Where is the anger?
Sep 10th 2021, 2:51 pm
#16
Account Closed
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 0
Re: Where is the anger?
"You pays your money and you takes your choice" . . . we made the decision to move to this country, and that decision will impact every aspect of the rest of our lives, for better and for worse. All we can do at times like this is get on with life -- and keep that stiff British upper lip! As has been pointed out, at least nowadays we can still see our loved ones via online meetings.
Fair enough, this situation is different right now so the OP needs to either accept it or pack your bags and move back. If you want your life here to be successful then I wouldn't recommend the second choice!
Sep 10th 2021, 3:30 pm
#17
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2017
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 455
Re: Where is the anger?
The fact that there's people elsewhere in the world who haven't had a single dose yet is awful - and we should absolutely be working to get them vaccinated - but I really don't see what that has to do with travel between the US and the UK.
In the context of the conversation it absolutely is a pandemic of the unvaccinated.
Sep 10th 2021, 3:33 pm
#18
Often not so civil...
Joined: Apr 2010
Location: The Boonies, GA
Posts: 9,561
Re: Where is the anger?
The fact that there's people elsewhere in the world who haven't had a single dose yet is awful - and we should absolutely be working to get them vaccinated - but I really don't see what that has to do with travel between the US and the UK.
A faulty assumption.
Sep 10th 2021, 3:37 pm
#19
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2017
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 455
Re: Where is the anger?
Now that we DO have effective, safe vaccines that are freely available to everyone it really makes little sense to continue the restrictions for non-immigrant visa holders who are vaccinated, all the whilst US Citizens and Permanent Residents (many of who are not vaccinated and have no intention of getting vaccinated) have been able to freely travel in and out of the UK all along.
The indisputable fact is that ICUs here in the US aren't full of people retuning from their holidays or foreign nationals who have visited their families, they are full of Americans who have explicitly chosen not to take a freely available vaccine.
Sep 10th 2021, 3:41 pm
#20
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2017
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 455
Re: Where is the anger?
It's an Executive Order; it can literally be changed at the stroke of a pen.
Sep 10th 2021, 3:41 pm
#21
BE Enthusiast
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 348
Re: Where is the anger?
True, but vaccination status can be easily checked on boarding or arrival rather than a blanket ban. At the moment, no one who isn't American is flying to the US from the UK (or Europe).
Sep 10th 2021, 3:54 pm
#22
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: East Seaxe
Posts: 72,535
Re: Where is the anger?
Permanent residents can also enter the US freely, not just citizens.
Sep 10th 2021, 4:20 pm
#23
Just Joined
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 14
Re: Where is the anger?
I am not sure if I am understanding, you say because you are British you are not allowed to fly back to the UK from the USA. I know two sets of UK families who left from LAX and flew to Heathrow and they have spent time in the UK this past August visiting their families back there in the UK and they came back to the US without any issues. They all had UK passports and green cards.
Sep 10th 2021, 4:22 pm
#24
BE Enthusiast
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 348
Sep 10th 2021, 4:23 pm
#25
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Oct 2007
Location: In a darkened room somewhere.............
Posts: 34,033
Re: Where is the anger?
And that's the difference - only citizens and green card holders are currently allowed to enter the US from the UK, plus a limited bunch of other people (spouses of US citizens etc). The rest of us are subject to the travel ban that's been in place since March 2020. The OP appears to be on a work visa, so isn't exempt from the travel ban unfortunately.
Sep 10th 2021, 5:41 pm
#26
Joined: Apr 2005
Location: Milwaukie, Oregon
Posts: 9,965
Re: Where is the anger?
This is one of the big disadvantages to living/working in a foreign land. The rules and regulations under which a person decides to do so can, and are, changed at the stoke of a pen. If someone is on a work visa there is a element of insecurity attached to that arrangement. People tend to make the assumption that things will remain the same but sometimes the uncontrollable throws a spanner in the works.
I haven't seen my sons in the UK for over 2 years. One grand daughter I haven't even met yet in person. While the regulations allow us to travel, Mrs L is in a high risk group and we are not prepared to take the risk, so I too feel somewhat imprisoned. If Biden is wrong and keeps the regulations in place at worse he inconveniences a lot of people. If he removes the regulations and is wrong he may well increase the number of deaths.
There is little much of us can do about it, but at the moment life has dealt those of us who decided to leave their homeland and live elsewhere a bad hand.
I haven't seen my sons in the UK for over 2 years. One grand daughter I haven't even met yet in person. While the regulations allow us to travel, Mrs L is in a high risk group and we are not prepared to take the risk, so I too feel somewhat imprisoned. If Biden is wrong and keeps the regulations in place at worse he inconveniences a lot of people. If he removes the regulations and is wrong he may well increase the number of deaths.
There is little much of us can do about it, but at the moment life has dealt those of us who decided to leave their homeland and live elsewhere a bad hand.
Sep 10th 2021, 6:45 pm
#27
Account Closed
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 0
Re: Where is the anger?
This is one of the big disadvantages to living/working in a foreign land. The rules and regulations under which a person decides to do so can, and are, changed at the stoke of a pen. If someone is on a work visa there is a element of insecurity attached to that arrangement. People tend to make the assumption that things will remain the same but sometimes the uncontrollable throws a spanner in the works.
I haven't seen my sons in the UK for over 2 years. One grand daughter I haven't even met yet in person. While the regulations allow us to travel, Mrs L is in a high risk group and we are not prepared to take the risk, so I too feel somewhat imprisoned. If Biden is wrong and keeps the regulations in place at worse he inconveniences a lot of people. If he removes the regulations and is wrong he may well increase the number of deaths.
There is little much of us can do about it, but at the moment life has dealt those of us who decided to leave their homeland and live elsewhere a bad hand.
I haven't seen my sons in the UK for over 2 years. One grand daughter I haven't even met yet in person. While the regulations allow us to travel, Mrs L is in a high risk group and we are not prepared to take the risk, so I too feel somewhat imprisoned. If Biden is wrong and keeps the regulations in place at worse he inconveniences a lot of people. If he removes the regulations and is wrong he may well increase the number of deaths.
There is little much of us can do about it, but at the moment life has dealt those of us who decided to leave their homeland and live elsewhere a bad hand.
Sep 10th 2021, 6:58 pm
#28
DE-UK-NZ-IE-US... the TYP
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 2,855
Re: Where is the anger?
I'm in several British expat groups and I feel like I am in the minority with my frustrations over Biden's travel ban.
We haven't been able to get over to the UK for 2 years. I live in fear of my UK family getting sick. My mother has chronic health issues, as does my sister. I can go there and help out, but I won't get back to my home in the US, not without a ridiculous layover on the way back that I can't afford. My kids won't get back to school, and I won't get back to my work. I am on an L-1 visa in a 'non-critical' industry, so NIEs are not an option for me.
My kids grandparents have missed birthdays, other life events and everything in between. I went through major surgery here and we had to rely on the help of only one two friends who live nearby. We are extremely stressed by all of this.
We've done our part. Both my wife and I got our vaccines. We wear our masks everywhere.
I want to live here and I want my kids to have a better life, but I am so fed up of paying in to the US economy and getting nothing back. I work in a specialized industry and pay a fortune in taxes here.
But what do we get? No stimulus, no child tax credits, and no way back to our family in the UK that won't cost a fortune. When I see Biden's family holidaying in Europe, my frustration boils over.
I feel like a second class citizen and I don't even think we are an afterthought for Biden.
Where do we go from here? I've composed letters, I've sent tweets, I've tried to make phone calls. When will this administration listen to the pain they are causing and "follow the science" like they say they do?
We haven't been able to get over to the UK for 2 years. I live in fear of my UK family getting sick. My mother has chronic health issues, as does my sister. I can go there and help out, but I won't get back to my home in the US, not without a ridiculous layover on the way back that I can't afford. My kids won't get back to school, and I won't get back to my work. I am on an L-1 visa in a 'non-critical' industry, so NIEs are not an option for me.
My kids grandparents have missed birthdays, other life events and everything in between. I went through major surgery here and we had to rely on the help of only one two friends who live nearby. We are extremely stressed by all of this.
We've done our part. Both my wife and I got our vaccines. We wear our masks everywhere.
I want to live here and I want my kids to have a better life, but I am so fed up of paying in to the US economy and getting nothing back. I work in a specialized industry and pay a fortune in taxes here.
But what do we get? No stimulus, no child tax credits, and no way back to our family in the UK that won't cost a fortune. When I see Biden's family holidaying in Europe, my frustration boils over.
I feel like a second class citizen and I don't even think we are an afterthought for Biden.
Where do we go from here? I've composed letters, I've sent tweets, I've tried to make phone calls. When will this administration listen to the pain they are causing and "follow the science" like they say they do?
Your not a second class citizen, your an alien, they only start treating you more like a citizen when you have a path to citizenship/voting , aka have your green card.. and citizenship is your to loose..
I don’t understand your other points, if you were under the AGI level of $150k to be eligible to receive any stimulus check you are not really paying a fortune in taxes… if your earning more than the limit you would not qualify a citizen either… having moved from working in Ireland and the UK I can tell you that I found US income taxes to be lower than both of them once your take in to account all the deductions and allowances and look at the effective rate paid.
Sep 10th 2021, 8:20 pm
#29
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 33
Re: Where is the anger?
I probably sit on the other side of the fence… I think there should have been more travel restrictions, including for USC, probably close to the NZ model with proper quarantine enforced on arrival for all. I am a dual citizen and could have traveled and did not because I did not think any of the family stuff was a good enough reason vs. the population health risk.
Your not a second class citizen, your an alien, they only start treating you more like a citizen when you have a path to citizenship/voting , aka have your green card.. and citizenship is your to loose..
I don’t understand your other points, if you were under the AGI level of $150k to be eligible to receive any stimulus check you are not really paying a fortune in taxes… if your earning more than the limit you would not qualify a citizen either… having moved from working in Ireland and the UK I can tell you that I found US income taxes to be lower than both of them once your take in to account all the deductions and allowances and look at the effective rate paid.
Your not a second class citizen, your an alien, they only start treating you more like a citizen when you have a path to citizenship/voting , aka have your green card.. and citizenship is your to loose..
I don’t understand your other points, if you were under the AGI level of $150k to be eligible to receive any stimulus check you are not really paying a fortune in taxes… if your earning more than the limit you would not qualify a citizen either… having moved from working in Ireland and the UK I can tell you that I found US income taxes to be lower than both of them once your take in to account all the deductions and allowances and look at the effective rate paid.
Sep 10th 2021, 8:23 pm
#30
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 33
Re: Where is the anger?
I am not sure if I am understanding, you say because you are British you are not allowed to fly back to the UK from the USA. I know two sets of UK families who left from LAX and flew to Heathrow and they have spent time in the UK this past August visiting their families back there in the UK and they came back to the US without any issues. They all had UK passports and green cards.