apply green card for parents / no immediate plan to immigrate to the US

[polaris8030 1]

My parents are in their 80's and the topic of their long term health care is an important one in the family. They are adamant that they want to live in their home in India until 'it's really time for their son to take care of them' and then they see themselves coming to the US.

They have 10 year visitor visas (was recently renewed in 2022)

I have started the process of filing green cards for them - but the question is, if approved - will they lose their green card status if they stay outside the US for more than 12 months (which is what I read) ? do they need to stay a minimum time in the US to keep their green card status valid.

 

Another question: my parents are asking me why apply for a green card when they have a visa. My response to that is a) less hassle when it comes to travel b) maybe its easier to add them as dependencies to my health insurance

 

thanks in advance for your replies

-S

[powerpuff 6,697]

Green cards are for living permanently in the US. Green card holders need to spend more time living in the US than outside of it. Why even petition them when they do not want it?

 

Are you aware that their insurance premiums will most likely cost thousands of dollars a month? Generally new immigrants are not eligible for Medicare for first 5 years of becoming LPRs.

[Mike E 11,739]

1 hour ago, polaris8030 said:

if approved - will they lose their green card status if they stay outside the US for more than 12 months (which is what I read) ?

By law yes.

1 hour ago, polaris8030 said:

do they need to stay a minimum time in the US to keep their green card status valid.

They need to spend more than 50 percent of their time in the U.S.  

[Timona 4,207]

If they don't want to come, why are you insisting on GC-ing them? 

 

Quality of life for those above 60years is better outside US. They have family members and a whole village to gossip with. Whom are they going to talk to in NY? 

 

Leave them alone. 

[Boiler 45,486]

The easy way to think of it is that they are living in the US but can obviously visit elsewhere. So the opposite of a B.

 

 

[SalishSea 17,828]

5 hours ago, polaris8030 said:

They are adamant that they want to live in their home in India until 'it's really time for their son to take care of them' and then they see themselves coming to the US.

Start saving now.  If they're already in their 80s, you will need thousands and thousands of dollars for their health care.

[JeanneAdil 6,498]

Referring to our experience MIL  just in 60's

 

MIL came on tourist visa /my husband did not bring enough of her diabetes medicine with them so we had to get a US dr and buy it here / costs of 2 prescriptions was over $500 each month she stayed

BTW  dr who talked Arabic was a 2 hour drive to Atlanta

 

Bought her a cell phone and added her to my plan

she spent her awake time talking to people back home //she was very homesick

she was also sick to her stomach which her sister/my aunt said was normal 

 

we took her to see 8 states and meet some of my family /still very homesick 

she wouldn't stay even 6 months

 

when she returned to her home , she ended up needing surgery for appendicitis costing us $1000 in morocco but imagine the cost here

 

let them visit and don't force the green card 

[Redro 4,611]

19 hours ago, polaris8030 said:

My parents are in their 80's and the topic of their long term health care is an important one in the family. They are adamant that they want to live in their home in India until 'it's really time for their son to take care of them' and then they see themselves coming to the US.

They have 10 year visitor visas (was recently renewed in 2022)

I have started the process of filing green cards for them - but the question is, if approved - will they lose their green card status if they stay outside the US for more than 12 months (which is what I read) ? do they need to stay a minimum time in the US to keep their green card status valid.

 

Another question: my parents are asking me why apply for a green card when they have a visa. My response to that is a) less hassle when it comes to travel b) maybe its easier to add them as dependencies to my health insurance

 

thanks in advance for your replies

-S

Do I understand this correctly: your parents want to move to the US when "its really time to take care of them". So, their plan is to live in India and then when they want to live in the US they will pack up their bags and sell their home and move?

Have you explained to them that:

1.) They cannot move to the US on the tourist visa. It would be immigration fraud. 

2.) Sponsoring a parent from India takes about 18-24 months. 

If they decided today they wanted to move to the US they would have to wait for you to petition them and then go to an interview at the embassy. 

So, you are correct to petition them now. 

But, when the petitions are approved and move to NVC (about a year after you filed). You can "pause" the application and have it stay at NVC until your parents are ready to move to the US. You can read this post for more information.

This way you do not have to worry about them losing their green cards because they will move to the US when they are ready. 

But, you should investigate how much it will cost to add your parents to your health insurance package. 

If your parents are only going to move to the US when they are in poor health it might be extremely expensive to have them live with you. 

It might be better if they remain in India and you can pay for their health care as a way to really take care of them. 

 

[polaris8030 1]

thanks for your replies. perhaps I did not phrase my initial question well, but redro's reply captures the line of my thinking. Yes, my parents prefer to stay in India at the moment, they are comfortable in their space and have a system of services they know about and can rely on. But the future is unknown so the status of staying in India can change quite rapidly. I understand what some posters are saying about why apply for a GC when they are doing well in India, or higher health insurance expenses in the US vis-a-vis what they can find in India, but when time comes maybe they might need the presence of a family member.  My parents have also said that if one of them passes away, they don't want to stay in India by themselves - which is independent of their health. So one path or the other, I have to prepare for my parents staying with me. To 'thread the needle', I like the idea of pausing the application once their petition is approved and hopefully this cuts down on the time it takes to move to the US.

I will investigate the costs of their health care

 

thanks

-S

[Boiler 45,486]

I have only once come across somebody being able to add Parents to their Health Insurance and that was many years ago.

[Mike E 11,739]

3 hours ago, polaris8030 said:

will investigate the costs of their health care

What is your state of residence?