Here is a Canadian example:
"Vilma Serrano has end-stage renal disease and needs a new kidney, but only Immigration Minister Jason Kenney can help.
The 44-year-old Toronto woman has been on a wait list for a kidney transplant from a deceased donor since 2009, and was thrilled when a living donor, a relative by marriage in El Salvador, offered to donate one of his kidneys.
Guillermo David Martell Novas, the brother of Serrano’s husband’s sister-in-law, completed all preliminary medical tests and was deemed a viable donor, but hit a roadblock with Canada’s immigration office.
Twice, Novas, 38, who lives in El Salvador, applied for and was denied a visitor’s visa to come here for further tests and a possible transplant, once in October 2011 and again this past January....An immigration department spokesperson confirmed Wednesday that Novas had applied to come to Canada on two occasions but “he was unable to satisfy the visa officer that he would leave Canada upon expiration of his visa.”
The Canadian embassy in Guatemala City assessed Novas’ travel history, reasons for the trip, his financial means and whether he is likely to leave Canada at the end of his stay. According to the second rejection letter dated Jan. 31, 2012, Novas failed to satisfy the visa officer on nearly all of the above grounds: he has never travelled outside El Salvador; he has a sister in Canada, a reason for him not to leave; his request to stay here for up to four months was deemed too long; and he has unstable employment and low income as a security guard.
Staff at Toronto General Hospital’s renal transplant assessment office said Serrano, who requires hemodialysis, needs the transplant to prevent further deterioration of her bodily functions. Currently, there are more than 3,000 patients on the waiting list for a kidney from a deceased donor in Canada, resulting in a wait of up to 10 years.
In a letter of support for Novas’ visa application, the hospital wrote: “If it is determined that a donor is a suitable donor, the transplant would be scheduled within six weeks of his arrival. The approximate time required for testing, surgery and convalescence is about four months.”
“No Canadian resident will be disadvantaged if this potential donor were to come to Canada to donate a kidney to his friend. In fact, by removing the recipient from the deceased donor list, it allows those recipients on the waiting list who do not have the option of a living donor, to advance on the list.”
A hospital spokesperson said Wednesday that some patients from among Toronto’s diverse population do turn to family and friends abroad to find a donor, and that visa rejections in such cases are “not uncommon.”
The immigration department said Novas’ application was also rejected because “it has not been established whether Mr. Novas is a suitable donor; he has not provided a proof of blood match.”
The family, however, said Novas underwent several tests in El Salvador, including blood tests, urine test, and a TB skin test, to ensure he has no infectious diseases and that his kidneys are healthy, and submitted the results with his application package.
The Toronto General hospital’s renal transplant assessment office said it would not issue a support letter if screening tests results showed the donor was not a potential match."
