Immigration to US as an investor?
Feb 1st 2015, 4:19 pm
#16
Lost in BE Cyberspace
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Re: Immigration to US as an investor?
You don't need warned about the positive bits, and in my opinion the positive bits are the same as in UK/Europe where it's much easier to access them, and less risk to your assets.
Feb 1st 2015, 4:58 pm
#17
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Re: Immigration to US as an investor?
It is a bit disengenuous to call it an investor visa. The eb5 is really just buying a greencard for 500k. If you are happy with that fine.
As per the rules for this visa the investment must be at risk, the area must be deprived (investment in non-deprived areas doubles the cost), the scheme cannot guarantee any return on investment. If you get any of your 500k back that is considered a bonus.
As per the rules for this visa the investment must be at risk, the area must be deprived (investment in non-deprived areas doubles the cost), the scheme cannot guarantee any return on investment. If you get any of your 500k back that is considered a bonus.
Feb 1st 2015, 5:10 pm
#18
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Re: Immigration to US as an investor?
Hi everybody,
New to this forum – registered today.
We are a family of 4 we are in our very early forties and with 2 x daughters 11 and 7, and at the beginning of the year we said that enough is enough of living in UK (for various reasons, from too much work, stress, and bad health service offered in this country , to various dissapointments lately, etc) and want to go somewhere with more sun, but with English as the main language – this reduced basically the countries to 2 – USA and Australia. We discounted Australia as being too far remote and not so much variety as in US – I refer to things to d and places to visit From the sunny states of US, we whittle it down to Florida (affordable property prices, nice beaches,etc)
So my question is how easy is these days to relocate to Florida – probably lots of questions already asked on this subject, but there is a twist – we want either to buy a business OR to settle as an investor – does anyone have experience of this lately? We want basically to work less and enjoy life and family more. How “strict” is the investor visa – e.g. do you really need to have USD 1 million in cash to take with you? We would have it if we sell a couple of properties we own in UK, but ideally we would like to rent these properties out and live basically mostly from the rent we get for them in UK. We would also have enough to buy a decent house somewhere like Orlando or Tampa, so to live mortgage free.
I would appreciate some advice/opinion from someone who did relocate on a similar visa.
I can also find easily highly paid jobs in US and probably come on a work-visa. I am currently at director-level in a plc and have 15-years experience in my field (that’s basically the maximum you can get in this field as this is when it all started). BUT I don’t want to work and travel as much as I currently do, looking to “take it easy”
Thanks in advance
New to this forum – registered today.
We are a family of 4 we are in our very early forties and with 2 x daughters 11 and 7, and at the beginning of the year we said that enough is enough of living in UK (for various reasons, from too much work, stress, and bad health service offered in this country , to various dissapointments lately, etc) and want to go somewhere with more sun, but with English as the main language – this reduced basically the countries to 2 – USA and Australia. We discounted Australia as being too far remote and not so much variety as in US – I refer to things to d and places to visit From the sunny states of US, we whittle it down to Florida (affordable property prices, nice beaches,etc)
So my question is how easy is these days to relocate to Florida – probably lots of questions already asked on this subject, but there is a twist – we want either to buy a business OR to settle as an investor – does anyone have experience of this lately? We want basically to work less and enjoy life and family more. How “strict” is the investor visa – e.g. do you really need to have USD 1 million in cash to take with you? We would have it if we sell a couple of properties we own in UK, but ideally we would like to rent these properties out and live basically mostly from the rent we get for them in UK. We would also have enough to buy a decent house somewhere like Orlando or Tampa, so to live mortgage free.
I would appreciate some advice/opinion from someone who did relocate on a similar visa.
I can also find easily highly paid jobs in US and probably come on a work-visa. I am currently at director-level in a plc and have 15-years experience in my field (that’s basically the maximum you can get in this field as this is when it all started). BUT I don’t want to work and travel as much as I currently do, looking to “take it easy”
Thanks in advance
I like it here, lots of space, friendly people, sunny and quite warm in mid winter hanging out in the sun room today, learnt how to make (good) buffalo chicken wings yesterday in preparation for Superbowl party tonight. Not that I'd eat them but OH said they were the dog's bollocks! (and they probably are, picked up our latest foster boxer dog from the vets on Friday after his neuter!
)
Feb 1st 2015, 6:05 pm
#19
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Joined: Sep 2008
Location: Rural Virginia
Posts: 1,076
Re: Immigration to US as an investor?
My comments were not intended to be negative just informative you asked was a million dollars really needed the answer is yes and that would be a minimum.
You will have to submit evidence of how you came by the $500,000.
A requirement for an EB5 submission is "an element of risk" .
One issue can be the USCIS can move the goal posts in what is considered a job created by the investment.
As for Florida the heat, humidity, hurricanes, sink holes, red necks, old people, guns, god, health care and so on either suits you or is doesn't, there are plenty of threads with positives and negatives but at the end of the day they are personal opinions.
For all mine is worth I like Marco Island in Florida.
You will have to submit evidence of how you came by the $500,000.
A requirement for an EB5 submission is "an element of risk" .
One issue can be the USCIS can move the goal posts in what is considered a job created by the investment.
As for Florida the heat, humidity, hurricanes, sink holes, red necks, old people, guns, god, health care and so on either suits you or is doesn't, there are plenty of threads with positives and negatives but at the end of the day they are personal opinions.
For all mine is worth I like Marco Island in Florida.
Feb 1st 2015, 7:01 pm
#20
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Posts: 366
Re: Immigration to US as an investor?
Many people have done it over the years from many countries. You can get either the immigrant visa EB5 which means you can stay forever or the E2 non immigrant visa which can be renewed indefinitely. But with having kids you have to go for the EB5 greencard not the E2 which is easier to obtain. With having children they will age out of the E2 visa when they reach 18 and will have to leave the country. I think the EB5 requires more investment then the E2. And everything stands or falls on a good business plan. For a family with kids E2 is not really an option I don't think.
As for Florida it will be what you make of it. But living their long term will be very different than visiting same with anywhere.
As for Florida it will be what you make of it. But living their long term will be very different than visiting same with anywhere.
Last edited by johnnybrown532; Feb 1st 2015 at 7:04 pm.
Feb 1st 2015, 7:15 pm
#21
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2011
Location: Los Angeles
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Re: Immigration to US as an investor?
Johnny..remember to point out that you have no experience of these visas, or of living in the USA.
Last edited by Hotscot; Feb 1st 2015 at 7:38 pm.
Feb 1st 2015, 7:33 pm
#22
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,463
Re: Immigration to US as an investor?
Many people have done it over the years from many countries. You can get either the immigrant visa EB5 which means you can stay forever or the E2 non immigrant visa which can be renewed indefinitely. But with having kids you have to go for the EB5 greencard not the E2 which is easier to obtain. With having children they will age out of the E2 visa when they reach 18 and will have to leave the country. I think the EB5 requires more investment then the E2. And everything stands or falls on a good business plan. For a family with kids E2 is not really an option I don't think.
As for Florida it will be what you make of it. But living their long term will be very different than visiting same with anywhere.
As for Florida it will be what you make of it. But living their long term will be very different than visiting same with anywhere.
Feb 1st 2015, 7:47 pm
#23
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Re: Immigration to US as an investor?
For a family with kids E2 is not really an option...
I don't think.
Ian
Feb 1st 2015, 8:45 pm
#24
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Re: Immigration to US as an investor?
Ok 21 not 18 my mistake I thought it was 18 big deal a couple of years but what options exist for the kids to stay beyond 21? Not many are there? The EB5 takes that out of the equation but it's more money. Ok E2 is an option but why take thoses risks when another path exists that takes them away?
Last edited by johnnybrown532; Feb 1st 2015 at 8:52 pm.
Feb 1st 2015, 9:01 pm
#25
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,463
Re: Immigration to US as an investor?
Ok 21 not 18 my mistake I thought it was 18 big deal a couple of years but what options exist for the kids to stay beyond 21? Not many are there? The EB5 takes that out of the equation but it's more money. Ok E2 is an option but why take thoses risks when another path exists that takes them away?
Feb 1st 2015, 9:16 pm
#26
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Re: Immigration to US as an investor?
Three years... not "a couple". I fail to see why you simply can't post accurate information. Are you incapable?
There is only one - they must qualify on their own for a visa.
Why? People have their reasons! There have been many spirited discussions about this topic over the years... so use the search function and find out what others have to say. If you really want to know... the info is available. All you need to do is read.
Ian
... but what options exist for the kids to stay beyond 21? Not many are there?
OK E2 is an option but why take thoses risks when another path exists that takes them away?
Ian
Feb 1st 2015, 9:18 pm
#27
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Re: Immigration to US as an investor?
Feb 1st 2015, 9:22 pm
#28
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Re: Immigration to US as an investor?
Ok 21 not 18 my mistake I thought it was 18 big deal a couple of years but what options exist for the kids to stay beyond 21? Not many are there? The EB5 takes that out of the equation but it's more money. Ok E2 is an option but why take thoses risks when another path exists that takes them away?
Feb 2nd 2015, 8:44 am
#29
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Joined: Jan 2015
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Re: Immigration to US as an investor?
everybody, thanks again, I learned quite a few things about US and Florida so far, so for me it was definitively worth writing here - the bit about difference in visas E2 not allowing children to get green cards when they reach 21 makes it basically a no-no. So if it will be, then EB5 will be.
And talking about EB5, I have one more question - the USD500k needed - do I need to prove I have them or do I really need to invest them BEFORE applying for visa? and if I need to invest them, do I need to follow what the US government tells me to invest into? For instance, I would have no problem to invest USD 500k to buy couple of houses near Orlando and rent them out as holiday lets - it would actually boost the income received from UK from rent
- would this be considered "investment"?
Anyway, we plan to have 3-weeks holiday in summer in Orlando/Tampa and we will drive around, see everything to be seen, and then we will take it from there. By then though I need to know as many details as possible, so to be ready to make a decision basically
All the best
Adrian
And talking about EB5, I have one more question - the USD500k needed - do I need to prove I have them or do I really need to invest them BEFORE applying for visa? and if I need to invest them, do I need to follow what the US government tells me to invest into? For instance, I would have no problem to invest USD 500k to buy couple of houses near Orlando and rent them out as holiday lets - it would actually boost the income received from UK from rent
- would this be considered "investment"? Anyway, we plan to have 3-weeks holiday in summer in Orlando/Tampa and we will drive around, see everything to be seen, and then we will take it from there. By then though I need to know as many details as possible, so to be ready to make a decision basically
All the best
Adrian
Feb 2nd 2015, 11:23 am
#30
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,463
Re: Immigration to US as an investor?
..... And talking about EB5, I have one more question - the USD500k needed - do I need to prove I have them or do I really need to invest them BEFORE applying for visa? and if I need to invest them, do I need to follow what the US government tells me to invest into? For instance, I would have no problem to invest USD 500k to buy couple of houses near Orlando and rent them out as holiday lets - it would actually boost the income received from UK from rent - would this be considered "investment"? .....
- would this be considered "investment"? .....
Suffice to say, buying a couple of rental house is not even close to meeting the requirements for an EB-5.And in case it isn't clear from anything else you read about EB-5 "investments", they are divided into multiple tranches designed for the risk appetite of different investors. So your resort project or office park development will be funded by some bank lending, some insurance and pension fund investment mangers, some venture capital funds, some hedge funds, ..... and some EB-5 investors, who will get nothing back unless all the investors ahead of them get their expected return, and in the event that reality falls even a little short of the rosy projections, the EB-5 investors' capital will be wiped out entirely! Seriously, you should expect to lose the entire $500k, and be delighted if you get back $100 of your investment. .... Not $100k, $100. That is the reality of EB-5 investments.
And yes, you have to pony-up $500k before the visas are issued to you and your family. The money is held in escrow until the visas are issued, and returned to you if the visas are denied.
Last edited by Pulaski; Feb 2nd 2015 at 12:33 pm.