URGENT: A dear friend is at her wits end with her parents who are citizens of the USA and permanent residents of Brazil. They are begging to move to FL. Any suggestions?
URGENT: I just found out that a dear friend is at her wits end with her parents who are both citizens of the USA and permanent residents of Brazil. Her parents have been living in Brazil for the past 20 years where her father worked until he retired. Stupidly, her father did not report his income to the IRS and therefore did not pay a dime into Social Security. Her parents get $300/month from Brazil's pensioner system because her father did pay taxes in Brazil. They own an apartment in Miami and they own an apartment in Brazil. Neither apartment is worth very much and, if sold, might raise $200,000 total.
Her mother has Alzheimer's and her father has Parkinson's. Her parents are begging her to bring them to Florida where she lives. She has asked me for advice and I am meeting her this evening for a drink and just want to make sure I give her the best advice I can.
I see no way for her parents to be eligible for Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security. But that's about all I'm sure of! Any other suggestions???
“Begging her to bring them to Florida where she lives”. Oh boy....
"4. I just realized that I must file U.S. income tax returns for prior years. How many years back do I have to file?
You must file a federal income tax return for any tax year in which your gross income is equal to or greater than the personal exemption amount and standard deduction combined (per the Form 1040 Instructions for the corresponding tax year). Generally, you need to file returns going back six years. This will depend on the facts and circumstances of your particular situation. For example, refer to Information for U.S. Citizens or Dual Citizens Residing Outside the U.S."
Could your friend's parents file and pay taxes for the previous 6 years? (No guarantee it would only need to be 6 years, but that is reasonable starting question.)
My friend's father died suddenly last month while she was in Brazil preparing to move her parents to a nursing home she found in a quiet little Brazilian town and to pay for it with the money she raised from selling their condo in Miami. Then, she and her sister decided to MOVE THEIR MOTHER TO THE UNITED STATES!
Yes, friends, their mother with Alzheimer's boarded a plane and now is living with my friend's sister, who has an infant, and her husband, whose useless, and now they all got together and started begging for money through email and Facebook. The GoFundMyPoorDecisions requests have become uncomfortable.
I cautioned her many, many times against bringing her parents/mother to the U.S. because her father did not pay taxes. I told her nursing homes are expensive and that her parents would not qualify for Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid. I told her as many of the things I have learned from the wise people on this forum throughout the years and it turned out I wasted my breath, time, and energy. Sigh. Whine. Sigh.
I agree with freqflyer, it is likely that her dad worked at some time in the US prior to moving to Brazil, and would have paid into the Social Security system. Regardless, they are eligible for Medicaid which is a needs-based program not based on paying in.
Also, assuming that the Social Security that they might be able to collect is not enough, they are able to apply for SSI. It is a needs-based program for people with disabilities (which it sounds like they both have). Here is a helpful page of info:
https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-11069.pdf
However, the possible $200,000 that may come from the sale of the properties is nothing to sneeze at! That money could sustain them modestly with in-home help. When that is spent down, Medicaid and SSI might be options.
Best of luck,
Margaret
See All Answers