Re: Your opinion please.
 

The US does not have a retirement visa, unfortunately. However, there is the B2 which retired people can often obtain from the US Consulate abroad. The use of the B2 usually is good for several years. Not that you can come to the US for several years but it can be used periodically over several years. Normally, the agent at the POE will allow a B2 holder to enter the US for 6 months at a time. What some retirees do is purchase property and use those six months of live in the US and then leave the US to continue residing in their own country or travel other places in the world. Or as snowbirds do from England or Canada is they come to the US (usually during winter and to a warm southern state) and rent a place for the winter season. Perhaps this might be of interest to you. You aren't regulated to stay within one state. You could visit Florida one year or for 3 months and then hop over to Arizona for a stay there. Just a thought.

Re: Your opinion please.
 

I heard Canada is a good place to go to eventually end up in the US, I think once you're a perm resident/citizen there are visa options that may be easier. Not sure if that's 100% legit though.

Re: Your opinion please.
 

It's not. Being a Canadian citizen doesn't make one suddenly eligible to live in the US. We have to qualify for a visa just like everyone else.

Re: Your opinion please.
 

There is the TN.

Re: Your opinion please.
 

But a TN visa is a heck of a lot easier to get than a H1B work visa.

Re: Your opinion please.
 

California is full and hot, want to swap?

Re: Your opinion please.
 

If one qualified for both then I agree the TN would be far easier. But there's such a small list of eligible occupations for the TN that I'd imagine less qualify for that than the H-1B.

Re: Your opinion please.
 

The OP said he was taking a redundancy and was looking for a place to live. I wasn't aware that he could do that on a TN.

Re: Your opinion please.
 

Wow, thank you everyone. Lots of information for me to process. At the moment I’m waiting for the redundancy option at work. After that I will be looking for a holiday then looking at my options. The common opinion is the US won’t be an option for me. I’ll carry on reading and Look at my options. Relocation isn’t a major problem for me (as I said in the first comment) but I would prefer somewhere a bit warmer. I’ll ask questions again, I’m sure.

Many Thanks

Re: Your opinion please.
 

Spain? Malta? Portugal?

Re: Your opinion please.
 

Nobody has actually given you an opinion on if it would be an option or not, as we've no idea of the relevant details (i.e. any close USC family, your highest education level, what you do for a job, if you've got $500k etc). We've just made you aware that unfortunately the US isn't like the EU, you can't just up sticks and move there without a fairly tricky to get visa.

If you give people more info as per the above then you'll get opinions on whether or not a visa is likely, and also for other countries too maybe.

HTH.

Re: Your opinion please.
 

It is in fact entirely possible to target such a company & job. If it is something you want to make happen and the job itself is potentially portable and you are good enough and valuable enough to a potential employer. The company would need to be willing to fund the Visa process and you'd need to be aware you have to stick around in the UK for a year or so, but both are entirely feasible. If you have enough confidence, you don't even need to do that initial negotiation with the business - you can wait a while then make the suggestion. This s the process that got me here.

It is not an overnight option though.

Re: Your opinion please.
 

The OP has thanked everybody for their contributions, but has asked that this thread is closed. He's realised that the US won't be possible for him, so doesn't want people to waste their time replying to the thread when he may not come back to thank them.

Keep an eye out for him in other country forums as he may pop up there and I'm sure other BE'er's will be just as helpful.

Thanks all.

:)