expatagain2010

You are going to love this!
After 17 years of living in the USA on an expired visa! they are kicking us out within 4 months. We have to leave by November. We both lost our jobs and cannot get another so have used most of our savings to live on. We have an internet business worth over $100K but cannot sell it in time so the only thing we can think of is to return to the UK and claim what we can and try and start again we are both 52. We will be lucky to get out of here with $10K
Anybody have any thoughts and any info on what we could get when we get there or any suggestions?
Clive & Val

Bomber Harris

Is this a wind-up?

geeandtee

You can't claim job seeker's allowance if you have more than 16k in the bank.

You will probably have to fill in a form to satisfy Work and Pensions that you intend to remain in the UK. They question claimants very closely on this and, given the economic situation, they will probably become even more strict.

Since you've been living on an expired visa, it's highly unlikely you'd be allowed back in the US any time soon in any event.

Good luck!

expatagain2010

I wish it was, no, we have lost everything after 17 years here,never an arrest and always paid our taxes.

expatagain2010

Dont think we want to come back here after the way they treated us.
Start again somewhere else I reckon
Clive

Mummy in the foothills

Ugh you were on an expired visa so essentially illegal and got caught, you knew it could happen eventually. I know it's sad.
Can't you continue to run your business online from the UK?

expatagain2010

No the product comes from New York.
What pisses me off is all the damm Mexicans who are still here and not paying taxes!

Mummy in the foothills

Can you hire and leave a manager and an accountant with the business? then maybe send a relative back and forth to oversee things once every 6 months or so.
Just tell the manager you are going semi retired, so they don't think they can do as they please as you can't come back. It's sad your business will close and you'll lose it all.
There has to be some way to keep the business running and giving you and income in the UK.
Weren't you eligible for the amnesty they did a while back? One of our neighbors was, he to is a Brit and overstayed. Now he's legal.

EnglishRose15

Sorry, it may be a bit harsh, and I don't normally find any posts here to make my blood boil, yours did - I don't really have sympathy, when you must have known you were doing the wrong thing and lived that way for a long time, and would obviously have continued doing that if you hadn't got caught. Now you can't continue living illegally, albeit paying taxes, you want to run back to England, and claim what you can there, even though you have probably not paid any taxes there for a long time - and you are blaming the USA for your problems - take some responsibility - just paying taxes does not give you an automatic right to live anywhere you like.
Some of us love Engliand and are desparate to go back, but would not dream of doing so until we have enough money to support ourselves and not burden the taxpayers for the time it will take to get established again. You got yourselves into this mess - you need to get yourselves out of it.

expatagain2010

You have no clue at all! From day 1 we spent thousands on lawer fees to try an get legal all to no avail. we are not looking to rip UK off just trying to get some info. FYI while I was in the UK I probably paid more tax there than you have in your whole life as I was working in the North Sea earning the big bucks. Dont comment on things you have no idea about!

kimilseung

Then fill us in, your post as is does not read well.
Where did all this high income go, where are your savings, I note you say you have used it since the lose of your jobs, when was that?
Why did you need lawyers to become legit?,
Why did you want to stay in the US?
What about the income from the online business?
Why does it have to be tied to NY?

I dont think I will be able to help whatever, but I think filling in some of the blanks may help those who may be in a position to help.

expatagain2010

Well first of all if you are a UK Citizen its impossible to get legal now!
I think you are asking too many personal questions, sorry I asked for any advise

EnglishRose15

Sorry that my post hit such a raw nerve! I do not hear in any of your posts that you are taking any responsibility for the situation you are in and that was my point. There was obviously a moment in time after your legal action failed, when you chose to stay illegally in the US rather than return to a country where you could build your life and business legally.

There is a wealth of information on this site for you to access and many people prepared to share their experiences so there is no need to get personal; and how much you used to earn over 17 years ago is not relevant and I can't see any reason for putting it in.
I am a proud citizen of two great countries where I am entitled to live and work as I please and whatever happens, I do wish you well in your endeavours.

geeandtee

It is possible to get legal as a Brit.

Unfortunately, the USCIS is broken and needs fixing. There is way too much bureaucracy and way too many people wanting to live in the US. Until the politicians realise that the current problems stem from a laborious, expensive and complicated process, it won't change. Unfortunately, their efforts are concentrated on illegal immigrants rather than actually addressing the issue of why there are so many illegal immigrants.

I see that you live in AZ. I lived there for 8 years and, living there, it's very easy to assume that people from south of the border have it easier in terms of being allowed to stay. When we had our visa problems last year I'd be filthy rich if I had a dollar for every time someone said to me"If you were Mexican you wouldn't have a problem." It's just how it looks. Yes, it's frustrating when all around you, politicians and civil rights groups are wringing their hands and protesting against AZ's insane new laws and there appears to be no one fighting your corner, but that's politics. Look south of the border at the corrupt, screwed up countries these people are trying to escape. I don't approve of breaking the law but I sure as hell understand why they do it. If they get sent back, they don't have the rights that we enjoy as returning UK residents.

We returned to the UK because 2 months' severance pay means diddly squat and, frankly, we'd had enough and wanted to return home. When we moved to the US, it was because we wanted a better life. What I learned is that America ain't all that.

I guess, in my long winded way, I'm just trying to say that you're being asked to leave, not because you're a Brit, but (a) because you outstayed your visa and (b) because the current system is all buggered up.

Bomber Harris

Ok so you knew you were in the USA illegally but still chose to start a business and now don’t like it because you’ve been caught out and have been told to get out, your comment re the Mexican illegal immigrants

suggests that you think you should be treated differently than other illegal immigrants just because you’re from the UK. Well here’s a reality check, you are no different from any illegal immigrant in any country in the world, get over it and accept that you broke the law in the USA and now have to leave. As for starting over again in the UK well, if you had left the USA when your application for residency was refused you wouldn’t be in that position now would you.

As for benefits in the UK, that is currently being reviewed by the Govt. so any answer today could be wrong in a month’s time. But it never ceases to amaze me how many people who have contributed nothing to the UK purse over the preceding years (17 in your case) want to know how much they can claim when they return.