This archive report was first published on 2 November 2019.
On November 3, 2019, a significant policy change affecting green card applicants took effect in the United States. The new rule requires foreign Visa and Green card Applicants to prove to consular officers that they will have unsubsidized health insurance within 30 days of arriving in the US or demonstrate that they can afford reasonably foreseeable medical costs.
The policy change only applies to individuals applying for immigrant Visas from outside the US and does not affect those already living in the country but applying for green cards or renewal of Visas. Parents of adult US citizens are exempt from the rule, but must prove to a consular officer that they will not become a substantial burden on the US healthcare system.
Several classes of immigrants are exempt from the new health insurance rule, including those with an immigrant visa issued before November 3, 2019, refugees and asylum seekers, and Iraqi or Afghan nationals entering using Special Immigrant visas.
The US government has approved various health insurance plans to meet the new requirement, including employer-sponsored plans, unsubsidized health plans bought through an Obamacare marketplace, and certain military health insurance programs.
According to the Migration Policy Institute, the new health insurance rules may result in over 375,000 green card applications being rejected. Critics of the rule, including Immigration advocates, argue that it is an attempt by the Trump administration to limit family-based migration.
Responding to allegations, the Trump administration stated that uninsured immigrants fall back on taxpayer-funded health care, driving up costs for Americans by $35 billion each year. However, Immigration advocates and healthcare experts have refuted this claim, stating that the figure is exaggerated and unsupported by evidence.
