Decision about my wife (F2) (Urgent)

[azad_immiportal]

Dear Friends,

I am a F-1 student studying in New Jersey. I start from this fall-2008 semester. I am in PhD program. So I need at least 4 years. Recently my wife gets F-2 dependent Visa. She is a medical student in my country. She still needs 2.5 yrs to finish her study. My wife is 5 months pregnant. In January-2009 she has professional exam in her medical school in my country. Since she is pregnant people suggest me to give birth in USA rather than in my country. But if she comes US she will miss the professional exam for this time and she will need to attend next July-2009. So I need the following answers to make the decision about her coming.

1. So far I came to know if my child born here he/she will be US citizen. But I want to know what advantage to become a US citizen especially for education or health.
2. As I am F-1 student, is it possible for me to get free hospital treatment for my wife and child during birth.
3. If my child not born here and later come here as F-2 , can he/she study in US school with free cost as US children get.
4. If after completion of my study I get a job as H-1 category then can my child study here in US school with free cost as US children get.
5. If my wife give birth here USA, how many days it requires to complete all paper works for my child, because my wife needs to return soon my country for attending her exam.
6. As dependent of F-1 or H-1 is there any health facilities my child will get here.

Can any friends give me the answers of all theses questions. Really I need yours help to make a good decision. Thank you all.

Azad

 

[Concerned4us]

Dear Friends,

I am a F-1 student studying in New Jersey. I start from this fall-2008 semester. I am in PhD program. So I need at least 4 years. Recently my wife gets F-2 dependent Visa. She is a medical student in my country. She still needs 2.5 yrs to finish her study. My wife is 5 months pregnant. In January-2009 she has professional exam in her medical school in my country. Since she is pregnant people suggest me to give birth in USA rather than in my country. But if she comes US she will miss the professional exam for this time and she will need to attend next July-2009. So I need the following answers to make the decision about her coming.

1. So far I came to know if my child born here he/she will be US citizen. But I want to know what advantage to become a US citizen especially for education or health. Nothing other than that available to all students with proper status is the US

2. As I am F-1 student, is it possible for me to get free hospital treatment for my wife and child during birth. Your status as a student grants you no special priviledges. You could have purchased student health insurance for your wife BEFORE she became pregnant. Why should the US taxpayers pay for your child? As a student you are required to have health insurance as should your dependents.

3. If my child not born here and later come here as F-2 , can he/she study in US school with free cost as US children get. Primary and secondary education are essentially free. University education is not.

4. If after completion of my study I get a job as H-1 category then can my child study here in US school with free cost as US children get. Same as above

5. If my wife give birth here USA, how many days it requires to complete all paper works for my child, because my wife needs to return soon my country for attending her exam. Airlines limit travel for infants; time to obtain birth certificate varies by state; you need BC to get passport. Time can vary from a few weeks to several months. It an be difficult to expedite the initial applications.

6. As dependent of F-1 or H-1 is there any health facilities my child will get here. You pay for it just like US citizens. Since you have health insurance available a a student, you would need to add them to that policy. Again, why should you expect US taxpayer to pay for care of the child of an international student and his wife when he has the ability to add them to his insurance policy? If you are a PhD student receiving an assistantship in a technical field, you stipend would most like place you over the maximum income for subsidized care so should expect to pay for it yourself. If your wife and child are to visit you on occasion, you wouild either need to pay for university coverage 12 months/year or visitors insurance while they are here which will not pay for any normal care.

Can any friends give me the answers of all theses questions. Really I need yours help to make a good decision. Thank you all.

Azad

If you choose to have your child her plan to spend $10,000/$20,000 for uncomplicated normal/cesarean delivery. If the mother or child has complications, the expenses can easily go over a million dollars.

Airlines limit travel for pregnant women. Pregnant women can be denied entry at the border if it is believed that they will become a "public charge" - ie like free medical care. A visa does not guarantee entry. While your wife will not be denied emergency treatment, it will be very difficult to find a doctor who will take an uninsured woman from a foreign country in late pregnancy. There are too many liability issues. The wait for an appointment with an OBGYN in my community - even with insurance - is nearly 6 months; based on my personal experience in a college town, the time might be well over a year to get an initial office appointment. Your wife's prenatal care will likely be limited at a critical time. Pregnant women who do not have a continuum of care guaranteed (like military and their dependents who are treated in military facilities or contracted facilities even when they must move in late pregnancy) can have great difficulty finding doctors as there are very few OBGYNs willing to do deliveries especially for people in your circumstances. If you plan to do this, check in your community to see if there is any physician who will take on your wife as a patient; be truthful with the office staff that you have no insurance. Remember that taking government benefits may come back to create problems for your wife during naturalization or GC since she will have been a "public charge" and received taxpayer funded medical care. There is a discussion on one forum of a denial in just your proposed circumstances.

Your child born in the US will give you no advantages until he reaches the age of 21. If you become a GC holder and naturalize, your minor child will become a citizen when you do.

You are unnecessarily risking the lives of your wife and child; look at the problems of premature delivery. This is an increased risk with stressful travel, an unfamiliar living arrangement, increased illnesses due to the new environment, and less than optimal medical care.

I advise you that your proposal has many potential risks; there is no advantage of US citizenship that, IMO, is worth risking the lives and future health of your wife and child. I do suggest that if you choose this plan that you purchase medical evacuation and repatriation insurance in case your plan has disastrous consequences. This insurance will allow your wife and child to be returned to your home country in a medically appropriate manner should it be necessary.