MaryWinchester

Hi all, I have read the sticky on Visa's to the US with much interest if not dissappointment as it pretty much rules out myself and my partner the chance of achieving our dream and moving out there.

I was chatting to a friend of mine about it who said her sister in law and her husband were thinking of emigrating to Florida. I asked which route they would be going down as they are similar in work status to us (in so much as they do 'normal jobs', nothing high flying with multi-national company's or running hundred thousand dollar business's).

Apparently when they holiday'd in Florida, they got talking to the pool cleaning guy who was English and from that converstation thought about moving out there to work for two years and then after 2 years, they could apply to live there permanatly and their case would be assessed then?

Does this route ring any bells with anyone? Living and working there for two years then applying to live there permanatly? I would be interested to know as all the reading up I've done, I've obviously missed something if thats the case?

lisa67

well that's a new one on me!!!! Everyone who wants to work in the US or even stay longer than the 90 days you can visit using the VWP needs a VISA.
I'd be interested to hear which visa your friends think they'll be coming over on

fatbrit

The guy's on an E2. You really don't want to go there. Put $250k or so down and you can live here temporarily. It doesn't convert directly to permanently -- he got that part wrong. The business goes, you go. This visa causes more misery than you could ever dream. And pool maintenance is the bottom rung on the ladder.

Ray

Another case of bad communication ..after 2 years he can apply for another visa and hope he gets it
is more the case

MaryWinchester

Ahh.....so you think that the pool cleaner guy has his own business, invested $250K in it and he can live there for two years. At this time he will be assessed on if he can stay (and get a green card?) or if his business isn't doing well then they may kick him back to the UK? So that route would involve starting your own business. Ahhh.....I see. But you don't rate this as a way in obviously Its probably the only way 'normal' for want of a better word people can get in though surely? As I say I from reading up on getting over there, this would probably be the only way we could get in?

fatbrit

Forget the green card -- it's not part of this package.

The sensible reason to get an E2 is that you're an entrepreneur who genuinely wants to kick American ass and really show those dumb Yanks how to make money.

Unfortunately, most choose it irrespective of their experience and skills simply because it's the only one available to them. This is the road to misery.

MaryWinchester

Ok thanks fatbrit. I run two business's here but they are small fry and wouldn't be enough to kick butt as you say

fatbrit

Then we're on to an L1 intra-company transfer and a far brighter hope.

MaryWinchester

I doubt it. They are tiny business's - one is a local service business which I obviously couldn't relocate and the other is an internet shop which brings in a bit of extra cash but more like pocket money no where near enough to live off!

[goes off to research L1 intra-company transfers]

Folinskyinla

Hi:

There is the EB-5 immigrant investor status which allows for "Conditional Permanent Residence" with the condition being a second application 2 years later to remove the condition.

A pool cleaning business sounds kind of dicey for the $500,000/$1,000,000 investment required. Either has to be a new business which creates 10 new jobs or can be a "distressed" existing business which saves 10 jobs already in existence.