Life Insurance for undocumented (illegal) residents

by Guest » Tue Dec 01, 2009 11:24 pm
Guest

I am looking for a company that will insure an undocumented (illegal) resident. The applicant does not have a Visa or Green card. He has been in California for over 10 years and has no plans on leaving. He is self-employed and two of his kids are citizens. Is there any company that will issue life insurance on him.

Thanks,

New7

Total Comments: 13

Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 12:19 am Post Subject:

Not that I am aware of...have you googled the idea?

InsTeacher 8)

Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 01:15 am Post Subject:

Googled but had no luck

Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 02:50 am Post Subject:

Lloyd's? This is nothing more than a guess.

Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 09:53 pm Post Subject:

You probably want international cover as this is less restrictive. As a thought, many travel insurance policies have a death benefit and are available on an annual basis.

you'd want to read the fine print of course - there could be exclusions if he's "travelling" illegally, but it could be an option?

Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 10:07 pm Post Subject:

Heidrek...the OP was looking for information on life insurance, not travel
accident insurance.

I know of zero carriers that will issue to an illegal alien.

InsTeacher 8)

Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 08:03 am Post Subject:

Sorry . . . but everyone is overlooking the USA PATRIOT Act here. Requires that we, as agents, check the ID of the person applying for insurance to be sure they are not a money launderer (it says if you are on your driver license :lol:).

Seriously, without a valid SSN or TIN, the insurance companies are prohibited under federal law from doing business with a non-resident. If he has a valid California DL/ID and a valid SSN/TIN, he can apply. But if he doesn't have both of them, he cannot.

This is one instance where illegal immigrants don't get everything they want. Regardless of how long they've been here or whether they have intent to stay. His intent to stay or his citizen children in CA carry no weight with ICE when they come to arrest and deport him.

Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 01:56 am Post Subject: insurance

MAX........I have to 'hand it to you'!! You are being very 'neutral' on this issue and simply answering the question without prejudice.....good for you!! However.....I do have to say why would 'we' want to give 'our' benefits to someone who is in 'our' country illegally? I know everyone has their opionion on this.....and this happens to be mine. If he/she doesn't have a Green Card, etc., that means that he/she doesn't 'exist' in our country.

Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 02:16 am Post Subject:

Non-residents CAN and do obtain life insurance in the US. But only when they are here legally, as with a visa, and only if they obtain a TIN (to avoid the dreaded "backup withholding" nonsense in our tax code). I have two apps currently in process for a pair of Korean nationals here legally on visas.

Not going to step into sdchargersfans discussion of who exists or not. To quote a dead philosopher: "If a tree falls in the woods, and no one is there, does it make a sound?"

Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 02:19 am Post Subject: insurance

MAX...you said you have applications on LEGAL 'personel'. Ok......the 'tree' comment DID make me think.

Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 05:52 am Post Subject:

Yes, on a gentleman (48 ) who is a seminary professor here on sabbatical (he studied at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena) and his nephew (31) who is now studying at Fuller. The professor returns to Korea in July/August, his nephew will be here for 2-3 more years.

According to the professor, life insurance in Korea is not as open as it is here. And rates here are better due to life expectancy (and I've told them to expect to be rated substandard due to lower life expectancy in S Korea -- 73 vs 79 in USA -- but I could be surprised. Just have to wait and see.

The insurer requires a US address on the app, a TIN, and a copy of valid passport and visa. But other than that, it's not really a big deal. Money is money, as long as it keeps coming. Like I tell my students, if it can be insured, there will always be an insurer willing to take on the risk for the right amount of money.

The only other "international" clients I've had in the past 10 years were German and Croatian nationals who had a business interest here. They would come to conduct business for several months at a time (sometimes together, sometimes separately), before returning home. Policies were issued without a hitch. $1MM face on one, $1,5MM on the other.

But I was once asked to write apps on five Salvadoreans who lived together. Strange thing was that they all had the same Social Security Number, and couldn't understand why I would choose not to write the apps. I told them, in this instance, I was going to violate the Insurance Code and refuse to take their applications because I did not believe they were here legally. And this was 3 or 4 years before the events of Sept 11, 2001. They also wanted Roth IRAs! "Sorry, no habla espanol." I'm confident the Commissioner would have understood my position.

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