janetarthur

My husband & I moved to Florida in Sept 05. We came in on a B1 & then filed through Texas for a change of status to E2.This was all on the advice of our immigration attorney. It all went through & our present E2 expires in Feb 08.
One of our problems is that our attorney has changed firms & doesn't deal with immigration anymore. The other more pressing one is that our business is soley to do with property. We live in 1, long term local renters are in another 2 & our 4th is a 'flip'. As we haven't been able to fulfil our statements made in our original application, i.e projected profits, W2 employees etc what would be the chances of having the application for extension granted for say, another 2 years. We were lead to believe that all was going to be ok as my husbands employer would sponsor him, now they have come back after a year & said they will only sponsor pharmacists, so that's that!!!!!!

We would need to find a reasonably priced attorney to aid us with the application in the Orlando area. Does anyone know of one please?

Also a 'friend' has said just cut your losses & run, Texas won't entertain your renewal application. He knew someone in a very similar situation who just got on a plane & just left his house & everything, saying, they won't even bother to come after me. That to me just sounds totally illegal & abhorrent.

Mind you I can see why somebody would do this because you follow all their rules & regs, then something goes wrong like a property crash & what do you do.

If anybody out there has any ideas or suggestions please post them. I'm going out of my mind already, not knowing where to turn next

ian-mstm

Start here: http://www.aila.org/.

Ian

janetarthur

Thanks for the info, Ian.

Ray

You can extend you I-94 thru the USCIS ...
you are just land locked ..you cannot leave ..
well you can but you won't be getting back in
until you go for visa renewal interview..

Your initial advice received was not the best ...
but it done more than it should be ..

If you have not reached the expected figures you may have problems
especially regarding US employees ..thats the whole idea
of that visa ...

More Florida E-2 advice at www.thefloridaforums.com


Edit ...Are you an E-2 manager or the more normal
E-2 business owner

scrubbedexpat099

The business does not sound E2 suitable.

But you ust have a lot of money tied up so dumping and running is unlikely to be of interest anyway.

Do you mind being landlocked?

Ray

Having read the full story elsewhere
unless the rents you are recieving are covering your cost
selling up ..even is this difficult market is pretty much
your only option ...

The Embassy would never have given you the E-2 visa
in the first place anyway ..

janetarthur

We don't have any issues in being landlocked at all. Our only priority is being able to stay in the US legally........Our rentals & my husbands salary covers all our mortgage costs so we are just about ok that way.
I know this will be a stupid question but how simply is it to get your 1-94 extended.......how do I go about it..I have no idea. I just can't think straight at the moment.........I'm just so worried!!!

Elvira

Googling for "extend I-94" brought up this:

http://www.us-immigration-attorney.com/visa-i94.htm

janetarthur

Thank you Elvira.

scrubbedexpat099

E2 requires a substantial investment of your own money, not borrowed.

Folinskyinla

Hi:

Not necessarily so.

janetarthur

With everything I read so far there seems no point in throwing more money at the E-2 renewal process............when by all accounts we shouldn't have been let into the U.S. in the first place......So that aside, to give us more time to just try & sell our properties should we try & get a 2 year renewal on our I-94.

If so what's the best way of going about it? Would my husband still be entitled to carry on working because if he couldn't we wouldn't be able to survive financially?

Any ideas please anyone!!!!!

Elvira

I fear what you are asking is beyond the expertise and experience of most forum members. IMHO you need competent legal advice.

See Ian's post (# 2) above.

janetarthur

I agree with your IMHO...............thanks for your input

Ray

Iff Your husband got an EAD of the back of your E-2
then once the E-2 business has been sold or disposed off
then the EAD is invalid