Ron Smith

Can anyone advise on the latest status for a UK citizen who want to keep a vacation/retirement home in the USA (e.g. Florida). My wife and I currently live in Texas (H1B) visa but are considering our options for when it expires.

Can we apply for 10 year B1/B2 visas and be allowed to stay 6 months per visit or would we have to limit our stays to the 90 days of the visa waiver limit?

Has anyone done this and knows about the practicality of a non-US citizen keeping a second home in the US?

Bob

Can get a stamp on the I-94 for 6 months...and use it once a year...problem with it, there hard to get if your in a VWP country, also, medical insurance will be expensive, and continued use of the visa might end up having trouble at POE that there isn't immigrant intent.

crg

Many retirees have second homes in the US. You can apply for the B1/B2 visa. The 10 year validity period does not mean you can spend the entire 10 years in the US 6 months at a time. You will be required to prove that you are maintaining a residence outside of the U.S. that you have no plans to abandon. This can be difficult because you don't live in the U.K anymore. Your post says you live in Texas. You'd have to establish yourself back in the U.K before coming to visit. Spending too much time here can cause scrutiny depending on your financial means because they will suspect unauthorized employment. They don't have to prove you are violating the law. You have to prove to them that you aren't.

Why don't you get your employer to sponsor you for a green card, then once you get your US passport (years away) you can stay in either country?

Ron Smith

Thanks for the quick replies.
We did look at the Green Card sponsorship but after a couple of failed attempts (employer was not that keen) we think we have now left it too late as I have only 2 and 1/2 years max left on the H1B plus I don't want to make a long term work committment as I am in my mid 50s. Our current thinking is to get another home outside the US (probably England) so my wife can regain her right to work.