Health insurance for spouse immediately after arriving?

[David John 0]

I went through something similar when my spouse joined me in the US. Usually, employer health plans allow you to add a new dependent outside of open enrollment if there’s a qualifying life event — in this case, her moving to the US counts. You might not need to pay for coverage until she actually arrives, but you can notify HR ahead of time so the paperwork is ready. Once she’s in the country, you should be able to add her retroactively without waiting for the next annual enrollment. Definitely double-check with your HR, but that’s generally how most plans handle new spouses arriving.