JOK1

Hi, Guys, New to the forum, just joined.

Came across the forum as myself and my family are looking to relocate from the UK to Orlando Florida.

It's not a short term idea it has been something we have looked at for many years and now think we may be ready in our life for a new life and new challenge so will be looking around at posts and asking lots of questions so please excuse me if it has been asked before and I have not found a post.

Anyway just thought I would pop on and say hello to everyone.

Twinkle0927

Welcome!

On what basis will you be moving? We have people here with experience of all immigration categories (marriage, immediate family, employment and investment) so whichever category you fall into, there will be someone who has "been there, done that".

scrubbedexpat099

Admittedly I have never been to Florida but have met quite a few from there, why Florida when there are nices places such as North Carolina?

JOK1

Thank you for your replies.

I am a business owner in the UK and have been in business for many years and have worked in the industry since 1986.

We are looking for a new challenge and new life, we have visited Orlando around 10 times in the last 5 years ensuring we visited different areas and different times of the year so we get an idea of the weather and area and not got just a view of Disney ect.

We have been to other areas within the USA Los Angelis to Las Vegas to Pennsylvania to New York and in between but the USA is so big you just can not over everywhere, we just love the whole lifestyle.

I am not afraid of work, I personally work around 80 hours a week so it does not faze me to work hard to make a success of anything, I am from the you have to put the hours in to make it a success breed.

We choose Orlando as my wife does not like the cold, yes we are from the UK and get cold and wet weather but we love on the South Coast of the UK so Sow never really happens so are choice has an element of weather, yes we have been in Orlando when the wind, rain and lightening times of the year have been around but none of this fazes us.

So we are looking to buy a business on a E2 Visa and would appreciate some advice on this and also any pitfalls as I know there will be many.

One of my main worries is my children, one is 19 and the other 17 and on the E2 visa you can gain entry with children upto 21 but does that mean at 21 they have to leave?

Yes we could stay in the UK and have a comfortable life but it's a big world out there and we want a new challenge, hope this make sense in some way.

Anyway a big hello to you all and any advice good, bad or indifferent would be great.

scrubbedexpat099

E2 is a temporary work visa so not sure relocate is the right adjective.

The children can go with you as you mention until the age of 21, but at that age presumably they have their own plans in life, I assume the 19 year old is at Uni and the 17 year old will be shortly. They can of course visit on the VWP.

Just wondering what Business you are in? Obviously things over here are very different to the UK, perhaps more so in some areas than others.

Twinkle0927

Hmmm... I knew I'd see "we love the lifestyle" at some point. With respect, no matter how many times you visit, until you live here and become part of "the system" rather than a spectator to the system you know very little about the lifestyle here.

I'm originally from the south coast too - Bournemouth.

What business are you in? Is it something that would be in demand here?

ian-mstm

Despite what you may have read elsewhere, there is no direct path from E-2 to a green card. If you kept your current UK business up and running, you could open a branch office in the UK and transfer yourself and your family over on a L-1/L-2 visas. That visa, at least, can lead to a green card.


Yes - and that's true of every visa you pursue. At 21, they're out... unless they're able to change to some other status.

Ian

JPROPS72

If your main worry is your children, then it probably isn't a move for you. Your children will have to leave at 21 unless they can get a Visa in their own right.

As someone who moved to Florida two years ago, I would say that you need to understand that frequent visits as a tourist do not equip you for life here or help you understand "the lifestyle". I had an easier route and had previously lived in Michigan. I had also spent 25 years visiting Orlando usually annually. I didn't know the lifestyle and you won't either.

My advice is look deep before you leap. The E2 is a rough road and it's not an immigrant Visa. Your ability to stay is not guaranteed and can be taken away at every renewal (usually 2-5 years). WIth the current climate on immigration (bear in mind Trump is currently saying that he wants to curb green cards for family of US Citizens) there is a risk that EVERY visa category could be withdrawn or tightened. It is a huge risk.

In my 2 years here, I have seen 4 families come on the E2 and leave within a year because they thought they "knew" things they didn't. For example, do you know how much health insurance will cost your family per month? Do you know what a summer electricity bill looks like in Florida?

When you're here on vacation, you don't have to think about how much having that air conditioning on all day costs or how much it will cost you if your kid falls over playing dodge ball and breaks their wrist. You don't have to worry about how much groceries are because you're here spending disposable income. It's different when you live here and earn here.

I am not here to trample on your "dream" but trust me, these things come as a harsh lesson when you're here.

JOK1

OK thank you for all the useful replies.

As for the business I have at present, I am looking for a change not the same so that's really out of the question, I am also looking at the sale of business to part finance the purchase of a USA business, wanted to use the capital to buy a property also, we want a change in lifestyle not just the same old job in another place, hope you understand.

Lifestyle reply, yes I know living and holiday is two different things.

The 19 year old is at Uni and will be looking at jobs in the USA when finished as will the 17 year old but was hoping the 17 year old could go through the USA university route as the work he's looking for is more ideally suited to the USA.

I am also aware the E2 visa does not mean a green card but if we can keep the business rolling along without issues then I was hoping the renewal of the E2 would be every 2 to 5 years.

If the children get to 21 could they not stay under the E2 visa if they worked for the company?

Twinkle0927

But you are not going to work in the business (if it indeed succeeds) until you die. You will have to return to the U.K. when you stop working.

What business are you looking for?

tom169

Watch out for the Florida drivers. They're almost as bad as the weather.

scrubbedexpat099

They could transfer to F1 student visa's, I have seen E2 Employee visa's used for children, but obviously they need the skill set to qualify.

ian-mstm

With respect, your reasoning seems a bit short-sighted. Your wife can easily establish the new business because with an L-2 visa, she can work for whomever she wants... including herself - although you'd be tied to the L-1 business until such time as you were able to get green cards. Oh, you can start the green card process as soon as you arrive in the US if you want. Once you have green cards, you can work for the new company and can dissolve the existing UK company. One advantage here is that if you get green cards, so do your kids... and if they get a green card before they turn 21, they don't need to leave the US - and they also won't be tied to any company that you own! None of that will likely happen on E-2 visas.

Ian

JOK1

OK thanks, I am told by many that I will die at work the amount of work I do.

I would have at least 25 years of working in America before the need to think of a return.

As for what type of business, I am quite open, looking at various things at present from running a Sports Bar to Home Maintance.

JOK1

Ian, thank you for your reply, so where would I be working unless I miss understand you your talking about my wife working else where but do not mention where I would work?