Conditional Resident Insurance 2015 (the one I have or need to buy a new one)

[Alex123 0]

I had been in the U.S on F1 student visa since 2012. In June 2015 I got married to a U.S citizen and in the end of September 2015 I received 2 year conditional green card. I had to have International Insurance through my university to maintain my F1 Visa status. When on F1 I've always had mandatory International insurance through my university. In 2015 I paid (they bill your insurance to your university account) for that insurance twice: in January and in August 2015. I am still a student. In Sep. 2015 my status changed to a conditional permanent resident but my International insurance will expire in Jan. 2016. Do I have to buy ACA insurance from Marketplace for the last couple of months of 2015 or my International student insurance that I bought in August and that is going to expire in January would be okay? Would IRS fine me if I am still having that international insurance? What should I do?

Thank you

[aaron2020 11,651]

I had been in the U.S on F1 student visa since 2012. In June 2015 I got married to a U.S citizen and in the end of September 2015 I received 2 year conditional green card. I had to have International Insurance through my university to maintain my F1 Visa status. When on F1 I've always had mandatory International insurance through my university. In 2015 I paid (they bill your insurance to your university account) for that insurance twice: in January and in August 2015. I am still a student. In Sep. 2015 my status changed to a conditional permanent resident but my International insurance will expire in Jan. 2016. Do I have to buy ACA insurance from Marketplace for the last couple of months of 2015 or my International student insurance that I bought in August and that is going to expire in January would be okay? Would IRS fine me if I am still having that international insurance? What should I do?

Thank you

Hi,

Your insurance may be status dependent. Once you stop being an F-1 student, your insurance may have become invalid. The insurance is for an F-1 international student and probably will not cover an LPR. Check your policy.

Most likely, you will need to have valid insurance for 2015 to avoid a fine.

What you should do - Check to see if your F-1 student insurance policy covers you if you lose that status.

Best of luck

[Alex123 0]

Thank you for quick response, aaron2020.

In the worst scenario, if I have to pay that fine, is it going to create any problems for me when I am removing conditions from my Green card? In I-751 form, there is a question 20. "Have you ever been arrested, detained, charged, indicted,fined, or imprisoned for breaking or violating any law or ordinance (excluding traffic regulations), or committedany crime which you were not arrested in the United States or abroad?" . If I was fined for not having a valid insurance for a part of 2015, would the answer to that question be "Yes" or "No"? Are Insurance fines considered to be the fines they are asking about in that form?

Thank you

[jordan85 8]

I agree with Aaron.. I did F-1 to conditional resident. I'm fairly certain that once I adjusted status, my school insurance was no longer valid. I remember when I was in school on F-1, my insurance was about $900/year from my school, which was exceptionally cheap for what it covered. The school also had another option for domestic students, which was WAY more expensive.. Didn't really affect me, as my spouse added me to his medical plan. So I'm pretty sure yours would be status-dependent, though it's probably best to check with your school/insurer.

[jordan85 8]

Thank you for quick response, aaron2020.

In the worst scenario, if I have to pay that fine, is it going to create any problems for me when I am removing conditions from my Green card? In I-751 form, there is a question 20. "Have you ever been arrested, detained, charged, indicted,fined, or imprisoned for breaking or violating any law or ordinance (excluding traffic regulations), or committedany crime which you were not arrested in the United States or abroad?" . If I was fined for not having a valid insurance for a part of 2015, would the answer to that question be "Yes" or "No"? Are Insurance fines considered to be the fines they are asking about in that form?

Thank you

I'm not sure it would be a fine, more like a tax penalty. You're not issued a ticket or anything, you just have to pay more taxes, I think... Though don't take this as legal advice.

[aaron2020 11,651]

Thank you for quick response, aaron2020.

In the worst scenario, if I have to pay that fine, is it going to create any problems for me when I am removing conditions from my Green card? In I-751 form, there is a question 20. "Have you ever been arrested, detained, charged, indicted,fined, or imprisoned for breaking or violating any law or ordinance (excluding traffic regulations), or committedany crime which you were not arrested in the United States or abroad?" . If I was fined for not having a valid insurance for a part of 2015, would the answer to that question be "Yes" or "No"? Are Insurance fines considered to be the fines they are asking about in that form?

Thank you

Americans break the law everyday - speeding, not fully stopping at a sign or light, littering, etc. If these acts were included, then no one can honestly answer yes to question 20.

The US government is not concern with civil violations like not having insurance.

Paying the penalty for lacking insurance is not going to affect your immigration.