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can anyone recommend a good business broker based in central florida area who has knowledge of E2 visas
thanks
Julie
That is the multi million dollar question!! Sorry I couldnt recommend one! But I will tell you what not to go for.
Firstly dont go for a one stop shop where there are business brokers, realtors and immigration consultants all in house and they offer you all of their services. You need an immigration consultant totally independent from your business broker, too great a conflict of interest otherwise.
Secondly dont use anyone who asks you to put money into escrow with themselves or with someone else in the same firm, use a proper escrow attorney. People have lost their life savings doing this, quite a lot of them, there are law cases currently pending!!
Thirdly because of the delays in London at the moment, many business brokers advise you to apply for B2 and premium process a change of status to E2 with USCIS. This is because sellers dont like waiting for their sale and business brokers dont like waiting for their commission and this route can be achieved in one month or so instead of 4-6. It also gives you status only, not a visa, and landlocks you, unable to leave the US even if there is an emergency abroad without losing your status. Then when you apply for your visa, they look at the application afresh at the embassy and may deny it. By then you will be lumbered with a business you have no right to run and you would be back in the UK, no B2 any more, no E2 status and no option but visa waiver, even supposing you can get back in ok with visa denied against your name. This practice helps sellers and business brokers and helps buyers short term but puts them at long term risk.
Remember when dealing with both brokers and immigration attorneys that telling people a business will not fly for E2 does not earn them any fees or commission! If you want any more advice, dm me. I have been there, done that, bought the Tee shirt, washed it and shrunk it on this one!!
I will agree with Julie on most of what she says, but she is pointing out to you the bad things that can happen.
For the record, we used an "one stop shop" so to speak, they were brokers and visa consultants.
We did go the B2 status change to E2 way, and also had the visa application running alongside this. When it came time to go to London for the visa interview, he did question why we had gone that way, we explained our reasons and we got our visa.
Yes it could have all gone pair shaped but it didn't, we got what we set out for.
If you want details of our broker, i will happily recomend them, they also have offices in the UK and US.
You were lucky Frosty. When you are on the number of immigration forums I am on, you read all the bad stories, I am aware it can work for some people but it doesnt for loads of others. I still say separate business broker and immigration attorney. I still say B to E change of status is risky, it worked ok for you and you dared go back and were successful, loads of people are too scared and landlock themselves and then if someone dies cannot go home. Yep it has happened. You pays your money on this one and you takes your choice.
Hi
Thanks for info can youboth please PM details I want to make sure we get a point of view from everyone
thanks again
[msnsmile]