sweetiepaah

Hi all - would be grateful if you could spare a moment and give us your opinions/advice on our chances... Excuse the length of the post!

My partner, 2 children (15 & 11) and I are very keen to move to the USA. Although we are open minded about where we move to, Maine and Iowa are our preferred states. Our situation is really a combination of others that I've read about on this site, but still we are not sure about the best route or our chances. We have no intention of moving back, but are aware of the great shiny US immigration boot waiting to kick our asses back home if we don't make the grade!

1. My partner: works as a web developer, (good experience of 10 years + but no relevant qualifications). Just started up as self employed in same area and aims to transfer his skill overseas. Has worked for American companies in the past. Also doing part-time law degree.

2. I work as Project Manager for a University, developing potential business by connecting SME's with its resources. Have no 'skill' to speak of, but do have an hons degree in psychology and qualifications in counselling. I also paint largescale oils which I exhibit and sell (raking the bottom of the barrel now!).

3. We have assets of around £200K, including home, dog, cat and kitchen sink. We are willing to risk all that we have, to gain what we want. We have started applying for jobs overseas (knowing that a successful outcome would be nothing short of miraculous!). We are also looking into buying a franchise/existing company by selling our home and applying for an E2. Dog, cat and kitchen sink included in price

Our questions are these

a. What are our chances of finding employment in these areas (web/project management), bearing in mind, we are not too fussy about where we land and willing to drop a few rungs?
b. If the E2 route is better, what opinions do you have of this route/franchises, etc I have read many of the postings about this and few are positive...
c. Enjoying a natter as I do, I would love to hear from those who have moved overseas to US as a result of networking. Where to start?

Any random thoughts comments would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance for taking the time.

S

dbj1000

From what you've told us, I would say you're unlikely to be able to live and work in the US. The available options are all outlined here:

How to Live and Work in the USA

To come over on an H1-B visa, one or other of you would need to have sufficient qualifications and/or advanced skills. From what you've said, neither of you have the qualifications or unusual professions to justify this route. You can't come over and look for a job - you have to find a company to sponsor you for an H1 visa before you emigrate.

Equally, I don't think you have nearly enough money for an E2 visa... but I'm sure Ray will be along any moment now, and he's the real expert.

Read the link, and consider your options. Many, many people ask these very same questions on this board, and most don't want to hear the rather negative response they usually get, but the fact is that it's extremely hard to emigrate to the US unless you marry a Yank... and that doesn't sound like an option for you either!

scrubbedexpat099

None that I can see, unless you have specific skill set that would be very attractive to a US University and many years of experience.

http://www.thefloridaforum.us/ Lots of info on E2, you look short on Capital.

You said Partner, do you mean Spouse?. Spouse is a good way, not sure if it counts as networking.

Networking, well that depends on your line of business, does your Uni have relationships this side of the pond?

fatbrit

Negatives:
* kids, older age and will quickly age out
* assets insufficient for E2
* skills -- heavy competition in web design, much outsourced anyway
* partner (not married?)

Answers
a) slim to nil.
b) the E2 is the WORST possible route. Currently has no route to future, especially for your kids.
c) On the ground, unfortunately. If you're sociable and pleasant, you'll find plenty who would like to employ you. When they see what it would take to bring you over, you're unlikely to ever hear from them again.

Try Canada -- it's close to Maine and a more likely success scenario for your circumstances

Elvira

This sounds familiar - hasn't someone posted a very similar query before?

ladyofthelake

Insufficient funds for E2? She said £200k not $200k. People have bought businesses on less than that and have succeeded. Have to agree though, the E2 sux, especially with kids having to leave at 21. It will happen all too quickly with your kids the ages they are.

scrubbedexpat099

There are 4 of them.

The funds have to be commited and by the sound of it they are currently tied up in the house.

So they would need to sell, rent, comit the funds to a business, wait out the interview process, move, rent somewhere, live etc, all on say $375k.

Does not leave much to buy a business.

fatbrit

Still a squash I would think with 2 kids. She states she wouldn't mind losing it all in her post, but has she really considered this? It's not as if it gives you anything if it all goes tit's up at the end except a trip back to Blighty with no capital left. Hard enough running a business BUT three times as hard with the visa shackling you and living in a different country.
If there was any future in the current E2, it might be worth a go. But I really don't see anything in OP's post to suggest they should consider giving it a go.

sweetiepaah

Hi all - many thanks for all of your thoughts and opinions. It's true fatbrit, it doesn't seem too positive but we had thought of doing the following to try to avoid losing everything - we're not too hot on the thought of coming back to UK with little else than a car bumper sticker!

We have a house worth £200K (thanks Ladyofthelake for clarifying that - I was a bit confused myself, seeing as some have got through on $150K). We have no mortgage on it, so we would (get married first, then) take out a mortgage for £100K and invest this in a suitable business, using escrow. If we don't get in, we take it back out (as long as we had included the clause 'pending successful application'). Probably pay a small fine etc. If we do get in, we sell the house and move over.

However, bearing in mind what everyone has said about how crap the E2 visa is for families, I can understand that life would be overshadowed with permanent fear of the next E2 application! There is one other way we were wondering about, if no other way works...

My ex husband owns a large company which he grew from scratch and has had for 25 years. We have remained very good friends over the years and he would be willing to help, I know. He is already aware that we are trying to get over to the US, but I have never been one for asking favours...maybe now is the time

Could he send us over there on his behalf, or as a franchise/subsiduary/employee for his company to set up in the US? Or am I just clutching desperately at straws like a ..like a thing that clutches straws?

Thanks again for your comments. We've been surrounded by bits of paper from various books and websites until now, but nothing has come close to the information you've given from your own experiences. (halo's beam from above members' heads..)

sweetiepaah

..forgot to mention, ex-husband is German, living in Germany with a German company. (I'm fluent in the lingo - he still only knows "I would like a beer please" and "Can I have another beer please", bless

Don't know if that changes anything, but thought I'd better mentioned it anyway!

Elvira

What are your objectives in wanting to move to the US?

You have the whole of Europe to choose from - why the US?

Do you have any idea how difficult life here can be for expats, especially those with older children? (Having moved with 3 teenagers, I do definitely not recommend it. And I have not come across many who would...)

FWIW, I think your chances of making it to the US or slim to nil, so this is probably all academic. But if you clarify what it is you actually want to achieve, you might find ways and means of achieving this elsewhere, be it in the UK or somewhere in the EU.

Duncan Roberts

"take out a mortgage for £100K and invest this in a suitable business, using escrow.

I don't know much about that visa but i don't think you can do that. Something about the funds being in your possession for a certain amount of time and not coming from a loan or gift. It's very possible I'm wrong about that but if you are serious I'd look into the requirements of where the cash can come from.

sweetiepaah

Duncan - yeah, that does sound familiar - will look into it, thanks. I guess, logically, it makes sense to ensure that funds are not from a loan that could be recalled.

Darn. All those dewy glimmers of hope are turning into dead fly juice on a fast moving windscreen..

ladyofthelake

Intra-company transfers have to be managerial executive positions and have to have worked for the company for at least one year before transfering. So that's only good if you want to move to Germany for a year beforehand.

sweetiepaah

Thanks Elvira for your comment. You are right, I do have the whole of the EU. But we've been over enough now to know that we would rather take the chance of regretting having done it, than regret never having tried, if that makes any sense! I lived and worked in Germany for years, have travelled across EU but found nowhere which offers the same opportunities for the kids - or so I believe!

I would be really interested to hear about your experience of moving over there and what difficulties you had with your teenage kids - this is a huge concern for me, I admit.

What made you decide to go over there? How did your kids adapt? (or not!)

Hope you don't mind all the questions!

S