Advice for future B2 retirement visa for Florida
 

Hi all, I’d like some advice for future plans to retire for winter months in Florida (B2 visa) and return home to U.K. for summer.

My in-laws have had a vaccination villa near Clermont Florida for almost 20 years, my family have enjoyed many holidays as a result. I’ve now semi-retired and my wife retires in 4 years.

I’ve read quite a bit about obtaining the B2 visa and I think it would suit our requirements. What does concern me is buying/owning and insuring a car, as clearly renting a vehicle would be financially prohibitive for 6 months. I hold a full U.K. licence and have done so for 40 years
Do I need to get a Florida driver license to buy a car? Do I need to pass a driving test? How long will the license be valid for? ( I’ve heard it only lasts while I’m living in Florida) How expensive is car insurance? (Also heard this is very expensive compared to U.K.)

Many other aspects of living in Florida I’ve experienced, so I’m aware of taxes, utility bills, etc.
medical insurance is something I’ve not thankfully had to deal with, other than the travel insurance for holidays. Is it advisable to obtain a medical insurance in the U.K. for use abroad or is it best to get insurance in the USA?

Ideally I’d like to hear from anyone who is presently living in Florida on a B2 visa, the highs and lows and some of the pitfalls.
Thanks

Re: Advice for future B2 retirement visa for Florida
 

I’ll just comment on some of the nomenclature you used in your post to keep you out of hot water, and let others chime in on the other stuff. Anyone who is in the US legally who is not a US citizen is either considered an immigrant (green card holder) or non-immigrant (such as a B2 visa). As a non-immigrant, you’ll want to avoid using terms such as “retiring” (vs. “visiting”) or “living” (vs. “staying”) in the US, even if it’s within the duration of your visa validity timeframe. Using those terms implies you may wish to immigrate to the US, which could get you in trouble with USCIS if you’re on a B2 visa. It doesn’t appear that’s your intent, but it’s best avoid those or similar terms. A B2 visa allows you visit as tourist for up to six months, and other specified activities you can look up online. Employment is not authorized (including working remotely) as I’m sure you’re aware (incase your wife will still be working when this kicks off). There is no retirement visa for the US unfortunately. Hope that helps.

Re: Advice for future B2 retirement visa for Florida
 

It is common for Canadians to winter in Florida. They are known as Snowbirds. (When using Google, you will also see that the term is also the name of the RCAF aerial acrobatics team). It should be noted that Canadians operate under a non-immigrant procedural scheme not used by the U.S. with any other country.

Re: Advice for future B2 retirement visa for Florida
 

Also make sure you understand the tax implications of spending significant time in the US, at least with the DTA and no FL state income tax it will likely only be a matter of filling a return rather than pay additional tax.

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/inte...-presence-test

Re: Advice for future B2 retirement visa for Florida
 

Many thanks I wasn’t aware that any application for a B2, would turn into one of those, in house job interviews, whereby I was being monitored to see if I hit the correct words… of course of which I wasn’t advised about beforehand.

Re: Advice for future B2 retirement visa for Florida
 

Future outlook for FL re: climate looks bleak. Roll the dice at your own risk, and buy/rent smart.

Re: Advice for future B2 retirement visa for Florida
 

It is known, and you should expect that your online/ social media profiles are accessible to USCIS, so I would be wary about posting anywhere that you are "living in Florida", or anything that could be interpreted as you intending to develop an existence in the US beyond what your status as a visitor on a visa allows. You may never experience an issue, but you don't want an unpleasant question sprung on you at the immigration desk when you arrive in the US based on something you said inadvertently.

To your point about vehicles and driving, the stumbing block you may experience is that [1] Florida may require you to have a FL license to be allowed to register a vehicle (many states have that requirement), and [2] you may have difficulty obtaining an FL driver's license if you don't have a Social Security Number. .... So those are the first questions, for which the answer may already be in the FL DMV website FAQs. That said, as many long term visitors there are to Florida, including from Latin America, where bringing your own vehicle to Florida is wildly impractical, there may be a FL-specific work-around, to allow visitors to own a vehicle registered in Florida.

Re: Advice for future B2 retirement visa for Florida
 

We saw evidence of that here a few years ago… a British girl on a WV who had her phone searched / Facebook profile looked at and they found evidence of substance abuse and maybe intended employment in LA…. And put her in a cell, and made her pay for a 1 way flight to the UK the next morning … despite hoeing a current Canadian working holiday visa…

The biggest foreign “snow bird” population is probably Canadian, so they can drive / ship / tow their car behind an RV… and/or probably exchange their Canadian lisence for a FL one, but as you note there is likely a solution for non Canadians…

Re: Advice for future B2 retirement visa for Florida
 

A friend of mine who lives in the UK, purchased an RV to tour the US a few years back. He purchased it in Florida and there is indeed a loophole which works in Florida and other States as well. Be a good bet there are car dealers in Florida who know what needs doing.

Re: Advice for future B2 retirement visa for Florida
 

May be cost prohibitive to do it both ways every year, but my brother brought us European VW Camper to the US on a car carrier from Holland. Was able to get it insured until he drove it to BC in Canada where he got it registered locally. Stayed for 3 years and then drove back via the US national parks. Washed off all the the Death Valley red mud on my driveway and then shipped it back to Holland and re-registered it in Europe. More common with over landing, but doable over the pond as well with a bit of research and lots of paperwork…. And plenty of ports to choose from to get it as close to FL as possible, he went to Philadelphia because of the lower port fees..

Re: Advice for future B2 retirement visa for Florida
 

Thank you for those who have responded so far…all food for thought, but essentially I want to keep things as simple as possible and although I’ve been advised against stating Retirement, well that’s precisely what my wife and I wish to do, in a few years time.
We don’t want work in America or U.K. for that matter, we both will have good career pensions, we don’t want to challenge the rules of Visa, but we do want to take advantage of the Florida winters and escape the rubbish weather here in the U.K. we would like to use the 6 month time limit of the B2 visa to visit Florida, from roughly the beginning of November through to the beginning of April or May and that will be repeated every year. We would be buying our own home in Florida, no need for a mortgage… our main residence will still be our home in the U.K. and we’ll be able prove that this is still our home to any agency requiring that info. So the question being… will that satisfy the US officials for issuing a B2 visa?

Re: Advice for future B2 retirement visa for Florida
 

Given ESTA availability, can you apply for a B-2 if eligible for ESTA (assuming OP is and hasn't been rejected)?

Re: Advice for future B2 retirement visa for Florida
 

Good to know thanks.

Re: Advice for future B2 retirement visa for Florida
 

Who gave you that advice?

While it is imperative that you don't say that you want to "retire in the US/ Florida", the reality is that it is known, and often discussed here on BE, that it can be very difficult to get approval for a B-2 visa unless you are retired, because there is a degree of suspicion from the US about why anyone of working age would need a visa giving them upto 6 months in the US when they already have access to ESTA/VWP which gives upto 90 days at a stretch in the US.

Therefore IMO it is not only OK to say that you're "retired and planning to spend winters in Florida", it is probably necessary for you to state that, to explain why you have applied for a B-2 visa.

Re: Advice for future B2 retirement visa for Florida
 

This… what they are basically worried about is people working here illegally. If you can show your are retired and can afford to come and spend money here for just under 6 months a year it should not be an issue. Note, the 6 months is the maximum they can give you, but it’s not guaranteed, if you did 6 months and flew back home for a day and tried to come back for another 6 months you may be denied entry or more likely be given a much shorter stay and told not to come back for a while or face a denial and visa cancelation. Also note the visa does not guarantee you entry.

The bigger thing to consider than a car and DL is what you plan to do for health Insurnace here… at that age and length of trip travel insurance probably won’t work… ans NHS is not accepted here….