whole stay, in original packs, with prescriptions. Some medicines need a doctor's letter.
An invitation letter from you, a copy of your visa, I-797 and recent pay slips help explain the trip; their own ties at home matter most.
Return ticket within the stay you plan, and phone access (an eSIM or a U.S. prepaid SIM).

If they get sick here

Call the insurer first when it isn't an emergency: many plans need pre-approval and have preferred clinics.
Urgent care handles most non-emergencies at a fraction of hospital prices.
In an emergency, call 911 or go to the emergency room. Hospital emergency rooms must screen and stabilize anyone, whatever their ability to pay.
Keep every bill and receipt; claims often need the itemized bill.

More

The full guide: parents visiting on a B-2 visa (interviews, fees, what officers look for). Grandchildren's dates and yours: My deadlines.

How this works

The plan uses the State Department's published interview wait for visitor (B-1/B-2) visas at the chosen consulate, copied weekly, plus time for the DS-160 form, paying the fee, passport return and booking flights. Visitors are usually admitted for up to six months per entry at the officer's discretion; longer stays need an extension request (Form I-539) filed before the I-94 date. Visitors can't buy U.S. marketplace health plans, so private visitor insurance is the practical way to cover them. Everything you type stays in your browser.

An estimate, not legal advice. Your own case can differ; talk to an immigration attorney before acting on it.