Noorah101

Hi,

I'm honestly just curious why you've continued for 11 years, when it sounds very stressful and expensive?

Rene

Aqua

OhWottodo

Thats all crossed my mind. I was told that there is a route to becoming a Permanent resident.

Does any one have knowledge of that?

ohwottodo

When you get the visa you move your whole life over - we came to the US with our kids, dog and box of photos - so everything we have here we have built from scratch. We have worked very hard at our businesses which have been very successful. We were going to move back a few years ago but our eldest had started High School and Middle one was doing exams. So to move 3 children in the middle of a school year especially high school from a country that they have grown up in ( US ) to a foreign country ( to them ) would not be in their best interests. Schooling is hard enough as it is.

We love it here where we are but when you get the E2 visa you are so excited for your new adventure that you don't even think of the consequences.

To move back now we would again have to sell our business , sell our home, leave our friends and community. This is not just us this is happening to so many E2'ers having to pack up and leave the life they live because of the ridiculousness of this visa.
People are lobbying for an E2 visa reform which hopefully will have positive results.

ohwottodo

There is NO route for a green card from an E2 visa. This is a non immigrant visa. You can not retire in the US and if the business fails then you have to leave the country.
Our middle child is 3 years away from aging out, Our youngest 5 years so reality is hitting us hard.
They have been here since 4 and 7 yrs old and have been through the school system here so to move back to the UK on their own where they have visited twice in the past 11 years is not really an option.
We have no support system for them to go back to.

So the other option is to sell our business and move back and to all start again.. easier said than done but might have to go that route.

Nutmegger

But you stated that the children will age out at 21 -- that makes it sound as if the sooner you had taken them away from a country where they are headed towards a dead-end the better -- e.g. disruption sooner rather than later?

ohwottodo

They would be ( imo ) better finishing their schooling in one place - it's very different here than the UK and the schooling is better. At least they will have their qualifications here and college.
By the time my daughter finishes college she will have her qualifications as an RN
You can't just pack up a business and leave to move back ( sounds alot easier than it actually is ) alot of planning has to be done. We are on a 5 year exit plan just in case we have to move back - I am not prepared to move back to the UK with nothing.

Aqua

This is an interesting article, I know they want our money and so paint a sunny picture but it is quite informative

Applying for a Green Card With an E-2 Visa - AllLaw.com

ohwottodo

Also saying all that and having a moan I must say I do not regret moving here at all.
I do believe the children have had a better life and upbringing here than what was offered in the UK.
They have had such a worldly exposure and travelled to places that we would not have dreamt of if we have stayed in the UK.
They have been all over America also on missions trips, they have travelled to Mexico and the Domincan ( our youngest actually saw his classmate at the consulate in the Dominican )
Their outlook on life and the future is a positive one whatever country it may be in, so its not all doom and gloom. ( i'm just going through a hate period with the E2 at the moment )

sir_eccles

The last one is the only one I've heard of. Essentially you run your E2 business badly enough that it qualifies under the EB5 as a distressed business (can't remember the technical term). You still need to chip in all the cash the EB5 requires though.

Surely you are overlooking the obvious option. You have a presumably successful pool business in Canada. If you can leave someone else running it, why can't you then open a US office and move through that. L1 I think.

Aqua

Is that possible?
I am in the process of setting up an LLC in Delaware to allow me to trade in the US.

I will check out the L1

ian-mstm

FIFY.

Ian

Aqua

FIFY???

ohwottodo

Surely you are overlooking the obvious option. You have a presumably successful pool business in Canada. If you can leave someone else running it, why can't you then open a US office and move through that. L1 I think.[/QUOTE]


YES! I wish we had gone that route !! definitely worth you checking into

Ray

FIFY means "Fixed It For You"

Aqua

Aha