FlyerJeff

Hello All,

I am UK citizen and am engaged in rotational contracts normally based in the Middle East and Asia.

I already hold B1, B2 and C1/D visas. My off rotations would generally be 1 month but I think exceptionally 2 months.

I know there is no problem with buying property etc, but wonder if there is anything I may have overlooked with regards to my plan to 'live' in the USA but not work during my off rotations.

I realise that certain future changes in my circumstances could well bit me on the ass here but would seek to cross that bridge in the event.

I can't surely be the first person to find myself in this position and any advice particularly with regard to anything I might have overlooked would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in anticipation

Jeff

fatbrit

You have no right to live in the US.

If you enter the US as a tourist, one condition is that you must have a home elsewhere.

As your periods of stay build up, so does the chance of refused entry. Nobody can predict when this will happen, but when it does you'll presumably have a property and other stuff stuck in the US that you won't be able to visit.

Bill_S

What fatbrit said. It'll end in tears.

scrubbedexpat099

If you look back there was a guy who worked in the Middle East who was thinking of doing the same thing, and also I think somebody who worked on oil rigs.

Probably would work for a while, how long is impossible to say.

crg

There was another guy that posted here. He lived in the US when he wasn't working on a ship. One day when he went to go in to the US, the border guards found out about it, cancelled his visa, and ordered him removed for 5 years. I believe he has since gotten married to a US citizen and obtained the proper documents.

Manc

basically, the crux of the matter is, I don't pay my taxes so you can use the same roads, bridges and libraries while not contributing to the maintaining of them........

babybyrd

i have a b1/2 and a c1/d

jeff you are surely aware that the c1/d is irrelevant as you can only use that when entering the US as an on duty crew member

your b1/2 is issued to you ( as i recently found out) for one reason only - the c1/d enables you to enter the usa asa crew member AND TO LEAVE ON THE SAME VESSEL
the b1/2 is issued to tie you over and enable you to leave on a later or next day vessel

as someone who has an american partner currently getting ready to petition and hope for a cr1 - i can tell you that i have been coming in and out a lot over the past few months BUT i only ever stay a week or so and then am out of the usa for about 6 weeks - and i am now asked progressively more probing questions every time i hit POE

of course it depends where you enter - but my opinion, from my own experience, is that if youre trying to spend almost as much time IN the USA as you spend OUT of it then you will be questioned more and sooner and even more so the minute you admit to owning property ( which i am assuming is your intention as you mention it in your post)


this probably doesnt worry you - but once flagged you would need to be very careful - especially if your job actually depends on you having and keeping your current visas

crg

That's not quite accurate. The C1/D is irrelevant to this person's plan, but it's not as limited as you are saying.

The person can be admitted as a C-1, D-1 or D-2 with that visa.

The C-1 allows someone to seek entry to the US for immediete and continuous transit purposes. The person doesn't even have to be a crewmember to use the C-1/D visa. The person merely has to be in transit through the US to another country for some reason.

If the person has any other purpose of entry other than simple transit (visit family for a couple days, seek medical attention, attend training/meetings) they cannot use the C-1.

A D-1 must depart on the same vessel. The D-2 can depart on a different vessel operated by the same company.

I'd agree that the B1/B2 was issued for crew related movements but the beneficiary can still use that visa for other legitimate business/tourism purposes. Of course making the US your place of general abode and abandoning all other foreign residence is not transit or a legitimate business/tourism purpose.

babybyrd

thanks for the clarification

nettlebed

Yeah, I want to live but not work in the US as well...

md95065

Well, if he does buy a property in the US then he will be paying property taxes on it and he will be paying taxes every time he buys gas for his car so that isn't quite fair ...

Bladerunner

You make it sound like he wants to come to the US to dodge taxes. Using that logic, maybe we should ban all tourists.

There are plenty of US citizens that live abroad too, retirees in Mexico for example, who continue to pay taxes at home. Most people pay tax somewhere. Many visa holders, US and foreign, are subject to double taxation treaties.

As the last poster said, you are contributing to the economy through VAT etc, even if you are on e.g. a B2 and are thus not legally subject to income tax as you do not have a US income.

Rete

Come on people, the man wants to do what every Canuck and many senior Brits do ... own a piece of paradise in Florida and visit it as often as possible.

There doesn't have to be any other motive but that. So give him a break and stop assuming he is a dodger.

Sally Redux

So you see it as a totally different scenario from this?

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=690625

Duncan Roberts

I don't think that was the point. More that the OP wants to essentially reside in the US like everyone else who lives here but pay very little in the way of US taxes and use services that the taxes pay for. Property and sales tax only covers so much, federal, state and city taxes cover a significant amount.