Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Why immigrant physicians struggle to bring their aging parents to the U.S.

Deepak Gupta, MD and Sarwan Kumar, MD
Physician
February 23, 2024
Share
Tweet
Share

In the United States (U.S.), immigrating physicians typically fall into three categories: those working temporarily on nonimmigrant visas, those permanently residing on immigrant visas, and those who have become U.S. citizens through naturalization.

While immigrating physicians can easily move from their home countries to the U.S., they often encounter challenges when considering bringing their aging dependent parents with them. The U.S. offers temporary nonimmigrant pathways for parents of immigrating physicians who have not yet become U.S. citizens through naturalization. However, dependent parents can only immigrate to live permanently in the U.S. after their children have become U.S. citizens through naturalization. Therefore, it is important to assess, either through personal experiences or systematic surveys, how many immigrant physicians who have become U.S. citizens are actually able to bring their parents to the U.S.

Immigrant physicians may have noticed that very few, if any, of their peers have successfully brought their aging dependent parents to the U.S. This situation resembles the one where aging parents do not migrate with their adult children when they move from traditional rural societies with extended households to modern urban societies with nuclear households within their home countries.

The paperwork required for immigrating parents to the U.S. may seem like a significant obstacle for immigrant physicians, but it is not the only one. Factors such as evolving generational gaps in values, enduring cultural differences across continents, rising health care and living costs in later life stages, the upheaval of leaving deeply rooted ties for an uncertain future, complex financial management associated with a multinational presence, and various personal reasons may also play a role if immigrant physicians’ communities choose to explore these aspects in systematic surveys.

In essence, the question arises: if even immigrant physicians, representing the top ~1 percent, find it challenging to bring their parents to the U.S., it is likely even more daunting for non-physician immigrants, representing the bottom ~99 percent. This challenge persists unless leaving aging dependent parents behind in their home countries poses significant safety concerns, making it essential, and perhaps even urgent, for U.S. immigrants to bring their aging dependent parents.

Ultimately, despite the existing U.S. immigration system allowing noncitizen family members to temporarily stay or permanently relocate based on their relationships with U.S. immigrants, numerous unique barriers must be overcome by immigrant physicians if they decide to bring their aging dependent parents to the U.S. While societal systems for supporting aging populations living independently are becoming more viable worldwide, the traditional support of extended households and the immediate presence of close relatives remain invaluable for the well-being of families, whether they are citizens or noncitizen immigrants.

Deepak Gupta is an anesthesiologist. Sarwan Kumar is an internal medicine physician.

Prev

What does it mean to be a great doctor?

February 23, 2024 Kevin 0
…
Next

Large language models in health care [PODCAST]

February 23, 2024 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Anesthesiology

Post navigation

< Previous Post
What does it mean to be a great doctor?
Next Post >
Large language models in health care [PODCAST]

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Deepak Gupta, MD and Sarwan Kumar, MD

  • Rethinking residency: How to reshape graduate medical education

    Deepak Gupta, MD and Sarwan Kumar, MD
  • How night volunteers could transform health care during staff shortages

    Deepak Gupta, MD and Sarwan Kumar, MD
  • Paper vs. electronic records: Why a blend is essential for modern health care

    Deepak Gupta, MD and Sarwan Kumar, MD

Related Posts

  • The risk physicians take when going on social media

    Anonymous
  • When physicians are cyberbullied: an interview with ZDoggMD

    Monique Tello, MD
  • Immigrant physicians: Acknowledge our privilege and move to action

    Toyin M. Falusi, MD
  • Physicians who don’t play the social media game may be left behind

    Xrayvsn, MD
  • Join the KevinMD Facebook group for physicians

    Kevin Pho, MD
  • American physicians deserve timely payment

    Peter Ubel, MD

More in Physician

  • The truth about perfection and identity in health care

    Ryan Nadelson, MD
  • Civil discourse as a leadership competency: the case for curiosity in medicine

    All Levels Leadership
  • When a medical office sublease turns into a legal nightmare

    Ralph Messo, DO
  • Why the heart of medicine is more than science

    Ryan Nadelson, MD
  • How Ukrainian doctors kept diabetes care alive during the war

    Dr. Daryna Bahriy
  • How women physicians can go from burnout to thriving

    Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • America’s ER crisis: Why the system is collapsing from within

      Kristen Cline, BSN, RN | Conditions
    • Why timing, not surgery, determines patient survival

      Michael Karch, MD | Conditions
    • How early meetings and after-hours events penalize physician-mothers

      Samira Jeimy, MD, PhD and Menaka Pai, MD | Physician
    • FDA delays could end vital treatment for rare disease patients

      GJ van Londen, MD | Meds
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • The truth about perfection and identity in health care

      Ryan Nadelson, MD | Physician
    • Civil discourse as a leadership competency: the case for curiosity in medicine

      All Levels Leadership | Physician
    • Healing beyond the surface: Why proper chronic wound care matters

      Alvin May, MD | Conditions
    • Why specialist pain clinics and addiction treatment services require strong primary care

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • Dear July intern: It’s normal to feel clueless—here’s what matters

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Education
    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • America’s ER crisis: Why the system is collapsing from within

      Kristen Cline, BSN, RN | Conditions
    • Why timing, not surgery, determines patient survival

      Michael Karch, MD | Conditions
    • How early meetings and after-hours events penalize physician-mothers

      Samira Jeimy, MD, PhD and Menaka Pai, MD | Physician
    • FDA delays could end vital treatment for rare disease patients

      GJ van Londen, MD | Meds
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • The truth about perfection and identity in health care

      Ryan Nadelson, MD | Physician
    • Civil discourse as a leadership competency: the case for curiosity in medicine

      All Levels Leadership | Physician
    • Healing beyond the surface: Why proper chronic wound care matters

      Alvin May, MD | Conditions
    • Why specialist pain clinics and addiction treatment services require strong primary care

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • Dear July intern: It’s normal to feel clueless—here’s what matters

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Education
    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...