What benefits can a parent of a US citizen comoing to US as a permenant resident use?

[being]

My mom will be coming to the US soon, I am a citizen, She will become a permanent resident upon arrival, I have signed the affidavit of support. She is 63, single female, doesn't have much in savings. She will be coming to Minnesota, but might move to California afterwards. I am the only family she's got. My income is ok but certainly not enough to pay for her rent and food and health insurance, yet I think it is unhealthy for her to be living with me and relying on me for financial support. She will look for work but we all know how difficult it is for new immigrants especially of 60+ of age to find work now.

I am doing my research now and am pretty disappointed to see how limited to non-existent services she might utilize. She cannot use the state medical assistance or any federal assistance of any kind. Despite being almost a senior. All the while I see refugees receiving all kinds of support from the state and govt services. It seems parents and their kids in this situation are unfairly burdened especially when they are seniors. I thought we take care of our senior citizens in this country, and people who have a medical condition that need to go on disability, but apparently my mom doesnt quality!?

I want her to have health coverage or insurance, she is 63! I want her to have independence and any possible social protection like any other permanent resident of her age.

This discussion thread's goal is to share all our knowledge and "list" all and any benefits someone in her situation (a parent of a US citizen newly immigrating to the US and is 63 yrs of age with little savings).

What MN state, or CA state benefits might she use? what federal benefits? can she get medicare, medicade, move to assisted living if she becomes unable to function, use senior discounts, senior services? where does she get health insurance or health assistance from? If unable to find employment that would give her health insurance could she benefit from starting her own business to qualify for some insurance pool? what about new health laws do they help her at all?

What if she gets sick with a medical condition that normally would get her some disability assistance, would she qualify or is this also not an option for her?

IN general I want to know what (if any) govt/state (MN or CA state) benefits can she use if needed?

Thanks!

[rayb]

A new immigrant's access to government benefits is limited, as you have discovered. I can't speak for Minnesota, but every large city in California has services available for those who don't qualify for government medical assistance. But your mom's rent and needed income to cover expenses will have to come from any employment or assistance from you, the documented sponsor.

Your mom's age will limit the types of work she should seek, but care home jobs, even live-in options, are easy to find for older immigrant women.

I can appreciate your frustration at an apparent lack of benefits for new immigrants. But if you were expecting anything better for your mom when you started the petition process, your expectations were not realistic.

--Ray B

[being]

Thanks
All I am doing is pointing out a double standard, I have been a tax payer for years, my tax money helps refugees, many elderly, many single moms, and many citizens and permanent residents (and probably undocumented people) .. yet my own mother wont benefit from any of this investment I have made by paying taxes thats helping many. Double standard is what's happening, non-logical rules if you ask me this is why i never expected a situation like this to be the case.

does any one have answers to these questions:

What if she gets sick and needs surgery (and she has no insurance) who will pay?
what if she becomes disabled and unable to work, will she get disability?
what if she is working then gets fired will she get unemployment?

how long will she have to wait before she can benefit from any local or fed gvt programs, protections etc?

[rayb]

Being,

For the sake of discussion...this is not a 'double standard' so much as a resource issue. Until about 15 years ago, State and Federal means-tested medical programs were available to new immigrants, but fiscal cutbacks drove benefit restrictions. Sponsors were packing up their parents and sending them back to the mother country when benefits became unavailable.

But these restrictions should have been common knowledge when you petitioned your mom. I suspect you were already aware of difficulties she would face after arrival and probably thought things could be "worked out" after she arrived. Your experience and exasperation are shared by others who bring their parents here, and then the parents "get the message" and return to their home countries in a year or less.

In answer to your questions below:

1. You will have to pay.
2. No.
3. Unemployment Insurance is available in every state to those who lose their jobs. Citizenship status has nothing to do with eligibility for unemployment benefits.

[immihelp]

When you sponsored her, you signed an affidavit of support indicating that your income is good enough and you will take financially care of her needs and she will not be a burden on the government. In return for that assurance, the government gave green card to your mother. In absence of such assurance, they would not have given her green card.

Now that she has the green card, you need to provide all the support to your mother, that you promised. And you can't expect government benefits. My friend, you are on your own. If you still think that you can't afford to take care of her, you should consider sending her back to her home country.

If such situation is not acceptable to you, you should not have sponsored her as no one forced you to do so and no one forced her to come to the US.

You may not like this answer. But that is the reality and it is our honest answer.

Regarding unemployment, please note that if she gets fired for a valid reason, she will not get unemployment benefits. If she is laid off for no fault of her, depending upon the state, and depending upon her prior length of unemployment and her income at that time, she might get some unemployment benefits. This is independent of whether you sponsored her or not.

[being]

She has no real home country but thats another story.
well, thanks for your answers, i guess.

come on people, stop with the "you signed this and that" i get it.. but its hard to swallow when I see refugees and many illegal aliens and all sorts of people using the system and getting all kinds of benefits...

so, my tax dollars all these years go to help low income people, and people on welfare, and refugees, and everyone but for my self (since i am a responsible adult who never utilized any govt assistance) or my mother. I think I am voting libertarian, since i stand nothing to lose and i might gain by having to pay less taxes to support everyone else and see no benefit to myself or my family.

now, back to the list.. IS there any thing we can add to the list of ANY benefits someone in her situation might get? i mean anything at all, can she get small business assistance or loans? If she is in an accident and is disabled or has a mental breakdown what resources might she use?

[rayb]

Being,

Your mom has Permanent Resident status and she can legally work, travel and marry, all of which contribute to her being able to maintain herself in the U.S. If she encounters serious medical problems, you will have to pay as her sponsor.

--Ray B

[immihelp]

If you see that some people are getting the benefits that your mother deserves, talk to your local congressman/senator and ask them to put a new bill in the congress and change the law.

This is not the appropriate forum to argue who should get what and why because this is not a political discussion forum but immigration forum. Any amount of discussion here is not going to change the laws, no matter how you feel.

If you have any questions related to U.S. legal immigration, please feel free to post them here.

[urockme]

Being,

Your mom has Permanent Resident status and she can legally work, travel and marry, all of which contribute to her being able to maintain herself in the U.S. If she encounters serious medical problems, you will have to pay as her sponsor.

--Ray B

Hi Ray,

Can they travel freely (going in and out of the US)? Are there any time frame restrictions or as to how many times a year can she travel outside of the US? My mother has a work visa in Zurich and what if she wants to go back in Zurich and work there then decides to come back here once a year, is that allowed? Would that affect her application to become a US citizen in the future because of the 'frequent' trips outside of the US?

Thanks for your time and looking forward to hear from you.

Sam

[rayb]

A U.S. Green Card holder can leave and reenter the U.S. with almost no restrictions. But when leaving for extended periods and returning to the U.S., she may be challenged at the Port of Entry and advised to get a Reentry Permit to show "intent to return," even if outside the U.S. for less than a year.

The amount of time outside the U.S. will most definitely be an issue when applying for Naturalization.

--Ray B

Hi Ray,

Can they travel freely (going in and out of the US)? Are there any time frame restrictions or as to how many times a year can she travel outside of the US? My mother has a work visa in Zurich and what if she wants to go back in Zurich and work there then decides to come back here once a year, is that allowed? Would that affect her application to become a US citizen in the future because of the 'frequent' trips outside of the US?

Thanks for your time and looking forward to hear from you.

Sam

[mautand]

being

I understand your situation. I am in the same situation as you are. Last year I sponsored my mother and she got green card. she has been in USA for almost 2 years. the recent change in policy of market place health programs are getting on my nerves. Well this is true that you have signed the petition that you will solely responsible for your mother until she gets US citizenship. the problem with illegals, refugees and other undocumented people is that they never went through the documents in which they bond with gov that who will be responsible for their parents. Unfortunately, illegal people enter into USA and they live on our tax money, and our own legal permanent parents can't have those benefits. this is a shame for us.

Mautand

[mautand]

immihelp

Hi, I have a question, I have sponsored my mother and she is 70 years old and as a result she can't find a job. I am the one who is taking care of her. As she obtained green card but her insurance is way expensive a month. As a sponsored son, can she work in my home for cleaning and cooking and yard work so that I could pay her fixed monthly so that she could buy her own insurance? I know she will be taxed by that way and we are ok with that. But at least work is work, regardless in the house or restaurant. there are many people who do jobs as house cleaners and babysitters. as we know Green card holder is free to work legally anywhere in the United States. Hope to hear from you soon



Thanks

Mautand

[rayb]

Mautand,

She's your mother and 70 years old. Buy her some insurance and stop trying to find a way for her to start a new work career.

--Ray B

immihelp

Hi, I have a question, I have sponsored my mother and she is 70 years old and as a result she can't find a job. I am the one who is taking care of her. As she obtained green card but her insurance is way expensive a month. As a sponsored son, can she work in my home for cleaning and cooking and yard work so that I could pay her fixed monthly so that she could buy her own insurance? I know she will be taxed by that way and we are ok with that. But at least work is work, regardless in the house or restaurant. there are many people who do jobs as house cleaners and babysitters. as we know Green card holder is free to work legally anywhere in the United States. Hope to hear from you soon



Thanks

Mautand

[Jay_MN]

Benefits and liabilities after naturalization

I have similar questions posed in these threads but after obtaining the US citizenship. I will be applying for my father's US citizenship shortly and would like to know what health care benefits he will be getting? He is 78 years old. So far he has had no health coverage.
He has no income in the US and has not filed his taxes here in the last 5 years. Does that have an impact on the naturalization?
Thanks.