stepmac

Excellent; thank you

Bob

Employment based insurance, depends on the employer. Most usually subsidise the cost of insurance, most will offer it to spouse/family of the employed person, most will offer to cover some of the cost. They might not.

It's one of those pieces of string questions.

Read the wiki, seriously. There's a wealth of info covering the visa's, covering medical health insurance, sorting out credit, etc, etc.

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Category:USA

retzie

You could always open a B&B in the UK...


A bit tangential, but I know how much of a lure heading abroad to make big changes can be. The baggage of expectations and habit at home can be stifling (and indeed hangs over my head as an expat planning to return). However, the main thing that starting from scratch overseas achieves is taking away the accessibility of your comfort zone. With a bit of resolve and discipline, it's entirely possible to deny yourself old habits and comforts in favour of new goals in your home country. Cold turkey is not the only way

Of course, everyone has there own story behind these things, but just in case the visa doesn't happen

stepmac

No that doesn't float our boat at all! You are right about the lure of a big change - as I've said it might be for a couple of years and we might regret it / change our minds but we feel we have to try; life is short and even shorter are the years you are able to experiment with something like this.

scrubbedexpat099

If you want to go down the B&B route you really need another way of getting a visa.

411

Hi,
Im in my late 30s and have a construction business in the UK. I am looking to start a building business in the US. I did notice that many attorneys were not embracing of this business so I have decided to go it on my own since there is no point paying $5000K in legal fees only to get denied. I had wanted to build a BandB but the land I have found is not zoned for that. What location did you finally decide on?

Bob

The fee's are probably worth spending, because the wording and the way the petition for the visa is more likely to have success with someone experienced in the process than someone who doesn't, especially in something as flaky as the proposed business. It's also a drop in the ocean in costs associated with the business and cost of emigrating.

scrubbedexpat099

That is a lot of legal fees.

I am pretty sure the location was not in the US.

md95065

If you want to start a business in the US and you have no previous experience in doing this then you definitely need both legal and financial advice.

If the advice that you get is that it is not a good idea then perhaps you should pay attention to it.

The US economy is still a mess - construction is, generally speaking, probably not a good business to be in right now.

dbj1000

For $5,000,000 in legal fees, I'd expect my lawyer to not only get my visa approved, but to have it engraved into a block of diamond-studded gold and send it to me in a yacht!

411

I meant $5K! but still I have been doing construction for 5yrs and know it inside out yet I have had some shady advice from attorneys like go to belfast and get a B2 then adjust in the US or the most recent, tweek the business plan to reflect I will be reopening the failed restaurant that was on the land then get the E2 then develop the property when I get the visa. What do I know about restaurants
i much rather have have my visa denied because of a wording than pay $5K and get denied because I was trying to be smart with the VO. Besides i have already been denied a student visa to get an associates degree in photography because I have a Masters degree so Im no stranger to denials

scrubbedexpat099

What do you know about B and B's.

sir_eccles

With all due respect, you may know UK construction inside and out but from what you have said so far you don't sound like you would be licensed in the US.

Yikes, at least you are recognizing such advice for what it is.

411

I would only know how to build and b and b and how to sell it but not much else after that. I dont have a construction license but would oversee those who do. I have liased with the city planners and the los angeles building and safety departments enough and know the zoning regulations of the land and obtaining permits. It really runs concurrently with the UK planning and building regulations. However I would value a realtors license over a construction license because when it came to selling a finished project I would have to pay 6% commission in the US when compared to the 2% we pay in the UK. Imagine paying $48,000 in commission on an $800,000 finished project!

My main problem is I dont want to buy land only to be refused a visa and then be subjected to direct the build while I am in London. Its heart wrenching to see a perfect site which the seller does not want to tie up pending a visa outcome and which I cant buy for fear of a visa denial.

md95065

If you are determined to do this then other opportunities will present themselves, but you are absolutely correct that it would be crazy to sink your money into an investment like that without having the visa sorted out.

btw I don't think that $5,000 in attorney fees is excessive if you have a good attorney who understands the process and is giving you good advice - I agree that, unfortunately you seem to have run into some rather dubious characters and I certainly wouldn't give any money to an attorney who advised you to just go to the US on a B2 and the attempt to adjust status (to what, I wonder ...) while there.

Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide to do.