View Full Version : we got out B1 visa but the kids haven't
mrsbabypowder
28-07-2004, 01:01
does anyone want to babysit for 6 months+!
this is how stupid this whole thing is.
we went upto the US Embassy 2 weeks ago. got there at 8am for our 9am appointment. the queue was already around the block! QUESTION. WHY DO THEY BOOK SO MANY PEOPLE IN AT ONE TIME?????
Waited in a good orderly line like the British are renowned for doing! at 9.45am we walked through the bag x-ray, and up the steps. oh i was getting very nervous never seen so many armed police in my life...... We were told to go up the steps to the left. so up we went, into this huge room, with massive fans that ruined the hard work that i put into my hair! LOL
again we stood in line, passing time chatting to the South Africans in front. then a really nice woman walked up the line asking to check all the papers, she asked if we had our pre paid envelopes, we and everyone else said no. and we were told that we had to get their special courier envelopes that cost 10.00. so most of the line had to go back downstairs. behind a very high (and i mean high) desk a little head peeped over, and said to my hubby that because we had 5 applications we would need 2 envelopes. costing 20 quid.
he then came back upstairs to join the queue. finally we got to a little window, where a nice man took all our paperwork, and asked why we had 2 envelopes, we told him that we were told to get 2, he said go back and get a refund, this my hubby did. he gave us a number and told to take a seat.
QUESTION, WHY IS THERE NEVER ENOUGH SEATS SO EARLY IN THE MORNING????????
ok we sat down, and realised after 2 hours of eating there over priced food and drink from the vending machines that the numbers on the tickets bear no relation to the order that you are called! QUESTION WHY DO THEY NOT HAVE MORE COUNTERS OPEN? THERE WERE 3 OPEN, AND ONE WENT FOR LUNCH.
finally i was getting excited, the tiredness had worn of, i could see this lady behind the counter flicking through our 'files' we were called, wrong cubical but as it was closed we said the the lady is it us you want, as i didn't relish going to find my chair, after the brawl that occured when we stood up. you really could make money from charging for the seats, (better not tell that to the US Embassy, they might do it, just to make a bit more money!)
we stood there for 5 minutes whilst we were interogated! why why why what when how. yes sir no sir three bags full and i will kiss your a**e just so that you will like us!!!! hooray we were told we had our B1 visas. we were free to go for 6 months to find a business so that we can BUY our way into the US.....
then the bad news our 3 children, ages 3, 6 and 12 were only allowed out on the visa waiver for 90 days, we asked why, and she said because they would be returning for their UK Schooling. QUESTION, I THOUGHT EVERY CHILD WAS ENTITLED TO FREE EDUCATION IN ANY COUNTRY BUT OBVIOUSLY MINE WEREN'T.
so my darling children, because of wanting a 'better life' are being penalised. and i think it is very bad. QUESTION WHY DID WE HAVE TO PAY 60 QUID PER CHILD FOR NO REASON?
our attorney is on the case, basically he has said, that we should enroll the children in school, then 80 days later leave the US for a nice cruise around the Bahamas, and come back in. BUT and a BIG BUT. if the immigration officers ask us if the children have been enrolled in school whilst we were here, and we say no and they find out through records, we can say goodbye to our visas.
so what is the answer? leave the kids home alone? leave them with long term babysitters, or take them with us, (silly question really, i couldn't be without them for a minute)
so we're in a catch twenty two position.
i scream HELP
(oh and sorry this is such a long thread)
Am cutting and pasting the regulations re B1 visa.
The Basic Business visa is the B-1 for temporary visitors going for business.
A temporary visitor for business must establish that he or she:
# Has a residence abroad which he or she does not plan to abandon
# Is coming to the United States for a definite temporary period
# Will depart upon the conclusion of the visit
# Has access to sufficient funds to cover the cost of the visit and return passage
Generally, a B-1 applicant may not seek gainful employment in the U.S. A B-1 visa applicant usually wants to go to the U.S. to consult with business associates, negotiate a contract, buy goods, participate in conferences, and similar activities.
I will be frank with you, B1 is a TEMPORARY visa and not one where you should be putting your kids into school. You are not comsidered a permanent resident on that visa and will have all sorts of other problems also with what you can and cant do. The E2 is the permanent business visa and buying a business is your goal, you could have flown out and found a business then returned and applied for an E2 and waited in the UK fo it to be issued like most everyone else does. Why use the B1 which is like a halfway house??
They have to educate everyone in the US without questioning status, they have so many illegals that it would mean a huge uneducated sub class if they didnt. So yes provided you are in catchment zone they will register your kids, But by putting your kids in school on a B visa, you could jeopardise your eventual E2 as your attorney said. Having said that, there was an instance on a TV programme recently of someone doing just that on a visa waiver even where that didnt happen and their E2 was granted!!!
What are you to do?? Well if I was you, I would fly out for the limit of the kids visa waiver, find a business in that time and then go home to wait for the E2 to process. Galling but if you try and circumvent the processes, you could come unstuck. You might not but is it worth the risk?
Cruella DeVilla
28-07-2004, 14:16
OH what a palava!
steph_goodrum
28-07-2004, 17:09
Technically I think your children may now need the visa s they were refused it, not that that makes much sense, but one of the questions asked on the visa waiver form is if you have ever had a visa cancelled or been refused a visa for any reason then you have to contact the embassy for advice, so if you answer no on the form , it could be attached to your childrens passport details on the computer and when they try to enter they could actually be refused.
I have no idea how they get round this but I know of other people who have been put in the same situation as they applied for a visa thinking it would make travel easier and then told that they didnt need it as they were eligible to use visa waiver.
I just cant wait to go through all this, [msnmad]
The kids have not been denied a visa, Steph, it just wasnt granted because they werent eligible. There is a subtle difference.
mrsbabypowder
30-07-2004, 02:32
well we are going on the 10th august, can't wait. after watching something on tv tonight concerning a young family wanting to move to florida, we had to watch to see how the relocation people did it. and weren't surprised when they said that she had dual nationality, and when they got married he applied for his visas, and got them. so it was pretty straight forward for him. it makes me angry that programmes do not show how hard it really is for normal people who want a better life to do this. we have sold everything in the hope of making a new life in the US, and i am starting to feel that unless i am somebody famous they do not want you. ok we have some money from the sale of our house, and are wanting to invest and buy a business and employ americans, but it should never be this hard. maybe the british goverment should be the same and stop just about anyone and everyone coming into the country who do not want to invest. looks like i am blurting off, and may upset the politically correct people. so i better shut up.............................................
The USA doesnt stop everyone coming in though!! Just us Brits have a problem. And dont say too many of us, have you seen the number of hispanics and they are still coming in and being offered green cards while we struggle. Now I had better shut up as well!!!
Cruella DeVilla
30-07-2004, 13:37
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by floridavillasrus
well we are going on the 10th august, can't wait. after watching something on tv tonight concerning a young family wanting to move to florida, we had to watch to see how the relocation people did it. and weren't surprised when they said that she had dual nationality, and when they got married he applied for his visas, and got them. so it was pretty straight forward for him. it makes me angry that programmes do not show how hard it really is for normal people who want a better life to do this. we have sold everything in the hope of making a new life in the US, and i am starting to feel that unless i am somebody famous they do not want you. ok we have some money from the sale of our house, and are wanting to invest and buy a business and employ americans, but it should never be this hard. maybe the british goverment should be the same and stop just about anyone and everyone coming into the country who do not want to invest. looks like i am blurting off, and may upset the politically correct people. so i better shut up.............................................[/quote]
Could not agree more about that bl**dy couple last night. They had it easy, dual citiizenship, he got a job, they should have planned it better not getting such a big house to start with etc etc. I was so annoyed when the said they were coming back.....PATHETIC!
We meet four of the criterias on the US Visa site for hopefully obtaining visas and are off to the Embassy soon to see where the land lies(2nd income/Management positions/sought after skills and cash for a business....oh and by the time we want to try to move, degrees to, but we also have 20 years plus experience in our choosen professions. No dounbt someone will tell us none of it is guaranteed...which we know..
johnandmariauk
02-08-2004, 14:56
You think this was bad?
We went to the embassy on Friday for exactly the same reasons as the above, but with two children. We were concerned that we would get B visas and that the children would not. We shouldn't have worried. They wouldn't give any of us a visa! They said that because we were going to look for a business to buy on E2 that they could not give us B visas and that we could look for a business on Visa Waiver and then apply for E2.
Why did they give B visas to this couple and then not to us?
Of course, they took a total of £250 off us with absolutely nothing in return.
It's a joke.
As I said earlier B1 is not intended for this purpose. They know if you come out on visa waiver, you will have to return to the UK to apply for the E2 and wait the processing period out. YOu only have three months on visa waiver and it is taking longer than that for E2. This is how it is supposed to be done and how we all did it until all these TV programmes started advocating moving here first and then looking for a business sintead of tghe other way around. They KNOW the intention isnt to go back, that is why they are quibbling at people putting kids in schools. I am guessing they are shutting the floodgates.
Scotborder
03-08-2004, 17:18
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by floridavillasrus
well we are going on the 10th august, can't wait. after watching something on tv tonight concerning a young family wanting to move to florida, we had to watch to see how the relocation people did it. and weren't surprised when they said that she had dual nationality, and when they got married he applied for his visas, and got them. so it was pretty straight forward for him. it makes me angry that programmes do not show how hard it really is for normal people who want a better life to do this. we have sold everything in the hope of making a new life in the US, and i am starting to feel that unless i am somebody famous they do not want you. ok we have some money from the sale of our house, and are wanting to invest and buy a business and employ
americans, but it should never be this hard. maybe the british goverment should be the same and stop just about anyone and everyone coming into the country who do not want to invest. looks like i am blurting off, and may upset the politically correct people. so i better shut up.............................................
[/quote]
Would it help, if you buy your business first while still living in the UK, I am not sure if you can do it but just a thought.
Obviously it would require one of you to do all the travelling and staying in US to find a business to buy and run it until the rest of the family granted an E2 VISA.
Maria
Maria, unfortunately you can't run a for profit business that you own in the US without your E2 visa in your hand. You can look for one, buy one and learn how to run it without taking any money out of it but what would happen if you weren't granted an E2 visa?
Scotborder
04-08-2004, 02:49
That's a good point Blott. So can you actually apply for an E2 Visa without buying a business first?
I don't think I said that? If you thought I did then I apologise.
I said you can't run a business for profit without an E2 visa. Your E2 visa application is everything to do with the business you choose and you can't apply for an E2 visa without a business in your application as the Embassy are very specific about the requirements of the business for the visa.
You have to contract to buy the business and put the money in escrow with an escrow agent and the receipt fot that goes in to the embassy with your application. That shows commitment. The contract is contingent on grant of E2 and the money is refunded if not granted. In the rare cases of an E2 on business plan alone, they like you still to contract for business premises, vehicles etc to show that commitment. The way most people do it is find a business, contract to buy it contingent on E2, send the money into escrow and then wait in the UK for approval. When that comes, they will fly out and close and the escrow agent will release the funds to the seller. The seller contracts to keep the business trading during the waiting period.
This chicken and egg situation of flying out on a B1 or B2, buying houses and cars, putting kids into school and even buying a business before the E2 is granted is very dangerous and is something which has only been going on big time since a people were seen doing it in those TV prgrammes. Sooner or later it will end in tears for someone.
Scotborder
06-08-2004, 02:21
Thanks Blott and Julie that expains it, it's nice to hear these things from people with experience and knowledge. I'm sure there are some people here like me who's curious about this E2 VISA.
How long approx. it will take from submitting your application for an E2 VISA to getting a response from embassy, whether you are granted an E2 VISA or not?
Thanks
Maria
I did mine a while ago and at the time it was taking six weeks. I have heard from more recent immigramts that it is now much slower, 3 months or more. The number of applications has gone up but not the number of staff to deal with it and they are processed strictly in order of arrival, Unlike L1, you cant pay extra to expedite.
mrsbabypowder
14-08-2004, 04:40
Well we are here in Florida. Arrived on Tuesday 10th August. And at this precise moment we are going through Hurricane Charley. Welcome to Florida!!!!!!
Our Pool is overflowing, the wind and rain is BAD. A really nice welcome from Florida. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
mrsbabypowder
18-08-2004, 04:58
no i left the kids home alone. ONLY JOKING. yes they are with us, and we are trying to teach them at home. they have given us 3 months to find a business, could've checked out businesses on the visa waiver. instead of forking out 300 pounds for the visa and then the hotel room over night. spent a small fortune and in the end didn't really need them
Bet you wished you stayed at home the way things are here at the moment. What a nightmare, two hours queuing up for petrol. Well the kids will have learnt all about hurricanes if nothing else!!!
mrsbabypowder
20-08-2004, 05:03
yes i never realised how much i appreciate air conditioning! oh and the hair dryer, god my hair looked awful. we were very lucky, there are plenty of pools screens demolished, my 2 boys slept through it, when the power and phone went off it started to get scary! we went out early on saturday morning to check out the area with the video camera. and we were amazed at the damage.
having been without power for 3 days was long enough. Thank you power god for turning on my power. xxxxxxx
mrsbabypowder
26-08-2004, 03:28
we are in Crescent Lakes, sorry it took so long to reply, been out getting a car..........and i keep forgetting to get back on here......where are you?
Celebration... Your driving license will only last until the end of your visa remember and you will have the one heck of a time getting insurance without a social security number.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by esprit
number of applications has gone up but not the number of staff to deal with it and they are processed strictly in order of arrival, Unlike L1, you cant pay extra to expedite.
[/quote]
I think you can!!
http://uscis.gov/graphics/howdoi/prem_process.htm
mrsbabypowder
27-08-2004, 03:38
i waited in line for over 2 hours in the tax collectors office waiting to take my written test. got to the front of the queue only to be told that i didn't need one. as my B1 visa is valid for 6 months i can use my UK license for that period. alot of swear words went through my head as you can guess. we have got insurance through Progressive is cost $1350 for 2 people to drive for wait for it 6 MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!!
didn't have any trouble though. would love to pick your brain if your upto it. would you like to pop round for an english cup of tea??????
elaine