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Need a piece of advice. My parents just got their green cards and they will be flying in to FL, next month. They are 62 and 58 years old. They dont have any work history in the US.
Can someone please tell me what medical, medicare and social security etc benefits would be available for them..
In particular, does someone know about FL rules on this?
Quick answer is NONE
You only get social security if you paid into the system by working here (for at least 10 years going by my annual SS statements). Same with Medicare, you pay into the system by working here. Health care - they need to arrange health insurance now, beofre they travel (quite a few Insurance companies have policies specifically for people travelling to the US). At 62 and 58 it is possible that they would be able to get jobs with some benefits like health insurance but those would be basic coverage, still need to supplement with a personal policy.
Obviously I hope it never comes to this, but Federal Law does say that a Hospital cannot turn away someone who is seriously ill just because they don't have insurance.
Sorry, just saw when you posted this, presumably you have the information by now.
They will easily get Social Security disability. Obviously the many elderly immigrants coming here aren't expected to work, and as they have no retirement or pensions here the government will provide a nice living for them. The taxpayers will provide whatever they need and want.
First thread in this forum has some links which should provide you with benefit information. You may have to do some digging...but there is info there in the first link.
They cannot be turned away at a hospital but they will probably be stuck with the bills unless they are very poor and qualify for Medicaid. They'll probably have to sign up and pay for some private insurance. The 62 year old will have a UK pension, the 58 year old will have one within two years. Even with just a visa and not a green card, they can get a SS number -- no benefits, of course, because they never worked here, but the SS number is a means of identification over here.
SSI? I'm not sure. That's for disabled and people over 65 who are poor. I'm not sure if immigrants are eligible for it because your parents would have had to prove that they had enough money to not be a government charge.
The US is not very welcoming to legal immigrants. Maybe when they get to Florida they can ask some of the other Brits who live there.
Having gone the green card route decades ago can answer some points.
1. A person needs proof of finances to live on for a certain time period.
2. A person would need a sponser (in case of money or support needs).
3. A person would need to have a profesional trade.
4. Those are the big three besides being able to fulfill all the legal paperwork.
5. The US does not want any immigrants to be on the "dole" after arriving here.
6. To qualify for "SS" benifits as a poster said...you have to pay in to the system a required min. time period to receive any payments and is not a freebee welfare system.
7. The US does not want or need any immigrants who are here just to receive a monthly check without having paid a share into the system.
8. Emergency medical care is available on need. No one is turned away.
9. Medical and Medicare is another issue. Some (many) qualify for Medical under certain conditions while Medicare is received via benifits from SS and after reaching the age of 65 for males and 62 for spouses (please correct me on the latter if I'm wrong). Never had a spouse collect after me so am not quite familiar with the rules as they apply.
10. Finally being from another country that is paying some SS from the home country...things should be okay in the long run.
I was about to hit reply when I ready your post and you said what I was going to say. As the OP said they had Green Cards that means they must have been able to prove they had the finances to live in te USA. Can't remember the exact figures (9 years since I did it) but the amounts they would have had to prove would most certainly put them over the limit for most, if not all, 'benefits'.
Unfortunately there is no reciprocity as far as health care goes, between the USA and the UK (I wish).
in_new... State pension age for men in the UK is 65, 60 for women (although the minimum age for women will rise from 2010) so no pension for at least 2 years unless they have a private pension (and not one from Equitable Life like me............I'll probably end up paying the Ins company by the time they're done screwing things up).
Why are people assuming the parents are coming from the UK? I don't read it any where.
Not all people, as far as I know have to proof they have money. If you are here because a family member is a citizen than a family member (even an old grand mother) can move here. I agree they should have the money to take care of them self or the family member and not be a liability to society.
I think the system is wrong since I have friends who have a lot of money and own their own property, have a very good retirement income (both worked for the United Nations all over the world) and they have no kids. They aren't able to get a perminent visa and have to leave the country every 3 month and spend 1 month abroad and come back. They want to be here year round and spend their money here instead of over seas...they are no thread to society, they just want to play golf and enjoy this beautiful country they love. They have money as I stated but not that they can spend to buy the greencard for $ 500 K. They have a very large amount so their income is secure + the monthly income from a pension funds...isn't it crazy that they don't have a chance for a green card....
They have lived in Brazil and they could live their year round and be able to obtain a silver card (this is like a green card, but only for retirees who aren't allowed to work and have enough money them self and won't be able to get any soc. sec. money), which the US should consider to give out to keep some rich people who love this country, to stay here!
Why are people assuming the parents are coming from the UK? I don't read it any where.
Not all people, as far as I know have to proof they have money.
Apparently you don't know very far. Anyone applying for a PR--even the spouse of a US citizen--needs to show proof of financial security, usually through a sponsoring relative.
Only direct relatives are applicable for family-based immigration. Not old grandmas. Now, parents of adult US citizen children could apply, and once they have their citizenship they might be able to apply for grandma, however--given the waiting times involved--grandma will certainly be dead long before she gets approved for a green card.
Quote:
I think the system is wrong since I have friends who have a lot of money and own their own property, have a very good retirement income (both worked for the United Nations all over the world) and they have no kids. They aren't able to get a perminent visa and have to leave the country every 3 month and spend 1 month abroad and come back. They want to be here year round and spend their money here instead of over seas...they are no thread to society, they just want to play golf and enjoy this beautiful country they love. They have money as I stated but not that they can spend to buy the greencard for $ 500 K. They have a very large amount so their income is secure + the monthly income from a pension funds...isn't it crazy that they don't have a chance for a green card....
They have lived in Brazil and they could live their year round and be able to obtain a silver card (this is like a green card, but only for retirees who aren't allowed to work and have enough money them self and won't be able to get any soc. sec. money), which the US should consider to give out to keep some rich people who love this country, to stay here!
So you think that anyone with enough money should be able to buy themselves a US Green Card and/or citizenship?
Yeah, that's a great idea.
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Thank you so much for everybody's reply
