Originally Posted by CFoster26

It doesn’t have to be there no, just liked the state. Would it not piss people off though if you went to someone and got the visa / green card and then once you had it left to go somewhere else after they paid that money! How long would you need to stay before it deemed acceptable to move on?

Originally Posted by CFoster26

With the business option, how would that work, I wouldn’t be able to open a funeral directors in the US as many of them include crematoriums and we don’t have the money for that? Could it be any business? Or does it have to be linked to the existing one in the UK?

Originally Posted by christmasoompa

OK, so doesn't sound like a L1 (mentioned above, if you set up a US branch, must be the same business as in the UK) would be feasible then. You could look at E-2 visa (which is for buying an existing business), but there's no direct route to a green card with that, and I've no idea how much a funeral business would be selling for. If they're too expensive, you could look at other businesses, but it's not a great visa to be on especially if you have children.

I'd suggest you invest some money in a consultation with an immigration lawyer to see if any of the business visas are possible.

Either that or (sorry to be blunt) give up on the US idea and look at other countries you could move to.

Originally Posted by CFoster26

Thank you, I have emailed them and asked the question! It’s so hard! How has anyone ever moved without a family link or a job that has been transferred from UK! I seemed impossible and is very disheartening!

Originally Posted by CFoster26

I’ve emailed service corporation international who hold many branches or funeral directors and funeral related businesses in the US. They are also the people who created Dignity in the UK. Maybe they would be our best chance for a work visa if they cover the whole of the country and have branches in many states?

Originally Posted by Pulaski

For most people it is impossible, especially if you are already well down your career path, and the family route is not available to you. ... Most of us here BE/USA are here either because of family (mostly spouse), or work transfer. I doubt that more than 20% were hired directly or made their own way here.

Further to my post yesterday, needing a license would make buying/ opening a branch much more difficult - and would probably mean finding an owner wishing to sell and retire but willing to stay on for a year or two while you obtained your licenses. And therefore I would repeat my advice to cast your nets far wider than your preferred destination.

Originally Posted by robtuck

If they have a UK presence, an option would be to work for them for a year with a view to getting the L1 Visa to transfer to their USA business (I assume you'd be a good fit for Managerial level roles given experience running your own business?).

Originally Posted by CFoster26

I suppose it would be but I need to see if they actually do transfer between as the company’s as they have many different companies that all fall under SCI. Dignity is just one of them!

Originally Posted by christmasoompa

See post no. 14 above, that was mentioned, so he's not prepared to sponsor your visa which means that's a non starter. He would only consider employing you if you have already obtained a visa, but you can't do that without a job offer (unless you happen to have a close US citizen relative or another half a million quid or so that you've not mentioned). It might be worth going back to him and explaining that you can't get a visa without employer sponsorship, just in case, but I'd expect the conversation to end there tbh.

Does it have to be NC, is there a family connection there or similar? Looking at the link given to you in post no. 8 it seems other states might be more likely, such as Colorado where licensing isn't compulsory.

And does it have to be the US, other countries might be more feasible maybe?

Originally Posted by S Folinsky

Hmmm. I made but one post (#8 above)and provided the link to the Occupational Outlook Handbook. It seems that OP either couldn’t be bothered to read it or didn’t understand it. FWIW, USCIS relies on the OOH and related publications such as DOT and ONET.

Originally Posted by CFoster26

didnt understand it. Every time I clicked on something nothing happened. I couldn’t see funeral director on there and I have no idea what your other abbreviations are!