Immigration Assistance: Spouses and Children

The immigration needs and options regarding immigration for spouses and children of foreign physicians are important to consider. So often the focus is exclusively on the foreign physician. Once the physician's immigration needs are obtained, the physician has employment opportunities and certainly the keys to develop a very rich and full professional life in the United States.

But, what about the spouse? What about the children? They need to be incorporated into immigration strategy as well. So, an immigration attorney may recommend that during the initial discussion phase, the needs and aspirations of the spouse are discussed openly. Is there a requirement for employment authorization? Is there a hesitancy to travel internationally for fear of being denied a visa once abroad? Are the children approaching the age of 21? A child can derive permanent residence through the parents only until the age of 21. Consequently, it is necessary to develop a holistic integrated understanding of the entire family structure and what is required in order to create a sense of satisfaction with life in the United States.

Consider for a moment the spouse's needs. Perhaps the spouse has a strong desire to work in the United States and does not want to be stultified by simply remaining at home and not working. If employment is an important consideration to the spouse, and indeed to the entire family unit, there may be some steps that can be incorporated into immigration strategy to investigate the opportunities and prospects for gaining H-1B status in his or her own right.

The important thing is during the initial formulation of your strategy, make sure that the overall interests and aspirations of the spouse and of your children are fully factored into your immigration strategy and that their needs are fully discussed. If employment and travel authorization are important values, those values should be accounted for very strongly in the formulation of your immigration strategy.