just thought i'd ask

[steph_goodrum]

"Once inside the Embassy there is inadequate seating, inadequate number of toilets and only snack/drinks slot machines which may or may not work. It was apparent when we went to London (May 2004) that 99.9% of applicants were students looking for Visas to study in America.

Clare
The timing for you was probably bad, my daughter was one of the students last summer (2005), not for studying (it is actually called a cultural exchange/study visa) to work in the US for the summer. Her appointment was around 11 and was all finished within a couple of hours, she was prepared and took food , drink and books with her, and it helped in that she is studying in London so the logistics were not quite so bad, it was only a short bus ride from her. For most in the same position as her they were unable to apply earlier as until they had their exam timetables didnt know when they would be able to fly over and start work.


If you don't have a particular time in travel in mind and can plan your application when it suite then you can probably get a quieter time.

[Robert5988]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:thanks for that ,ah well i know you can go for 90 days suppose we could go for that length of time and keep a house here only thing is i don' t know how regular you could go for 90 days !! ah well nice dream while it lasted thanks anyway mary[/quote]

There are a couple of minor changes since that 2004 thread.

Firstly you do not need to have 6 months left on your passport to enter the USA. As long as it covers the length of your stay you are OK.

Secondly you now cannot cross a border to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean Islands and re-enter to obtain a new Visa Waiver.

There is no limit to the number of times you can enter on a Visa waiver. Obviously you must satisfy the Immigration officer that you have ties to the UK and it is your intention to return there. However that still applies even if you have a Visa.

IMO a retired person could spend as much time as they wanted in the USA as long as they met the criteria above and could demonstrate(if required) they had sufficient funds.

The cost of medical insurance is a big deterrent for older people when it comes to spending long periods on one trip in the USA. It is fairly easy to get cover for a 30 day stay but difficult(or expensive) for longer periods. For full time medical insurance someone was talking of a $20,000 pa premium. It is much easier to spend £300 or so on a trip back to UK and your 30 days starts again next time you enter.

[steph_goodrum]

"IMO a retired person could spend as much time as they wanted in the USA as long as they met the criteria above and could demonstrate(if required) they had sufficient funds."

The other thing you have to watch for is that if you spend more than 181 days in 3 years (there is a formula which is something along the lines of 100% of time spent in current year +20% of time the preceding year + 10% of the year prior to that, then the US decides you are classed as residing there for tax purposes and rules you have to declare all your Worldwide income for tax purposes and pay tax on it if applicable.

[Robert5988]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:The other thing you have to watch for is that if you spend more than 181 days in 3 years (there is a formula which is something along the lines of 100% of time spent in current year +20% of time the preceding year + 10% of the year prior to that, then the US decides you are classed as residing there for tax purposes and rules you have to declare all your Worldwide income for tax purposes and pay tax on it if applicable.
[/quote]

Steph,
I checked up on this and whilst you are absoutely correct in what you say, it is at the discretion of the US Tax authorities.

I suspect they might exercise that right if you were a high earning individual like Robbie williams etc.

However for the vast majority of us it is not a problem because of the reciprocal Tax agreement between UK and USA. Any Income Tax you pay to the USA is deducted from your UK liability. Given that, for the vast majority, UK liability will be higher than the USA you will not be any worse off.

The position is similar with Capital Gains Tax.

[steph_goodrum]

It's still another hassle to add to the others of insurance to consider though so it's best to be aware of all considerations.

[Robert5988]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote: It's still another hassle to add to the others of insurance to consider though so it's best to be aware of all considerations.[/quote]

Agreed!

IMO Florida is a place for a holiday; to spend the majority of your time there would be one long hassle.

[Cruella DeVilla]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Robert5988
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote: It's still another hassle to add to the others of insurance to consider though so it's best to be aware of all considerations.[/quote]

Agreed!

IMO Florida is a place for a holiday; to spend the majority of your time there would be one long hassle.
[/quote]

Ah hassle I cant wait for[8D]

[glasgowmary]

sorry to sound daft but what is imo ?? [msncool]

[glasgowmary]

sorry to sound daft but what is imo ?? [msncool]

[SDJ]

For those of you who have not been to the US Embassy recently, you no longer queue on the pavement outside, not allowed. There are plenty of seats inside. There is a counter that you can buy food, drinks, etc. It is much improved, we were there in November. The wait is not much different, we had a 1300 appointment and got seen at 1600. Still, not complaining, we got our B2 renewed for another 10 years. Yippee!!!!

Sandra