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There are many benefits to being a legal United States resident or citizen. But not all benefits apply to every status. There are many benefits of being a citizen that are not available to permanent residents, and Green Card holders are entitled to benefits that are not available to someone here on a temporary work visa. One question we’re frequently asked is whether a permanent resident, or Green Card holder, is entitled to Medicare. In the following video, immigration lawyer Mario Godoy explains whether a Green Card holder is entitled to Medicare benefits.
WATCH: Immigration Lawyer Mario Godoy explains whether Green Card holders are eligible for Medicare
Transcript
This video will answer the question “Are Green Card holders eligible for Medicare?”
Medicare is health insurance for people 65 or older, certain people under 65 with disabilities, and people of any age with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD).
In short, a Green Card holder can apply for Medicare without jeopardizing his or her Green Card.
Your first chance to get Medicare usually starts 3 months before you turn 65 and will end 3 months after you turn 65. Any person who wants to apply for Medicare will need to show at least 40 Social Security/Medicare credits earned in the United States. For most folks, that’s 10 years of work in the United States.
Additionally, to get Medicare Part B, a Green Card holder will need to meet a 5-year permanent residency requirement immediately prior to applying for Medicare. This period starts on the day the Green Card holder is admitted into the U.S. as a legal permanent resident. The Green Card holder must also reside continuously in the United States during that period.
Medicare is listed by USCIS as a benefit and that it does not consider this benefit in the public charge inadmissibility determination. However, it is important to point out that you have to have legal status to be eligible for Medicare.
If you are a Green Card Holder and have an immigration question, please contact our office.
Ask A Green Card Lawyer
Are you a Green Card holder with questions about Medicare? Do you have questions about your qualifications for becoming a Legal Permanent Resident status (LPR), or Green Card holder? Do you have a Green Card, and want to become a U.S. citizen? A Green Card lawyer is an immigration lawyer with experience helping immigrants to get legal status in the United States, and the benefits they are entitled to.Complicated and quickly changing immigration laws make the immigration process difficult to understand. With experience in many immigration cases, Mario Godoy and the other experienced immigration attorneys at the Godoy Law Office can assess your situation and advise you on your best options. Call today at 630-912-0322.
Godoy Law Office serves the entire Chicago, Illinois area including DuPage, Cook, Kane, Will, and Lake Counties.
Immigration Lawyer and Illinois Crimmigration Attorney
Immigration Attorney Mario Godoy has years of experience guiding clients with immigration issues through the immigration process along with guiding clients through the criminal case. Godoy focuses on family-based immigration law, business immigration law, removal defense, and criminal defense representation of immigrants. A criminal charge or conviction can be devastating to your immigration case. With over a decade of immigration law experience and memories of family members who were deported due to bad legal advice, Godoy is committed to helping other immigrant families receive the legal justice they deserve. As a legal entrepreneur who practices immigration law, criminal law, estate and probate law, and running two successful law firms, Mario Godoy understands the importance of keeping families together and making a home and future in America.
