Having a baby in the USA can be even cheaper than in a good maternity hospital in Moscow. But expectant mothers go to childbirth in America to basically provide the child with a good future. In the United States, the thirteenth amendment to the Constitution is in force, according to which citizenship can be obtained under the “land right”. This means that a child born in the United States of America is a citizen of that country. Refuse from Russian citizenship, too, will not have to. According to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, a child, one or both of whose parents are citizens of Russia, is also considered a citizen of the Russian Federation.
The only thing that stops many couples is a lack of information and a fear of trusting dubious companies offering their services for organizing births in the USA for fabulous money. Fortunately, everything can be done independently and even much cheaper. This is not such a complicated procedure as it seems. In addition, going to childbirth in the USA is completely legal. It is not a crime for a child to acquire US citizenship, and parents do not need to hide the true purpose of the trip.
Main advantages
Almost always, the main goal of medical tourism in the USA is to give birth to a child in order to obtain American citizenship. At the same time, obtaining a child’s citizenship gives parents practically no privileges. Only after 21 years of age can a citizen take his family reunion visa to his United States of America. Until this moment, parents will not even receive an American visa under a simplified procedure. For a child, American citizenship really gives a lot. You can live and study in the States (the cost of training is not comparable with the money paid by foreign students), not to waste time and money on obtaining visas to many countries of the world and to file petitions about the emigration of family members.
Medicine in the United States
There are other benefits. Medicine in the United States (according to many women who gave birth in Miami, California and Los Angeles) is not comparable with Russian. The sex of the child can be found already in the tenth week, and starting from the twentieth on 4D ultrasound, you can consider the facial features of the future baby. During childbirth, all information is displayed on the screen: baby's heartbeat, frequency and duration of labor.
The hospital has good conditions. In the ward there is a place for the husband and a box for the newborn, a toilet and a bathroom, three meals a day upon reservation. There are hospitals and maternity hospitals. A maternity hospital in the United States is a private, small hospital that is suitable for childbirth without complications. In the event of a force majeure situation, the woman in labor will be taken to the nearest hospital, for which an additional bill will be issued.
Like Russian women who decide to give birth in the United States, and the high responsibility of doctors. Doctors in US clinics are afraid of losing their license. Therefore, they are very attentive to the health and safety of patients.
Childbirth in Miami is also popular because of the suitable climate. This is especially liked by women whose pregnancy occurred in the cold winter. In Russia, a similar climate is only in Sochi or Gelendzhik, but there are no modern perinatal centers.
Expectant mothers who decide to fly for childbirth in the United States choose safety. No need to worry that the child will be confused or stolen. Immediately after giving birth, both mother and newborn wear special bracelets with a bar code. The child is given into his arms only after scanning the code; he is also released from the hospital after the same procedure. Before giving birth, the expectant mother is given a sheet with questions that is forbidden to show her husband. Questions relate to whether a woman feels safe. This is necessary to identify women who experience domestic violence.
At birth, you can freely remove. The presence of a husband, family or friends is permitted. It is possible to save stem cells for the future or to circumcise a boy the day after birth. Circumcision in the USA is done for hygiene by 50% of families. It does not depend on religion. The wound heals completely before the umbilical cord, so the child will not even remember this.
Benefits of Citizenship
Other benefits relate to giving a child American citizenship. In the future, an American citizen will be able to use the right of visa-free entry into almost all countries of the world. There, where a visa is not required for US citizens, you can enter on an American passport, and in those states that have a visa-free regime with Russia, on a Russian one.
In addition, the child will have the right to use the social security of both countries. This is free medicine, education and more. You can also receive a state pension in Russia and the USA. If a son is born, he can choose whether he wants to serve in the army. In the Russian army, a US citizen may not legally serve, and in the American one contract month is enough.
America has a system of unsecured loans. In adulthood, a US citizen can receive loans only on the basis that he has citizenship. With a good credit history, there are great opportunities to start a business or achieve other goals that need money at the beginning of an independent life.
An American citizen may receive a free or low-cost education. There are many prestigious universities and colleges for Americans.
Some cons of the trip
There are, of course, disadvantages. For most couples, this is the cost of giving birth in the United States. Natural births cost about 8-10 thousand dollars for medical services of the hospital, 2-4 thousand dollars for anesthesia, 5 thousand dollars to a doctor. If you need to do cesarean, then you need to cook about 15 thousand dollars. This is judged by reviews of childbirth in California. In general, you can meet a smaller amount.
In the reviews of childbirth in Miami, several other figures are indicated: about 10 thousand dollars - the cost of staying in the hospital, pediatrician, anesthesia, 9 thousand dollars - rental housing for 4.5 months, about 3 thousand dollars - Moscow - Miami tickets for two adults and one child, 1.5 thousand dollars - rent a car for 4.5 months, no more than 1 thousand - paperwork for the child. Food, shopping and entertainment are commensurate with the cost of living in Moscow.
Other disadvantages are not so significant. First, a doctor in the United States cannot be called at any time of the day or night. Doctors have a right to privacy. On weekends and after the end of the working day, no one answers the phone, but the doctor will call you back at a time convenient for him. Many specialists are on duty only on certain days, so if the birth begins on another day, the woman will be taken to the on-duty team. They only go to the hospital when the water has passed or contractions go every five minutes. You cannot go to the hospital in advance.
There are certain disadvantages with taxation. In some cases, a citizen is required to pay taxes to the treasury of the United States, even if he does not actually live there. This is necessary with an annual income of more than 105 thousand dollars. Only a small number of Americans earn more, so this norm, as a rule, is not a problem at all.
Where is better to give birth in America
When it comes time to plan a trip and take tickets to the United States, expectant mothers think about which city to give birth to. The level of medical care in America is high in all states, so it’s all about preferences. In Utah, for example, relatively low prices, local doctors prefer natural childbirth (in some clinics, doctors prescribe a birth day and stimulate the process), and the seasons coincide with the Central European.
In New York, enterprising Russians generally take out insurance and indicate that they earn less than a living wage. In this case, they can not refuse a pregnant woman free access to delivery. How legal is it? If you do not violate migration laws, then you can give birth for free without any problems and sanctions in the future.
If you want to count on a Russian-speaking doctor in America, then it is better to choose the place of residence of the Russian diaspora. These are Los Angeles (California), Chicago (Illinois), Miami (Florida), New York (New York State).
How hard is it to get a visa?
Getting a US visa for a pregnant woman is one of the most serious issues when planning a trip. It is believed that getting documents to the expectant mother is very difficult. In fact, the migration officer is only interested in one question: is the person a potential immigrant (possibly illegal) or is he connected with a lot of Russia. If the applicant works in a prestigious position with a good salary, has his own business and property, bank accounts, then there will be no problems with obtaining a visa. The crisis in the United States has not ended, so the country is interested in the arrival of people who will spend money for the good of America.
The desire to have a baby in the USA is also not a problem, but even an advantage. A woman will come for several months, and all this time she will pay for housing, medicine in the USA, buy food - all this will remain in the US economy. Obtaining citizenship by a child born in America is not a crime or potentially illegal act. This governs the country's most important law. A patriotic American will just be pleased to hear that a woman wants to give birth in the United States, because the medicine there is better than Russian, making it more comfortable and safer in the States. When crossing the border, the expectant mother expects the same situation.
How to get a visa yourself
Obtaining a visa in the USA is very simple if the person meets the requirements. If there is a permanent job (it is desirable that the salary is at least 1-1.5 thousand dollars), some real estate or business, a Schengen visa in the past, then obtaining permission will not be difficult. I do not want to deal with bureaucratic issues on my own, there is no time or self-confidence? You can contact any company that organizes trips to the States. They will make hotel reservations, plane tickets and help with filling out the questionnaire.
First you need to make a hotel reservation and tickets. Early reservations can be waived without any financial loss. Next, you need to fill out a form on the embassy website. The personal data from the documents is indicated, the dates of the trip and the address of stay in the States should be taken from the reservation. You will also need an electronic photograph. Size should be 5 x 5, resolution not less than 600 x 600 pixels, not more than 1200 x 1200 pixels, "weight" no more than 240 Kb.
After filling out the questionnaire in electronic form, you need to print a confirmation and bring it to Pony Express. This is the only courier service authorized by the US Embassy to accept documents, schedule interviews, and send documents to the applicant. The office will check the printout, set an interview date and take about $ 140 for reviewing documents.
For an interview, you need to come to the embassy on the appointed day. You need to have proof of hotel reservation and tickets with you, as well as documents that can convince the officer that immigrants to the United States are not included in the applicants' intentions. This can be a certificate of employment, study or student ID, papers confirming ownership of property. The property may be executed in a different name, but in this case, a power of attorney is required for management and disposal of property. It’s good if the property is on credit. This will convince the officer that the tourists will return back to Russia. It is worth taking with you credit cards and bank statements, documents of relatives (it is very good if there are relatives in Russia to whom people leaving will definitely return). If you had any visas in your old passport, you need to bring a photocopy with you.
It is undesirable to submit documents for the purpose of childbirth abroad alone. Even an unregistered marriage is a marriage. After obtaining a visa, the husband can stay in Russia, but it is better to apply together. It is necessary to prepare for answers to questions about where you are going, why, in which hotel you will live. If you directly ask a question in childbirth, you can safely answer that the trip is planned for this purpose. If the pregnancy is not visible (the window through which they speak with the officer is at chest level, so the stomach may not be visible), then it is better to answer the question about the purpose of the trip, that it is a rest.
The cost of medical services
The cost of giving birth in the USA is different. Much depends on the presence (or absence) of complications, the wishes of the woman, the hospital and the doctor. Basically called numbers of tens of thousands of dollars. If we talk about specific examples, the cost of an ordinary birth in a clinic in Miami is $ 2 thousand with a 24-hour stay. Each additional day of stay costs $ 600, and if two children were born - $ 825. COP costs almost 4 thousand dollars. The stay is 96 hours. A separate room costs $ 100 a day.
Staying at Memorial Regional Hospital for 48 hours and giving birth costs $ 3,800. Each additional day of stay - $ 1,200. The price does not include medical services. Actually childbirth costs 3-5 thousand dollars, examination of the child and tests - 200-300 dollars, anesthesia - 700-1000 dollars. In total, other additional costs add another 300-500 dollars. If you give birth at Jackson North Miami Medical Center, the total cost does not exceed 5 thousand dollars. This includes the services of the hospital, and the doctor, and child care.
Childbirth in Miami can be paid by installments. A pregnant woman arrives after the onset of labor, gives birth and leaves the hospital with a child. A month later, invoices for payment arrive at the specified address. They can be paid immediately and by installments. It all depends on the financial situation and arrangements with the hospital. You can take a Russian medical card with you, but it is of interest only to Russian-speaking personnel. Most likely, all tests will have to be re-submitted.
Rental housing during your stay
The budget of the trip does not add up only to the cost of delivery in the USA. You need to pay for housing for the entire stay, paperwork, tickets, food and transport. US prices have fallen since the crisis began. The apartment can be rented from $ 600 per month. One and two bedroom apartment in the USA within walking distance from the ocean will cost 1300-2500 dollars. All offers for rental and sale of real estate are in a single database. Housing is better to seek through a realtor. When searching for an apartment in the USA, an agency commission is charged to the property owner. Before arriving in America, renting a house is not possible.
Other travel expenses
In addition to medical care, renting an apartment, paperwork, you need to pay for transport, tickets to the United States and so on. If you plan a long stay, it is better to rent a car. The cost of the car will be from $ 60 per day, but if you rent for a long time, you can find offers from $ 750 per month. Russian driver’s license is valid in the USA for six months. In the future, you can get American. This is an easy procedure. You need to pass an oral test (you can with an interpreter) and driving.
A separate item of expenses is tickets Moscow - Miami (or other cities). You can choose flights with transfers - it will turn out cheaper, but it can be difficult for a pregnant woman to fly for such a long time. Therefore, in most cases, it is better to overpay for a direct plane to Miami or another city in America. It’s better to have permission from the gynecologist that a woman can fly.
Paperwork after childbirth
The cost of birth in the United States does not include the paperwork of the newborn. The hospital will need to fill out documents for an American birth certificate. Father is written according to the woman. The profile has a column Middle Name. It is important that if you do not fill it out, the child will not have a middle name even in Russian documents. After discharge, you need to go to the Department of Health and fill out additional papers. The card will be sent in a month and a half by mail to the address that was indicated in the questionnaire.
After receiving a child’s certificate, you must enter in the Russian passport. To do this, the documents received must be translated into Russian through a certified translator and sent to the state capital in order to receive an apostille. After you need to enter the child in the parent's passport at the consulate of the Russian Federation, but usually this procedure is a very problem. There is another way - you can send or transfer documents with someone to Russia, enter the newborn in the Migration Service at the place of registration, and then transfer the papers back. You can send a passport to Russia from the United States, but not back.Documents must be brought to the States by someone from a friend or relative. Most often, the father of the child does this.
Before entering the child in the parent's passport, the newborn must obtain Russian citizenship. To do this, you need to come to the consulate with the passports of both parents. You will need a certificate of the birth of the child and that the parents did not receive US citizenship. But the procedure is very difficult to do. The hospital does not issue birth certificates, there is no form at the consulate, and only 30 days after delivery are reserved for everything. Therefore, many in the reviews recommend using the original American birth certificate in Russia (with a notarized translation, of course).
United States Birth through Firm
So, if you count, then the prices in the United States for medical services are not unbearable for people with an average income. But the child receives American citizenship, medical care for women in labor at the highest level, giving birth is comfortable and safe. You can also use the services of numerous companies offering to save future parents from the hassle. A minimum package of services costs 7 thousand dollars. This amount includes the search for an obstetrician-gynecologist, translation of all documents, escort of a Russian-speaking specialist in childbirth, emergency transfer for childbirth, client transport support, and a translator.
The most expensive package costs about 50 thousand dollars. This amount includes consulting support at all stages, assistance in choosing a hospital and a doctor, receiving invitations from a doctor, consulting visits for preparing for childbirth, providing transport with an accompanying assistant, concluding an agreement with a company that preserves stem cells, antenatal care, conducting birth , medicines, lactation specialist consultation, anesthesia, planned visits to doctors after childbirth, registration with a pediatrician, translation of documents, full concierge service, advice on all issues am, excursion service, meeting and seeing all the relatives at the airport and so on. In practice, by the way, some services (for example, consulting a specialist on breastfeeding) are provided at the hospital for free.