thinking of going...

[colintelevision]

I have no doubt about wanting to move to Florida as far as lifestyle, location etc is concerned. Have holidayed there 15 times now, villa, hotels, etc.

I know absolutely nothing about how easy or hard it is to do.

I think if I sold everything I have in the UK and pay all my debts, I would have around £100k to take with me, just enough to buy a villa to live in, maybe, which we would be happy with. Then, me and my wife would get a job or I would start up a business doing video and multimedia type stuff, web marketing, etc. I would love to market villas to the uk and offer services to uk villa staying visitors.

I know nothing about the visas etc. Can you just up and go, get a job and stay there with a certain visa, do you have to buy a business, how likely to get refused to go etc?

I realise no one can give me a comprehensive answer here, but any advice and pointers to the best place to go to get the info would be appreciated.

Thanks

[florida4sun]

Hi,
it is very difficult to live and work out here. You cannot simply up and go. Typically most brits go for either an L1 or E2 visa. L1 requires you to have a substancial business in the UK (in my mind the best visa to go for). E2 requires an investment into a qualifing business. There is no set amount of of investment but around $100K seems to be the norm. Do not sell anything until you have visa, it can ages. Typically atleast 12 - 24 months from start to finish.
Then you have things like health insurance, if you have pre existing conditions forget it, if not then its expensive anyway. We pay nearly $600 per month but its good and pays out. You pay less but I have seen what happens when people try to claim.
Holidaying and living here are very different. We like living here very much but there are quite a few day to day issues that will drive you nuts.

[esprit]

£100,000 is nowhere near enough. We have just moved here. You need to invest at least $100,000 in a business. Attorneys fees another $5000. You need a considerable float when you get here. I have just had to lash out of $150000 to insure my workers so I can trade. Add the cost of a vehicle and insuring it, getting yourslef soemwhere to live ( even if rented), all the deposits for all the utlities ( $250 deposit for a mobile phome eg). You have no real access to credit for a long while, not even a credit carf. America is not a place to run out of money in. I would budget at least $50,000 in working capital on top of the cost of a business plus $50,000 for a villa deposit ( or rent maybe?)

You cannot get a job unless you can get sponsorship from a US firm and a visa before you go. Some fields it is easy in ( nursing is one) You would need to investigate that. It needs to be applied for from the UK. you canniot just roll up and apply for jobs here. No Social Security number for a start. If you have a largish business in the UK that can sponsor you to move out and start a branch, that works, but the UK parent company must be able to continue trading whilst you are gone and needs a few employees ( one man businesses dont work) It isnt easy. It took me two years to get here and we are still wading through treacle with the bureacracy of it all.
Are you likely to be refused?? Not if you have enough money, find a decent business and get a decent attorney. My attorney has a success rate in the high 90%s. She wont take you on unless she thinks you will be accepted.

[chrizzy100]

quote:Originally posted by esprit

£100,000 is nowhere near enough. We have just moved here. You need to invest at least $100,000 in a business. Attorneys fees another $5000. You need a considerable float when you get here. I have just had to lash out of $150000 to insure my workers so I can trade. Add the cost of a vehicle and insuring it, getting yourslef soemwhere to live ( even if rented), all the deposits for all the utlities ( $250 deposit for a mobile phome eg). You have no real access to credit for a long while, not even a credit carf. America is not a place to run out of money in. I would budget at least $50,000 in working capital on top of the cost of a business plus $50,000 for a villa deposit ( or rent maybe?)

You cannot get a job unless you can get sponsorship from a US firm and a visa before you go. Some fields it is easy in ( nursing is one) You would need to investigate that. It needs to be applied for from the UK. you canniot just roll up and apply for jobs here. No Social Security number for a start. If you have a largish business in the UK that can sponsor you to move out and start a branch, that works, but the UK parent company must be able to continue trading whilst you are gone and needs a few employees ( one man businesses dont work) It isnt easy. It took me two years to get here and we are still wading through treacle with the bureacracy of it all.
Are you likely to be refused?? Not if you have enough money, find a decent business and get a decent attorney. My attorney has a success rate in the high 90%s. She wont take you on unless she thinks you will be accepted.


Hi..how do you find it living in the good old USA......:)

I wish I were moving down to stay now.....I'm finding the Cape a bit boring.....lol..!
Maybe we'll get to meet up when I'm down Christmas time.......

[colintelevision]

Wow, thanks for all the information, and so quick!

I am currently a director for a new UK business with 6 employees, which will be able to be run without me being there, (could operate from home via internet etc) and am in the process of building it up, hopefully to increase my capital to around £2-300K by next year.

So should/can I do some basic planning and thinking now, or should I wait till I have the cash. I am 40 years old with a wife and two children, who all are keen to move there too.

If so, where do I start.

[colintelevision]

Also,l forgot to ask. Would a good start be to buy a villa and rent it out. Would it help get the ball rolling etc. Would it make it easier to move out if you own a villa already?

Thanks

[chrizzy100]

quote:Originally posted by colintelevision

Wow, thanks for all the information, and so quick!

I am currently a director for a new UK business with 6 employees, which will be able to be run without me being there, (could operate from home via internet etc) and am in the process of building it up, hopefully to increase my capital to around £2-300K by next year.

So should/can I do some basic planning and thinking now, or should I wait till I have the cash. I am 40 years old with a wife and two children, who all are keen to move there too.

If so, where do I start.


Hi ya..if your looking for a job here....first thing I'll ask is how old are your kids....kids timeout at 21...if you don't have a greencard for them by then they may have to go back to England....most of the time if you get a job they like you to be at the job 3 years before putting you in for a greencard...then it can take 5 years on top of that.....that is if they will sponsor you now....most companies want workers with greencards already nowadays.......it can take a year to get over here after finding a job.....they only give out so many H1B's per year....they go quickly...so putting it off is never a good idea if you need a sponsorship...and have teenagers....you'll need a Degree.....or 12 years doing your job like Sr Engineer etc.....You'll most likely need to move anything you own over yourself now......not many firms pay to move you around America anymore.....so you would be very lucky to find a company who'll pay your moving costs....there are tons more things.....moving over makes life interesting I can tell you that.....

I have no idea about buying a company......esprit is your woman there....

:D

[chrizzy100]

quote:Originally posted by colintelevision

Also,l forgot to ask. Would a good start be to buy a villa and rent it out. Would it help get the ball rolling etc. Would it make it easier to move out if you own a villa already?

Thanks



You maybe better off if you're not starting your own company or buying one in America......to get a job offer anywhere in the USA....and then move after getting your greencards......so maybe buying a Villa in Orlando would be something best put off unless you have tons of spare cash hanging around....having a Villa will make it no easier to move here.....unless you find a company willing to take you on because you have a FL address...also remember that..... your wife can't work untill she has her own greencard or workpermit.....same with your kids.....my daughter had to wait 2 years before she could even get a workpermit..

[fiona]

I think if you invest $1M in a business that gets you a green card!!

However, on top of you would need to buy (or rent) a house, plus prove you could live here without being a drain on US.

Did any of you catch an interview with Jack Osborne saying they don't have a green card still? (Son of Ozzy)

[esprit]

If you are looking for a L1 intra company business trsnafer visa, the UK business must have been running for 12 months. You need to set up a Florida LLC ( circa $400) and then apply to transfer yourself between the companies. You can either download the forms or use an attorney. Having a villa is no advantage whatsoever when it comes to immigration though at least it means having somewhere to lay your head when you arrive.

It is difficult when you get here, Chrizzy, so much admininstration and all queues and with well immigrants ( I know we are too, but a lot of thesea dont speak English if you get my drift). We have had quite a lot of problems, husbands visa got wrongly entered on arrival and so no social security number for 90 days and we had a massive amount of trouble gettinbg workers comp insurance for our workers and it ended up costing over $14,000. Then there is the no credit non person bit. And our son starting school. We are just coming out of the tunnel and starting to feel like we are getting somewhere at last and strating to enjoy things a bit more. It takes a time to adjust I think.