PeterDenny

I'm new to this site, but it's proving to be an absolute goldmine in terms of advice and personal experience.

I am a British male, 35, planning on coming out to Florida (St Augustine) and staying for the max of my 6-month max B2 visa.

My accomodation is being taken care of by friends, so all I need to do is bring out enough money to cover my basic living expenses - food and so on.

Trying to plan my saving plan to prepare for 6-months in Florida, if we disregard rent, utility bills and any money I may spend on travelling and touristy things, and assume that I'm a non-smoking, clean living person, what is the average amount of money

Or what general suggestions can people give about how much money they've been spending p/month? Any surprising areas of expense? Any things delightfully cheaper than you were expecting?

Also, I have a little rosella parakeet that I've owned since I was a teenager. He's an aggressive sociopath so I can't happily rehome him, and I can find so much info on importing dogs/cats, but nothing on the rules, restrictions, processes and quarantine periods for exotic birds?

Do I need to fill in any paperwork, or simply turn up at the airport with him in a carrying case?
Can I take him on as feathery and furious hand luggage? :curse:
He was a gift from a family member back in the 90's, so I've got no proof of ownership...will this be a problem?
Does he need to have a vets check before he flies, or is there a quarantine period once he arrives in the USA?

Advice/suggestions? Personal experience?

Many thanks all

Pete

nettlebed

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_exp...pet_bird.shtml

fatbrit

Bringing a pet will be one of the best ways to make your plan fail. As will a B2 visa application if you are otherwise qualified for the VWP.

PeterDenny

With the VWP I can stay in the USA for up to 3months, but as I want to stay out there (without working) for up to 6months I felt the B2 visa would be more applicable. Or am I incorrect?

nettlebed

B2 visas are only very rarely granted if the applicant is eligible for VWP, the main exception being retirees.

PeterDenny

Ah...I was unaware of this. Then this is probably answered in an existing thread, but how do I extend my VWP 3-month visit into a 6month one? Is it a fairly straightforward process, one that I'm able to do that while in the USA?

nettlebed

It's very straightforward: you don't extend it. It can not be extended. Get used to the idea of a 90-day (not three-month) stay.

fatbrit

B2 will most probably be denied and you'll then find it more difficult to visit the US.

Plan your trip for 85 days under the VWP, leave the pet at home, and don't plan another trip to the US for at least 90 days after you leave. Then you'll most probably be fine.

nettlebed

Clarification for OP, just in case it's not clear: when you apply for ESTA to travel under VWP you must declare all visa refusals. While these will not necessarily prevent you from being allowed to seek entrance to the US under VWP, it is an extra consideration which probably makes is more likely that the ESTA will be refused, or that you will be denied entry when arriving at the port of entry to the USA.

PeterDenny

People, this has been fantastic.

I appreciate you need to take a blunt, no nonsense approach to replying as I'm no doubt asking the same questions that get asked every few days by people who don't take the time to scroll through all the threads, but taking that into consideration you've been very factual about things.

I really thought the B2 visa was the sensible alternative if you wanted to spend more than 3months in the USA.

Ok, forget the bird, he can roam free and terrorise the sparrows of the UK, change in approach:

Part of my need to visit for up to 6-months is because I'm coming out to volunteer at a church in the USA that's the twin of my church in the UK - all volunteer work, no money changing hands, and I'm fully aware of my need to raise enough capital to feed and cover my own expenses for that period - and they're working towards a December 2011 completion goal on a project they're working on.

Adjusting my tactics to work with the VWP, I know I want to be there for the begining and end of the project (June-Dec 2011).

If I simply visit on a VWP visa do I need to march up to someone and declare my intentions at the airport, or do I simply book my ticket, fly and arrive and only explain about my reasons for visting if the immigration/customs officer queries my motives?

How about I break up my visit and go out for a 2-month visit in Jun/July until Aug 2011, then come back and sit pretty in the UK for the same amount of time, then go back out in November 2011 and see out the end of the project.

Is general group consensus that this should work? Bearing in mind that I haven't travelled to the USA since 1994, so I'm not a frequent flyer and shouldn't trigger any concerns about abusing the VWP.

TimFountain

Check this:-

Voluntary Work
Individuals participating in a voluntary service program which benefits a U.S. local community, who establish that they are a member of, and have a commitment to, a particular recognized religious or nonprofit charitable organization, may be eligible for a B-1 visa or visa free travel under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) if the work to be performed is traditionally done by volunteer charity workers; they will receive no salary or remuneration from a U.S. source, other than an allowance or other reimbursement for expenses incidental to their stay in the United State; and they will not engage in the selling of articles and/or the solicitation and acceptance of donations.

A voluntary service program is an organized project conducted by a recognized religious or nonprofit charitable organization to provide assistance to the poor or the needy, or to further a religious or charitable cause.

If your proposed activities as a voluntary worker are not exactly as described, you will require either an exchange visitor (J-1) or temporary worker (H-2B) visa.

Please Note: When applying for entry into the United States as a voluntary worker with a visa or under the VWP, you should furnish a letter from your U.S. sponsor which contains the following information:

•Your name and date and place of birth;
•Your foreign permanent residence address;
•The name and address of initial destination in the U.S.; and
•The anticipated duration of your assignment.

Source:-
http://london.usembassy.gov/b1.html

Souds like a B1 visa might actually be useful in this situation.

- Tim

PeterDenny

Thank you dear man, but I suspect I might just use the VWP to avoid complicating things, and a 2-month return back to the UK could work out quite well as, instead of having to save up for 6-months in the USA, I can save enough now to cover a 2-month visit, go back to the UK and earn enough to fund my next 2-3-month visit.

Before you ask, I can assure you it will be legitimate work: my manager/friend will hold my job for me while I'm in the USA, and may actually be happier with 2 short breaks with work in-between instead of one big 6-month break.

So...getting back to my original query, how much do you think should be budgeted to cover basic living expenses? I keep on being told America is amazingly cheaper than the UK, but don't want to presume it's a promised land of free food and clothes giveaways.

Lets assume that I'll budget enough to cover any hire car option I might go for, and I have no need to pay for rented accomodation or utility bills, so after those expenses what would people suggest as a good figure to budget for a monthly spend?

Obv I'll set aside enough an emergency fund for those 'Just In Case' moments and will get holiday health insurance before I go.

nettlebed

It varies from place to place: since you have a strong local contact group in the place you're heading to, ask them: they will have a much better idea of on-the-ground costs in the city you'll be working in. Also, churches often get a lot of local breaks in addition to avoiding their social responsibilities for paying tax like everyone else has to. Take advantage of people who know the situation far better than anyone here can.

PeterDenny

That was actually quite a presumption and although it's a fair point no, I do not have a strong local contact group; this has been set in motion by people within my church who want to support the project but are as clueless as I am about living in America. This is why I'm posting on this site instead of sourcing info directly from contacts.

Also a good suggestion, and the churches may get a lot of breaks, but again, if these were things on offer to me I would already have a lot of my questions answered.

I know there are a lot of variables here, but for the sake of giving me cold hard factuals, getting back to my original question of roughly how much it costs to last one month in America if anyone who's recently gone out the Florida/Southern states can give me a ballpark figure of $$$ it would be much appreciated.

nettlebed

If I were you I wouldn't feel happy going to work with people who wouldn't answer a few questions. Ask them (I'm assuming here that you can get names, telephone numbers, and email addresses for the people in St Pete), and if you get no answer, then I would think twice or thrice about going to work with such an unhelpful bunch of miserable b4stards.

If you can't even get contact details, then suspect you're being hung out to dry by the Floridians, the people in your own church, or possibly both: it wouldn't be the first time churches have screwed people over by any means...