You moved to America on an H-1B visa three years ago and now have a spouse and a young child who depend on your income. You send money home monthly to support your parents in your home country. If something happens to you, both your US family and your parents abroad face a financial crisis. You want life insurance but worry whether non-citizens can buy coverage, if you have enough documentation, and whether your parents living internationally can receive benefits if you die. These concerns keep many immigrant families from getting the protection they desperately need.

The reality is more encouraging. US life insurance is available to non-citizens, including visa holders and green card holders, not just citizens. You can name family members living anywhere in the world as beneficiaries. Your immigration status doesn’t prevent you from protecting your family, and for immigrant families supporting relatives in two countries, life insurance is often more critical than for families with obligations in just one location. Let’s talk about life insurance for immigrants and first-generation families.

Who Qualifies for US Life Insurance

US citizens obviously qualify for all life insurance products without restriction. Insurance companies treat green card holders essentially the same as citizens, granting them full access to all policy types and coverage amounts. Work visa holders, including H-1B, L-1, E-2, and similar employment-based visas, can purchase life insurance from most major insurers. The key requirement is legal residency in the United States with the intention to remain for the duration of the policy term or at least several years.

Student visa holders on F-1 or J-1 status sometimes face more limitations because their US stay is temporary by definition, though some insurers will provide coverage to graduate students with multi-year programs and established US presence. Tourist visas and visitor status don’t qualify because you’re not a US resident. Temporary protected status holders can often obtain coverage, though options might be more limited than for permanent residents or work visa holders. Each insurance company sets its own underwriting guidelines for various visa categories, so eligibility varies somewhat between carriers.

Documentation and Application Requirements

Insurance applications for non-citizens require several standard documents proving legal residency and identity. You’ll need your valid visa or green card showing your current legal status in the US. A Social Security Number is preferred, but if you don’t have one, many insurers accept Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers instead, though your carrier options may be more limited. Proof of US address, such as utility bills, lease agreements, or bank statements, demonstrates that you reside in America. Employment verification through pay stubs or employer letters confirms you have income and an established presence. Your passport provides identity verification.

Limited US credit history creates challenges because insurers use credit reports as part of risk assessment. New immigrants often lack the 5- to 10-year credit history that US citizens build, which can result in higher premiums or larger down payments. Some insurers specialize in working with recent immigrants and use alternative verification methods rather than automatically assigning you a higher rating. As you build a US credit and financial history over several years, you can potentially refinance or purchase new coverage at better rates. Don’t let a limited credit history prevent you from getting some coverage now, even if the terms aren’t optimal.

Naming International Beneficiaries

You can name family members living in your home country or anywhere in the world as life insurance beneficiaries. US insurance companies regularly pay death benefits to international beneficiaries. The insurance company doesn’t care where your beneficiary lives, only that you’ve clearly identified them with full legal names, dates of birth, and complete addresses, including country.

The beneficiary must provide a certified death certificate, which might need an official translation if issued in a foreign language. The insurance company verifies the beneficiary’s identity using a passport or other government-issued identification. The entire process might take 4 to 8 weeks, compared to 2 to 4 weeks for US beneficiaries. Consider naming a contingent beneficiary in the US as backup in case the international payment process encounters unexpected complications.

Supporting Family in Two Countries

Immigrant families face unique coverage calculation challenges because financial obligations span two countries. You’re supporting your spouse and children in the United States while also sending monthly remittances to parents or siblings in your home country. If you die, both sets of dependents lose your financial support simultaneously. Your coverage calculation must account for both obligations rather than just your US family’s needs.

Start with the standard formula of 10 to 15 times your annual income for US family support, then add the present value of ongoing support you provide to family abroad. If you send $500 per month to your parents and plan to continue for 15 years, that’s $90,000 in total future remittances. Please include that in your US coverage needs. Document the financial support you provide to international family members through wire transfer records or receipts because insurers might question large coverage amounts without clear justification. Showing regular support patterns helps underwriters understand why you need higher coverage than someone supporting only a US family.

What Should You Do if Your Visa Status Changes?

Life insurance policies remain in force as long as you maintain legal US residency and continue paying premiums. Advancing from a work visa to a green card to citizenship doesn’t require changing policies or affecting coverage. The policy you purchased on an H-1B visa stays valid after naturalization, with the same rates locked in from your original application. If you return to your home country permanently, the policy technically remains in force, though keeping up with premium payments might become complicated depending on whether you maintain a US bank account. Contact your insurance company before relocating internationally to arrange continued payment and update contact information.

Losing legal US residency or having a visa status expire without renewal typically violates policy terms, as insurance companies underwrite based on the assumption of US residency. If your visa status becomes uncertain, focus on maintaining your policy in good standing while resolving immigration issues rather than letting coverage lapse. Once you have a stable legal status again, you can address any necessary policy updates.

Cost, Language, and Cultural Considerations

Life insurance premiums are based on your age and health, not your citizenship or immigration status. An H-1B visa holder with the same age and health profile as a US citizen pays the same premiums for identical coverage. Your country of origin doesn’t affect pricing. Insurance companies price mortality risk, not national origin or immigration status. If you’re concerned about currency exchange for families sending money home, remember that your US income pays the premiums in dollars, and coverage protects the dollar-denominated income your family depends on.

Language barriers create genuine obstacles when purchasing financial products with complex legal terminology. Many insurance agencies employ multilingual agents speaking Spanish, Mandarin, Hindi, Korean, Vietnamese, and other languages common in immigrant communities. If you use an interpreter or translator, please ensure you fully understand what you’re purchasing instead of solely relying on someone else’s explanation.

Cultural attitudes toward life insurance vary dramatically across different backgrounds. Some cultures view discussing death as inauspicious or inappropriate, making life insurance conversations uncomfortable. Reframe life insurance as responsible financial planning and family protection rather than dwelling on death itself. The policy protects your family’s practical daily needs if you’re not there to provide for them, aligning with cultural values of family responsibility and care.

Immigration Status Privacy Concerns

Many immigrants worry that applying for life insurance will affect their immigration status or reveal information to immigration authorities. Life insurance companies are completely separate from immigration enforcement. They’re private financial companies, not government agencies. USCIS, ICE, or any other immigration authority does not receive the information you provide on insurance applications. Insurance companies have no obligation or interest in reporting your information to immigration agencies.

Insurance underwriting focuses exclusively on mortality risk assessment for pricing purposes. Companies want to know your health status, age, lifestyle, and occupation because these factors predict lifespan. Your immigration status matters only to the extent that US residency is required for coverage, not for enforcement or reporting purposes. Privacy protections under insurance regulations prevent companies from disclosing your personal information without a legal requirement, and insurance applications don’t trigger any such requirements.

Term Life Insurance is the Most Practical Choice

Term life insurance provides the most practical, affordable coverage for immigrant families building their financial foundation in America. Whole life and universal life policies cost eight to ten times as much as term coverage for the same death benefit, making them unaffordable for most families still establishing careers and savings in a new country. Term insurance offers. During the critical 10 to 20 years, you need adequate protection as you build your career, raise young children, and accumulate assets.

A 20-year term policy purchased at 30 carries you to 50, when children have grown up, and you’ve accumulated substantial savings. This matches the typical immigrant financial trajectory of arriving in their late twenties or early thirties and building wealth over the following decades. Employer group coverage provides useful supplemental protection if your job offers it, but group coverage alone provides insufficient death benefit amounts and disappears if you change jobs. Purchase your own term policy providing adequate coverage independent of employment.

First-Generation Americans and Remittances

US-born citizens with immigrant parents face unique situations where they’re supporting aging parents who might lack retirement savings, Social Security benefits or Medicare coverage. Your parents depended on their children’s success to secure their old age, and you’re fulfilling that expectation through regular financial support. Your life insurance needs must account for continued parent support if you die, not just your own nuclear family.

Families sending regular remittances home to support parents, siblings, or extended family have significantly higher life insurance needs than families with all dependents in the US. If you send $800 home monthly and your death stops that support, your family abroad will face an immediate crisis, while your US family is also grieving and adjusting. Calculate the present value of planned future remittances and add that to your US family coverage to ensure adequate total protection.

Where Beem Life Benefit Fits

Beem offers straightforward life coverage, with benefit options of $500 or $1,000, designed to be accessible regardless of visa status, credit history, or documentation challenges. The simple application process doesn’t require extensive US financial history or perfect credit scores. Coverage activates after 90 days and provides immediate funeral expense protection for immigrant families who might be navigating complex situations around death, funerals, and potentially transporting remains internationally.

Beem works as funeral expense coverage for families facing higher costs if remains must be transported to home countries for burial or if family members must travel internationally to attend services. The $500 or $1,000 benefit handles immediate deposits and costs, while the larger insurance policies get processed. Beem supplements comprehensive term coverage. Download the app here.

Common mistakes and getting started

Immigrant families often buy too little coverage because of budget concerns or unfamiliarity with the US insurance systems. 

• Don’t let a limited understanding lead to underinsurance. Calculate actual needs, including international obligations. Many immigrants wait too long before purchasing coverage, thinking they’ll buy insurance once more established, but this delay increases costs and risks health changes that affect insurability. 
• Check with insurers to verify your eligibility, regardless of visa status. Many immigrants neglect to ensure their stay-at-home spouses have coverage because cultural norms suggest only the breadwinner needs coverage, yet stay-at-home spouses provide enormous economic value and require protection.
• Get started by verifying your visa or residency status with potential insurers and gathering the required documents, including your visa, SSN or ITIN, proof of address, and employment verification. 
• Apply while you’re healthy and employed to lock in the best rates. Name beneficiaries clearly, including their complete addresses, and include the country for international family members. Life insurance protects families regardless of where they were born, and immigrant families with obligations spanning continents often need protection more than anyone.