Critical! - greencard holder with dementia able to return to the US?

A

allodds

Registered Users (C)
Hello All,

I desperately need some advice here.
My mother got her green card in Sep 2007. In 2008, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and left for India in 2009 to live with my dad. I got her the 2-year Reentry permit, which will expire end of July 2011.

In the meantime, her Alzheimer's has only gotten worse - so much so that she cannot have any coherent conversation at all. She also has behavioral issues such as tantrums, temper flare-ups, hallucinations, etc. Sometimes, she can turn ballistic and literally create a scene. She is in the middle stage of Alzheimer's, and my dad is her caregiver.

Now I am faced with the BIG challenge of bringing her back to the US so she can keep her permanent resident status. Assuming my dad can get all the medical documents for her condition, will they face any issues with Immigration in the US ? Will my mother be denied admission into the country on the basis of her Alzheimer's ? I know they take an unkind view of mental disorders, but in her case, would they have compassion and let her join me here so I can take care of her at my home ?

Any and all advice is really appreciated. My mind is running wild thinking of weird possibilities like detention in a mental asylum, deportation, etc. My poor mom wouldn't know a thing, and I don't want my 75 yr old dad to go through hell for this.
Thanks.
 
She could be inadmissible under public health grounds, although there are waivers for that. Obviously she will not be able to handle any interviews with border or immigration officers so it could become an issue.

The larger question is, do you really want to bring her back to the USA? Late-stage Alzheimer's is going to get worse, not better. Health-care reform is still a long way off here. Will you really be able to care for her on your own? Most likely you will not be able to afford insurance for the extremely expensive care she will certainly need. She could become a public charge and end up in grimmer circumstances than in India. If you are well off and your father wants to come back as well, then go for it and try to get a waiver. Seeing an immigration attorney would be well worth the money in this circumstance. I doubt that she would be detained by immigration authorities, but she could be denied entry, and if she is admitted and you cannot care for her she may well end up institutionalized in a very unhappy setting. It may be most humane to let her live out her days in her home country among her Indian relatives. Best of luck to you in these difficult times whatever you choose.
 
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