Albir_Tom

ok thanks this is informative 😎

Albir_Tom

im not actually sure yet I’m guessing green card is the usual way isn’t it ?

Albir_Tom

thanks man

Noorah101

Permanent residency = green card, but you must have a visa that allows the business to apply for your green card.

Unless you simply buy your way in with a million dollars or so.

Rene

destone

Peculiar.

SanDiegogirl

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SanDiegogirl

This would NOT be a good plan.....

tht

why is that peculiar? An L1 allows someone to come and work here (they don’t have to be employed locally), not just do the limited things that a VW-B or a B1 allow. For someone who needs to work here for limited periods it is probably one of the the only options. I know people who have no desire to move here and who’s employer / role requires them to spend some time here. Some people may even have to get a L1 as a single use visa...

“Living” here on a visitor visa is not a good idea... CBP will likely think he is working here if his trips are 4-6 weeks, and spending that much time here will likely make him a US tax resident.

For a time I came very frequently on VW-B, 1-2 times a month sometimes more, but my trips were usually a week or less, sometimes only 1 night... I had monthly meetings at 2 of our US offices and then went back to Europe to work.

The frequency of VW-B is unlikely to be an issue, it shows you are coming and leaving and have something to go back to, spending a large amount of time here is likely to raise red flags at some point.

tht

there is no visa requirement for a green card... an employer can apply for a green card for a future employee. people often make that mistake, you don’t move from an L1a to an EB1c, the requirements may be similar, but you can apply for either independently of each other.. the L1a is generally faster so most employers do that first to move someone and then file for the GC.

Noorah101

Thanks, I always forget that. 😊

Rene

SanDiegogirl

We are probably discussing situations which are waaaaaaayyyyy more than the OP has been considering.
After all he was only enquiring about ESTA as he has never been to the US.
At this point he probably only needs to know that his plan of 6 weeks in the US, back for a while in the UK and then out again to the US, repeat as necessary is not going to work long term.

steph0scope

Your passport hasn’t changed, you are still a British citizen. Where you live is of little relevance in this case. You first apply for an ESTA approval with your British passport, just as you would do if you lived in Watford or Inverness.

Albir_Tom

Thanks for all the replies but yes all I needed to know really was the situation with me travelling to the states for my first time from Spain being a Spanish resident, so I’m assuming the ESTA is the way forward for now which lasts for 2 years which gives me time to get my feet on the ground in the states and no doubt I will learn which way to go forward from that

S Folinsky

Visa Waiver Program eligibility is based upon nationality, not place of residence. I recall that when Argentina was removed from eligibility, many Argentine who had dual nationality would obtain alternative passports, eg Italian. They would then travel as Italians.

destone

I don't know how this would work in practice, or how widespread such use of L1 is. I am curious-- for L-1 extension, you generally need to enclose pay stubs from the petitioning entity. In this case such evidence would not exist. I am also curious to know what would happen during a potential site visit if your employer is audited.