Deciding whether to take the DV or not

[theFan 0]

Hi all,

I've got an interview coming up at my local US embassy for a diversity visa from the 2013 lottery.

My wife is a teacher and can't leave her job till the end of the year, which is fine because it'll be within the 6 month period that we have to enter the states.

The issue we have is that we're planning on having kids very soon. If all goes to plan then my wife will be 5 months pregnant at the end of the year when we go over to the states. I've done some research on pregnancies in the states and it seems like a rough estimate of the cost is 35k. The only way to have this covered by insurance is if I can get a job at a company with a group insurance policy through an employer. Individual policies call pregancies a pre-existing condition but by law it's not a pre-existing condition for the purposes of a GROUP work policy.

The chances of me getting a job with a group insurance policy and having it cover my wifes pregancy is slim. So, this means we have to go back to our own country where it'd be state funded and the direct cost to us would be very little. Say we come back to our home country for 3 months before and stay for 3 months (assuming all goes smoothly) after the pregnancy then go back to the states we'll then run the risk of customs not letting us in.

Timeline:

December 2013 Enter USA

January 2014 return to home country for birth

July 2014 return to USA

Can anyone see a better way of doing this?

Thank-you

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Why wouldn't immigration let you in?

[canadian_wife 1,822]

You'll want to research your plan of returning for state funded medical care. In Canada if you become a resident of another country (IE the US) you forfeit your rights to the medical care provided by the province.

good luck

[*Snowdrop* 604]

There are two big IFs in your planning. The first is the ability to predict exactly when you will conceive. Some couples get pregnant the first try. Some take longer. 3 months, six months, eight months etc.

The other unknown is that you will have a trouble free pregnancy right up to the point you want to come back to your home country. (Hopefully you will but bear in mind that there can be huge prenatal expenses as well.)

You don't mention how old you and your wife are but one option is to delay a pregnancy for a year or until you are able to get a job in the US with a company who will offer you adequate health care or until you can save up some funds to take care of any medical expenses.

But some couples don't have the luxury of time so the other option is that your wife returns to your home country for the birth but just take a couple of weeks vacation for the birth itself and let her recuperate with family and fly back to the US with your child 1-3 months after the birth.

[theFan 0]

Thank-you all for you replies.

"Why wouldn't immigration let you in?"

From my understanding you should be able to get back into the country if you've been away for less than a year. But, you might have to convince immigration that you're intention is to live and work in the USA and if I were that official I would consider the use of their home country's public health system as a fairly strong tie back to the home country and perhaps an indication that your intention is not to settle in the USA. What i'm trying to say is that it's an unknown.

"You'll want to research your plan of returning for state funded medical care"

This is a good point. If the timing goes as planned then we'd enter the USA for a month or so, long enough to apply for ssn and green card then fly back home for 6 months for birth so would look like a holiday to NZ authorities.

"There are two big IFs in your planning. The first is the ability to predict exactly when you will conceive. The other unknown is that you will have a trouble free pregnancy right up to the point you want to come back to your home country. (Hopefully you will but bear in mind that there can be huge prenatal expenses as well.)"

Yes, these are big issues...

I think that what it comes down to is how much we want to live in the USA. We could make it work but it will be expensive and there will be significant risk. It's such a tough decision as it may be the only chance we have in our lives to experience living in the USA.

[Alaska2012 462]

35K??? I gave birth on May 1st and we paid ourselves, no insurance, and we paid $7000 for everything. All the check ups etc.

[*Snowdrop* 604]

35K??? I gave birth on May 1st and we paid ourselves, no insurance, and we paid $7000 for everything. All the check ups etc.

You were very lucky.

In the local hospital where I gave birth it was around $40,000 for a standard no complications birth (luckily we were covered by insurance). A cesarean would have cost around $80,000. And that was just the birth costs in the hospital - the prenatal care was extra.

[Alaska2012 462]

You were very lucky.

In the local hospital where I gave birth it was around $40,000 for a standard no complications birth (luckily we were covered by insurance). A cesarean would have cost around $80,000. And that was just the birth costs in the hospital - the prenatal care was extra.

Wow that's insane! I should mention that I gave birth at a birth center. Had I gone to the hospital I would have paid $13000. But that is still cheap compared to you. It's weird that is varies so much in this country.

In Sweden I paid nothing for child #1 and child #2 was $8 so I thought the price we paid for #3 was ridiculous but yes I realize we were lucky.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

35K??? I gave birth on May 1st and we paid ourselves, no insurance, and we paid $7000 for everything. All the check ups etc.

Sometimes they offer discounts for "self-pay". But as the others stated, usually it's in the 10s of thousands. A friend of mine recently had a baby here and it was only $20K thereabouts before insurance. Crazy stuff.

[dihan.amshard 0]

Firstly let met tell you that, you are one of the luckiest people on earth to have been scheduled for a DV visa interview.

Having said that; you should also understand there are millions of people in the world who are trying to get into the US.

The main reason why people want to get inside the United States is for a better life, and not all people who try get in.

Firstly Im not sure you have all the requirements to get the visa.

You might think you have everything, and an immigration officer can let you down saying you are not eligible or whatever.


Moving onto your questions:

Tell your wife as a teacher she will be able to get a higher pay cheque in the US.

US is one of the best places in the Universe to study and be a part of.

Teachers are highly recognized provided she has a teaching license, which can be easily obtained.


You want to have a family soon.

Family is beautiful.

Bigger the family, the better the life.

Having said that " Do not jeopardize your chances at this visa" This is a really a gift.

When you are in the US you can always get cheaper medical and when you find a job basically it's covered.

Any part of the world medical is expensive, and this is not a reason for you skip this wonderful opportunity.

When the baby is born in the US, they automatically become US citizens and will have endless employment opportunities worldwide.

You will realize the value of this only when they become adults.

They wil have amazing legal benefits than you ever will in your country whatever it may be.


Finally: Stay 4 years and apply for Neutralization and become citizens.

Don't let go!

It wil never come back.

Dihan

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

FYI, I don't know all the background details, but this post from another forum implies it may be worth doing some careful state-by-state research:

"To make a long story short, we ended up doing everything through the Health Department. They had a pregnancy program for non-citizens. All my bills were covered and we didn't pay a thing. This was in Florida."

[VanessaTony 3,567]

FYI, I don't know all the background details, but this post from another forum implies it may be worth doing some careful state-by-state research:

"To make a long story short, we ended up doing everything through the Health Department. They had a pregnancy program for non-citizens. All my bills were covered and we didn't pay a thing. This was in Florida."

Please post a link back to this quote, because as a non-citizen you MUST be careful that it's not a federal means-tested benefit. Sure the birth itself can be covered by emergency medicaid but the pre-natal stuff sometimes isn't.

It would be beneficial for others to see the age of the post you're quoting and the responses to it from other members (if any).

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

Please post a link back to this quote, because as a non-citizen you MUST be careful that it's not a federal means-tested benefit. Sure the birth itself can be covered by emergency medicaid but the pre-natal stuff sometimes isn't.

It would be beneficial for others to see the age of the post you're quoting and the responses to it from other members (if any).

Post #20 on this page:

http://www.sausa.org/index.php/topic/7452-falling-pregnant-and-having-a-baby-in-the-usa/page-2

[chaine1 116]

You seem like you have done a fair bit of research. However, I would highly suggest delaying pregnancy until you immigrate, if possible. My husband and I moved to the US (I'm the US citizen, but we were living abroad). Moving internationally is terribly stressful and full of so many unknowns. In my opinion, adding on the extra stress of pregnancy, and then returning to NZ for an extended period of time is setting yourself up for, at best, an incredibly stressful experience. How will you gain employment if you are only in the USA for 1 month, and then in NZ for 6 months? Will you keep your NZ job?

We've been here for almost a year now, and my Kiwi husband has mixed feelings about the USA. Overall he likes it, but he also views it as work-obsessed, very competitive, and uptight. If he had his way, we'd be moving to NZ tomorrow. Are there specific reasons you want to immigrate to the USA?

Tell your wife as a teacher she will be able to get a higher pay cheque in the US.

US is one of the best places in the Universe to study and be a part of.

Teachers are highly recognized provided she has a teaching license, which can be easily obtained.

Teaching in the USA with a foreign degree presents several challenges. If she has a three-year degree (common in NZ and other commonwealth nations), it may be evaluated as not equivalent to a bachelor's degree, which means she would not be able to work as a teacher (as she could not get certified). In addition, the education career has taken a pretty big hit, and many states have a surplus of teachers. Many open positions receive upwards of hundreds of applicants. You're painting a rosy-picture here, and the reality is a bit more bleak.

Edited June 11, 2013 by chaine1