Over the past few decades, thousands of Indians have come to the United States to seek work or settle here. But, quite evidently, their extended families want to treasure their lives. This is why spending time with their children is always on the minds of Indian parents. Visiting their children in the US is indeed a joyous experience for every parent.
A visit from a parent is always a blissful experience for children living in the USA. However, paying attention to a few things can make their visit more pleasant and comfortable. So, if you are ready to bring your parents to the USA, here are 5 things you should consider.
Read: How to buy the best health insurance for Indian students in the US (October 16, 2022)
- Reserve a Wheelchair Assistance
Most airlines provide wheelchair assistance or special assistance. Under this option, airport staff will take care of your parents from check-in to boarding the flight (through different portions of the journey). So as soon as they check in, someone will reach them and deliver the wheelchair.
They will get them to the right terminal, flight, and seat, so you do not have to worry about anything. We suggest you put some cash in your parents’ hands to tip the person taking care of them.
- Get Good Parents Visitor Health Insurance
Many people make the mistake of not buying travel insurance.
If you are traveling outside your home country, you cannot rely on normal health insurance which you may have in your country. Visitor health insurance is essential for parents to avoid emergencies or financial crises.
Illness can create a sudden panic at the sheer cost of medical bills in the USA. Therefore, investing in Visitor Insurance for Parents visiting the USA is vital. This will save you the hassle and trouble of chasing up insurance companies in India if you need a doctor’s visit or hospital stay. Do not compromise on this point. Generally, getting travel medical insurance can help you in the following ways:
- Emergency medical care
- Trip interruption
- Baggage loss
- Accidental Death & Dismemberment
- Keep the Medications in the handbag and keep the doctor’s prescription notes along with that.
Although most common medications are fine with customs, they will ask if they have a doctor’s prescription, especially if they are carrying a medicine that is prohibited or unavailable in the United States. It is better to keep a small number of medications in the carry-on luggage rather than the entire supply. Â If medicines are carried in bulk in the handbag, it will raise doubt with the immigration officers.
Read: Is health insurance mandatory for international students in the US? (September 11, 2022)
- Immigration Questions
Once they land, they will find instances where immigration officials may ask a lot of questions. Being prepared for these questions will help them. For example, teach them to answer questions like where they are going and what their plans are, etc. Teach them how to answer those questions without being clumsy.
You are sticking to every law, so there is nothing to get worried about. An American accent can be difficult to understand and lead to miscommunication. Just ask your parents to answer all questions calmly and take their time, and everything will go on track.
- Have the necessary documents and contact details handy
- B1/B2 petition approval and proof of residence, including utility bill, copy of sponsorship letter, and tax papers, are the documents you might have sent for visa approval.
Keep these documents in a separate bag. An immigration officer may ask for them when they enter the United States.
- Travel documents should always be with them. Securely strap the travel documents and tell your parents to have them in a cross-body bag and always keep them attached to them. Also, keep extra copies of the travel documents in a separate bag just in case they miss the originals.
- Apart from the contact details (phone number and address) of the person you are visiting in the US, keep the details of other people you can reach in the US and India.
Once they reach the US, if they need to reach you, provide them with details on how to use the calling cards or collect calls so that they can reach you.
Bringing your parents to America is easy, especially if you do some advance planning and make the right choices, everything will work simply fine!
(Chiranth Nataraj is the founder of Visitor Guard. He has more than two decades’ worth of experience in developing insurance and technology solutions.)
READ MORE:
What are benefits of choosing visitor insurance plan with a PPO Network? (January 26, 2022)
What does Visitor insurance cover? (November 8, 2021)
Why is visitor health insurance recommended for travel to USA? (October 7, 2021)