Hi
 

Hi

I am Zoe - used to be on this Forum, but can't remember my old name and password, so I've re-registered.

Been living in Lakeland, Florida for 8 years - hubby, Steve, and I run a Pool Servicing company. Got 2 kids with us, who are now both at college here - One at UF in Gainesville and one at Florida Southern in Lakeland. Just putting our daughter on an F1 visa.

We are here on an E2 Visa and I am one of the co founders of a group who are trying to Reform the E2 Visa. We are lobbying Congress to ask them if after reaching certain criteria, it would be possible to apply for Green Cards.

I hope not to get negative comments about this, as I have had in the past - we are all doing what we can to survive in this world and just because we knew the rules of this visa when we first used it, doesn't mean we can never ask for change.

The E2 Visa is much more uncertain than it used to be. We are just trying to get some future stability for these visa holders and with the Government talking so much about small businesses and job creation, now is the best time ever to get our point across.

Looking forward to meeting new friends - hopefully some new E2 Visa Holders from around the US.

Zoe

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Hi Zoe...as you are not a new member to BE I have moved your thread into the US forums.

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Thanks

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Zoe is good people ... be nice please

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Thank you for the support Ray

Take Care
Zoe

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http://britishexpats.com/forum/member.php?u=86380

I presume this was your previous incarnation.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...E2+visa+reform

To try and stop a repeat it was all said here.

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Since I don't want to be negative, let me ask you... how has your project progressed in the 3 years since your last group of posts?

Ian

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I think you got some pretty good feedback last time around, Nina I mean Zoe.

It is a totally different type of visa with a different intent. It is like saying that the F1 visa should allow a student to apply for a green card after 4 years. There are other pathways for that. The intent of the visa is totally different. The E2 is a temporary business visa!

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Hi all and thank you for the comments.

By the way, I'm not Nina - she is a friend of mine, working on the same issue. I was Zoe A in my previous posts.

I don't really understand why there is so much hostility on this forum about people on E2 visas. We have all come to the US for, I assume, a better way of life and those on E2s are just part of the whole immigration system.

Yes I agree the E2 is a Non Immigrant - temporary - visa, but so are the L visas and the H1b visas and both of them give you the option to change your status and apply for Green Cards.

Why does it seem to anger so many of you that we are trying to be given that option if we reach certain levels of investment and job creation?

When our family came here 8 years ago, we didn't know much about forums and looking for advice from others who had already moved here. We went on one forum that was a Homeowners forum - as we owned a house here already - and spoke to a few people people we became friendly with on there. We didn't own a company and my husband and I didn't have the experience and qualifications that were needed for an H1B visa. So we chose the option that was open to us.

But we now have a successful business, we have kids who have completely involved themselves in the life here, and we would like to stay and feel that we are part of the immigrant community that enriches the US.

I have been involved in the E2 Reform issue for over 4 years. I would never have dreamed it was a possibility to ask the US Government to change a law for us, but when a Bill was put forward in 2007, we realized that it could become a possibility.

A lot of hard work has gone into this now and we are much further along than we have ever been - we have made many trips to Washington and met with many people - some we thought were helpful and turned out not to be and others who have become supporters of ours.

I was told it takes on average 8 years to get a Bill through Congress, so we still have a way to go, but if I listened to everyone who has told me that this reform would never happen, I wouldn't be in the position I am now.

I am not going to go into details of what is happening at the moment, as I am pretty sure it will be picked over, but there is a distinct possibility of change. I am not going to give up until I am told there is no hope by the people who can bring these changes about.

There has been more small pieces of immigration reform happening this year than ever before and we must take hope from that.

I do not judge anyone elses immigrant status - be it immigrant, non immigrant, legal or undocumented and I hope the same will now apply to all of the naysayers out there on this issue.

I have rejoined this Forum in the hope of contacting other E2 Visa Holders around the US.

Thank you
Zoe

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Glad to hear it. I doubt many of us really feel one way or another about the issue. If the government did decide to change it, we wouldn't be angered. But as it stands now, it doesn't really allow for that transition easily. Maybe investigate the possibility of EB-1.

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I read everyone of the posts in the original thread linked to above. I hope Pinkcat does not return, as she is not a good spokesman for your cause.

The H1B visa (the visa i originally came over with) is specifically a dual intent visa. That means that my skills were sought after enough to be able to come over and work here, but If I so chose and my employer was willing, I could pursue permanent residency. I knew this. If it were not a dual intent visa, I would have left at the end of it as I agreed to. That's what is rubbing people up the wrong way. You made an agreement, now you want to change the rules to suit you.

Can I ask, are there any other visa groups that you are hoping to implement immigration reform for? Or only E2 visa holders because you happen to be one?

One of the recurring comments in the previous thread was that we were all selfish and ignorant. I would submit that bringing children (particularly young children) to the US knowing they would be booted when they came of age for YOUR dream is selfish.

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Hi again

Thank you Bilder for taking notice of my comments - we will see what happens with the work we are doing at the moment.

Michelmas - to answer one of your comments, my kids are now 20 and 18, and will not be 'booted' when they reach 21. We were very pleased that they both attended a local International Baccalaureate school and got a fantastic education. They are now at college and we are applying for my daughter to get an F1 - International Student Visa. It is our hope that when she graduates, she will be able to get a job here, get an H1B visa and be sponsored to get a Green Card in her own right. Her other option is to get married and although she has a boyfriend of 2 years, and they plan on getting married in the future, we would prefer that they don't have to marry for her to stay in the country.

One of the main reasons we got our last Bill sponsored was because the Member of Congress didn't think it was right that children were educated here at taxpayers expense and then not be able to stay when they finished college.

There is now a new movement in Congress to allow students with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) degrees - Masters or Phd - to be able to get Green Cards when they graduate.

To answer a couple of other questions - yes I do only work on reforming the E2 Visa. It is the visa I know the most about as it is the one that affects my family and I believe I can show the passion necessary to convince the Government change is good - not for us but for the Investment we bring and the Job Creation we make.

Yes we knew the visa was temporary when we came, but does that mean it can't be changed. Look at people who make a commitment to be married and that changes - life throws up lots of challenges and we must work round them as best we can.

When I work with Members of Congress, I treat them very respectfully. I believe it is a privilege to be living as a foreigner in this country and I would not do anything to jeopardize that.

Zoe

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Maybe YOUR children won't be booted, but many other E2 visa holders children will. And inferring your daughter should marry for immigration benefit, that's not cool.

The marriage analogy was the same tired one that Pinkcat used, and i see you didn't learn from her mistakes. Get married and if it works great, if it doesn't, get divorced. Those are the rules and everyone who gets married knows it going in to it.
Now get an E2 visa and if it works great, if it, doesn't GO HOME. Those are the rules and everyone knows it going in to it. No one is trying to change the marriage laws to say that spouses have to stay married and cohabitating even if things don't work out. E2 visa holders should have no expectation to change the rules part way through.

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I can see we are going to have to agree to disagree.

I really don't see what the problem is with asking for changes to be made.

The people we talk to in Washington also agree that it makes sense to allow those E2 Visa Holders who have made considerable investment and created jobs should be given an opportunity to stay here longer term.

Also if you reread my comments about my daughter you will see I am not saying she will marry to stay here. That is what we are avoiding. What I am saying is that she has met someone who she is planning on marrying but we are trying to give her the opportunity to stay without that being the way. We know that even if the Reform was agreed tomorrow, it would not be law in time for her.

Zoe

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She didn't do any such thing. She actually said she would prefer if they DIDN'T get married for that reason. What about the many of us who have married not specifically because we wanted to do so at that point, but it was the only way we could remain together? Are we "not cool"?

Why are you going out of your way to belittle the efforts that the OP has made to try and improve their situation, and the situation many others on this visa are in? :thumbdown:

OP - very best of luck to you! :fingerscrossed:

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Here we go again...

Every Visa has it plus and minus points, E2, H, L whatever.

The perfect visa has yet to be implemented and by definition will never be.

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Thank you for the last two comments.

Zoe

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Good luck and kudos to you for trying:thumbup: I'm all for people fighting to help themselves and their families to survive and stay together.

It will be interesting to hear the outcome. :fingerscrossed:for you honey.

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Thanks

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Having come here on an L visa, I'm not acquainted with E variety - but why don't they let people who come here on E visas stay if they run a successful business? Seems like a no-brainer to me so I must be missing something, too many Nigerian scammers perhaps?

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To be honest I very much think it's because nobody has ever asked for change before and most politicians don't know the difference in the numerous visas.

They have probably heard of H1Bs and a lot know about EB5s now, but otherwise to most of them Immigration means securing the fences and what to do with the undocumented people here.

Zoe

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Good luck Zoe. I saw Jerry Brown passed the California Dream Act yesterday, something people have been fighting for years for, that opponents said would never happen. Show's change can happen

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Any Immigration changes are great news at the moment.

I think it has been such a dirty word in Washington for so long and at least now there are some Bills going to the House - mind you then they will go onto the Senate and probably fall flat, but at least there has been a start made.

Zoe

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Actually they do.

It is the L Visa they do not.

Pluses and Minuses.

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You can get a Green Card from an L visa but not from an E2 - that's why we are lobbying for change.

Zoe

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That is out of the Employee's hands, the Employer can.

As we have seen they do not always want to, or I remember one case where someone was laid off and had to leave, no way of transferring to another employer. Sell house, cars etc etc.

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There is also another issue with the L1-B visa. Depending on your EB category, you may run out of time before the green card is approved.

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I always choose my words very carefully, and i suggest you do the same. I at no time said that she stated her daughter WAS going to marry for immigration intent, I merely said she INFERRED it with her comments, and that's exactly what she did.
By saying "we would prefer that they don't have to marry for her to stay in the country" means that she would prefer not to, but will if necessary (hence the inference), irregardless if that were to be the natural progression of the relationship. It's forcing a position of the relationship solely for the purpose of immigration benefit, which sounds awfully fishy to me. And yes, anyone who forces the natural progression of a relationship solely for immigration intent is 'not cool', but who am I to judge. It is purely my opinion.

...and I am not going out of my way to belittle anyone. I am merely entering into a discussion with the OP and anyone else who posts. If you and anyone else doesn't want to contribute, that's up to you, but as long as i breach no forum rules, you cannot dictate what I say or to whom I say it.

Have a good day;)

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Zoe, I don't have an E2 visa, I have L1, but I've heard of instances where E2 visa holders have in fact gone on to get a green card. That being said, and it appears you have a stable business, why can't you apply for a green card when others have done so?

Just wondering why it works for some but not others?

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cos there are more than one type of E-2 ...

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The E2 visa at the moment does not give you the option to apply for a Green Card. There are a few ways round it - if you come with one spouse as a dependent, they can get a job and in theory eventually be sponsored. I think as Ray says there are other E2 types - Manager and Essential Worker.

What we are saying if you have run a successful business here and brought investment and created jobs for US citizens, is there not a possibility for those E2 visa holders to apply for Green Cards. We are not asking for a blanket change that would allow every E2 Visa Holder to do this.

There are many E2 Visa Holders who have been here for over 20 years. They renew their visa every 5 years, but it is becoming more of a difficult process as time goes on.

By the way, I take exception to someone who doesn't know me at all telling everyone I would let my daughter get married to stay in the country. That is not what I said - all I was inferring was that if they were going to get married anyway (and it is on the cards and they are planning a future) IF that was the only way she could stay, they could bring the wedding forward maybe by a year. No way would I ever suggest to either of my children that they marry to stay here, and if her relationship finishes, we will have to face what to do if there is no job for her.

Zoe

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I would agree that anybody bringing children should have a plan rather than dumping them at age 21.

I can also see that others might say well at that age they are adults and need to stand on their own feet.

There is an option for a successful E2, EB5. And as the limit has not increased with inflation it could be said to be getting easier and easier. And the whole family comes too.

My impression was that the Consulate was taking an easier line on E2 renewals, just from what I had read.

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Every situation is different - some would leave if there was no way for their kids to stay after age 21 - and I know many who have done that - and some have kids who want to return on their own or even look at another country. No one can say what is right or best for your family.

When we came 8 years ago, we were told that renewals were easy. I know the Embassy in London can be lenient due to the Economy, but I also know of people who didn't get their renewal and are totally shocked. Yes I do know there is probably more to those stories, but sometimes it doesn't feel like there is much consistency. We have a renewal due in the next few months and I have to say I am very nervous about the whole thing.

We were also told it was easy for a child to stay after 21 - either by going to college and then getting a job or by them getting their own E2 in their own business. One thing we weren't aware of till we got here was that the kids wouldn't have SSNs and therefore can't get any job experience - not easy to apply for an E2 with no experience.

We have done everything we can to help our kids stay here but there will always be an uncertainty after they leave college about whether they will get jobs. You must admit that is going to be harder than it was a few years ago.

Our family came here not knowing whether we would stay for 6 months, 6 years or want to stay forever. We could easily have been homesick or unsuccessful in our business and chosen to go home but we weren't. We would like to be able to carry on running our business in a place we now feel is home and we are asking the Government if that is a possibility. We are not saying it's because we want to stay but because we are good for the Economy.

I don't really understand why there are people - and it only seems to be on here - who seem to take exception to this. Actually though nearly all of you have been welcoming and supportive and I thank you for that.

Zoe

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It must be very disturbing with the visa issues especially when related to your children. I agree that you should fight for change and wish you all the luck in getting those changes enacted.

To increase your kids chances of being able to stay or eventually return to the US, make sure they get a post graduate degree in one of the H1-B specialities at a US university. Although there has been plenty of H1-B visas available over the past couple of years, employers have not been hiring due to the bad economy. When the job market picks up again, there will likely be a shortage of H1-B visas but if your kids have a post graduate degree from a US university, they will always be eligible for one of the 20,000 annual H1-B visas available only to US university graduates which generally are not as oversubscribed as the normal H1-B visas.

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H-1B Regular Cap Available 65,000 taken 41,000
10/7/2011

H-1B Master’s Exemption Available 20,000 taken 19,100
10/7/2011

oops wrong this year

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True but that is not normal. Normally there are about 200,000 (mostly by Indian out sourcing companies) applying for the regular cap and about 25,000 for the master's exemption. Also if they have a masters degree from a US university, they can apply for both.

It is not that the out sourcing companies want that many visas but oversubscribe to increase their chances of getting about 40,000-50,000. They have a lot of candidates that will take the job if a visa can be acquired.

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This has been the norm for a few years now ... your way behind and the Indian outsourcing has pretty much gone now with new rules

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What new rules? They still are hiring but in this economy, the need isn't that great. The only new rules that I know of were that the out sourcing companies started using excessive L1-B visas (hire Indian locals with the intent of sending them to the US in a year to get around the H1-B visa quota) prior to the recession and the US government cracked down on that practice.

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Good luck Zoe, I wish you all the best and really hope you can turn it around :)

Vicki

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Meh....if it's that successful, COS to EB5 and you're sorted, if not, then you've not been successful enough.

Harsh, but true.

You'd probably get more sympathy from this if you weren't so close minded on E2 and your personal cause.

If you'd considered general reform to also include H4 spouses who aren't allowed to work whilst their counterparts on company transfer are, you'd probably get more support.