I know that.

Sounds like the US makes it easier to bring over a parent, Canada is pretty time consuming, and they limit the applications to the first 5,000 they receive each year, but takes many years to process and be approved.

I never did think of my parents when I left the US, but suppose it wouldn't matter where I live, I could never financially support a parent.

I didn't think of my parents either, when I left my home many years also. And also because my dad re-married and was ensconsed with his second wife and daughter (I almost didn't exist for many years). And I can't financially support them either. But now that me looking after dad is the best and only option, I am doing all I can to turn it around in the best possible way.

In the papers they give you right after you naturalize one of the first things they tell you is that you can now sponsor your parents to become PRs. I am a little surprised to see how much they seem to be encouraging it. Is it a money revenue for the USA?

I am a bit surprised to. Canada had cut it off for a while, and then re-did all the rules, so its permitted again, but with new tougher rules. They doubled the financial sponsorship from 10 years to 20 years, upped the min. income required to qualify, and limited it to 5,000 applications per year.

There is something like 80,000 total in the back log with about 25,000 a year being approved, so as you can see its a pretty time consuming process.

But before people were taking advantage of it, so I understand the new rules.

A friend of mine from China who has been in Canada since 2014 sponsored his parents who were elderly, took 8 years, they finally made it in, but only stayed a month, they didn't care for Canada and wanted to go back to China so they did.

Once a PR here regardless of income or age, or working or not, you get healthcare, so its a pretty good expense to the government, so I doubt it will get easier in the future, I wont be surprised if they further reduce it from 5,000 a year at some point.

I guess the US Gov does not care that much due to ineligibility for Gov programmes.

Hi Floridared, I was reading this because my old man is 72 and Mum died last year. He seems to be having a hard time on his own, although is pretty healthy. Not likely he will come here, wants me to go back.

Now I realize, you are just down the road from me, and our parents are in Bristol. Just thinking aloud. Don't know if it means anything.

But they are eligible for emergency Medicaid. My maid's elderly mother emigrated to the US from San Salvador and within a year she had a stroke and was in the hospital for a couple of months and at least another 6 months in a nursing home paid 100% by Medi-Cal.

I think healthcare is the big issue the government has with people bringing over parents who are not likely to work and contribute to the tax base. They had cut new applications off for parents for 2 years, before bringing it back with more stringent rules, they doubled the sponsorship from 10 years to 20 years, upped the min income requirement 30% to exclude lower/lower middle class from sponsoring in hopes those bringing over parents will have means to support them.

They also capped it to 5,000 applications per year, which is now closed until 2015.

Government estimates it costs 300,000 lifetime costs per senior immigrant in health and social costs, and because they pay little in taxes, the government feels pressure from the public and other sectors to end the program.

The sponsor is responsible for supporting them minus healthcare since there is no private insurance option, and anyone who is a resident is required to enroll in their provincial health program, there is no opt out.

So if the parent goes on social assistance or such within the first 20 years of arriving, the sponsor is required to re-pay the government.

Is it enforced?

Whaaat? Are you sure? I thought that was the whole point of people over the age of 65 NOT being eligible for medicare/aid (I always get confused which is which) for the first 5 years after they immigrate.

Where are you getting this information? Are you sure? I scouted the USCIS web site for applying for parents to become PRs and saw nothing of the sort you mention above.
Please can you provide a reference(s)? Especially for the "applications closed until 2015" bit.

My father in law is not covered by Medicaid/Medicare but was told he was potentially eligible for emergency Medicaid recently. Eventually they decided that his illness wasn't life-threatening enough (cancer), it sounds like it really intended to cover people who have a life-threatening issue right at that moment, eg a RTA or a heart attack.

Read back through the thread -- I believe he is talking about Canada.

Sorry I got into a side conversation about how the US makes it easier to bring parents over, and was referring to Canada. Sorry for the confusion.