At Protect Travel, people ask us this often: "I just got my green card and my job's health plan hasn't started yet. Can I buy visitor insurance for now?" Or: "I live abroad but keep my green card. Can I buy a visitor plan for my trip to the US?"
The honest answer is usually no, and it's better to know that before you buy than at the hospital. Here is who the plans are for, and what does fit.
Visitor plans are for visitors
Visitor medical insurance is written for people who live in another country and are spending time in the US. Our visitor plans are for non-US citizens who live outside the US, and they aren't for people who already live here. Cover can also end if the visitor becomes a US resident.
So a green card holder who lives in the US can't use a visitor plan for care in the US. A new immigrant who arrives to live here is moving their home to the US, which doesn't fit a visitor plan either. If you're not sure where you stand, call us before you buy.
Buying a plan you aren't eligible for doesn't buy you coverage. Terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions apply.
If you live in the US with a green card
You need US health insurance, not travel insurance. The usual routes:
- Your employer's plan, if your job offers one. Ask when it starts; there's often a waiting period.
- The Health Insurance Marketplace (HealthCare.gov or your state's own site). Lawful permanent residents can generally buy Marketplace plans, and moving to the US may open a special enrollment period.
We sell travel insurance, not US health insurance. For Marketplace or employer plans, HealthCare.gov or a licensed health insurance agent in your state can help.
If you live abroad and keep a green card
This is the gray area. You may live in Tel Aviv or Mumbai and come to the US twice a year. Whether a visitor plan accepts a green card holder who lives abroad is a question for the insurer, not for us to guess. Call us before you buy and we'll get you an answer.
Where travel insurance does fit
- When you travel abroad from the US. A green card holder who lives here buys travel insurance as a US resident, like anyone else living here. Your US health plan may pay little outside the US, so check before you go. See what travel insurance covers.
- When family visits you. Parents or relatives coming from abroad are visitors, and visitor plans are made for them. See our guides for parents from India and from Israel.
- When your visitor becomes a resident. If a parent on a visitor plan gets a green card during the stay, plan the switch to US health insurance before that date, not after.
A quick checklist
- Living in the US with a green card: you need US health insurance, not a visitor plan.
- Just arrived to live here: same. Bridge to your employer or Marketplace plan.
- Living abroad with a green card: ask us before buying anything.
- Traveling abroad from the US: buy as a US resident.
- Family visiting you: visitor plans fit them.
Talk to us
If your situation doesn't fit neatly into one of these, call Protect Travel at 877-720-6696 (Mon–Fri, 9am–6pm ET) or email info@protecttravel.com. We'll tell you plainly whether a plan we sell fits, and if it doesn't, we'll say so.
Get a travel insurance quote from Protect Travel →
Terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. See the plan details on our website before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
Can a green card holder buy visitor insurance for care in the US?
Generally no. Protect Travel's visitor plans are for non-US citizens who live outside the US and are visiting. Call us if you're unsure. Terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions apply.
I'm a new immigrant waiting for my employer's health plan. What can I do?
Look at the Health Insurance Marketplace and ask your employer when the plan starts. A move to the US may open a special enrollment period. Visitor plans are written for people who live abroad.
I have a green card but live abroad. Can I buy a visitor plan for a US trip?
It depends on the plan and the insurer's rules. Call us before you buy and we'll get you an answer.
Can green card holders buy travel insurance for trips abroad?
Yes. A green card holder living in the US buys travel insurance as a US resident, the same as anyone else living here. Terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions apply.
My parent got a green card during their visit. What happens to their visitor plan?
A visitor plan is for visitors, so cover can end once the person becomes a US resident. Arrange US health insurance before then. Terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions apply.
This guide is general information, not medical, legal or immigration advice.
Terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. See the plan details on our website before you buy.