Is it all bad news

[chrizzy100]

Things spring to mind like are they cutting down on people coming to the US on that visa because they are thinking of stopping the E2....is that why renewel is also getting harder....or maybe they want people to look elsewhere in the US....I've been leaving forums to do with moving to the US over the last 6 months so I'm not up to date ...but the few people I know in MA are having no trouble getting their visa's or renewel...are they just lucky...or is it because they are not in an area that many Brits are moving too...?

[Cruella DeVilla]

I'd say go for it, if you don't try you will never know and life is already full of "what ifs".

[chrizzy100]

I always thought that CV till I started seeing what it did to the kids....now I say...go for it but try to wait until your kids are grown and have a life of their own....I've seen so much heartbreak over the last few years its hit me hard...what its doing to the families I just don't want to think about anymore...its great to live for the day.....but don't drag someone along who maybe the one to pay later....just my 2 cents...

[esprit]

Martin, they plugged the Mexico loophole a couple of years back, the Bahamas, which is British, was open until recently when it got "discovered" as a way of circumventing London and now that has been plugged also.

I would agree with what Chrizzy says re those who have kids. We came here three years ago with a 17 year old, who has loved it here since day one. We were convinced we could do something about our status before he was 21 or that the Dream Act would be brought in ( the old one, which failed, now reintroduced). In fact he is 21 this year and we are now having to deal with it, putting him on international students status is possible but it quintuples the fees he is now paying making it ill affordable. If you have a non academic kid, you are sunk. Know someone in this circumstance whose 21 year old, here many years, had to leave. His parents are now having to buy him a business to get his own E2. Note that the investment has to look like it came from the kid not the parents so needs some machinations. But in my mind this just perpertuates the problem creating families of E2ers who will never get permenent status barring marriage. I do know of one E2 family who recently went home when their E2 child aged out. They took with them an American educated child who may have difficulty with this when back in the UK but at least kept the family together.

[chrizzy100]

My sons gone through school in the US from aged 11....at 18 and just about to graduate...he feels that if he had to move back to the UK he would need to do all 5 years of Sr school again... he has learnt nothing here that he did not learn in his Jr School...he has gone through many feelings in over 6 years...he has many good friends but still feels kids only want to know him because he is different...I for one will be glad to see the back of High School...I can't believe what they teach in this country...and what kind of work will earn you an A+...one thing I've learnt is that spelling is not important....really!...well it may come as a shock to American Teachers but it is important everywhere else in the world....I live in an area which until this year had the best schools in the USA....we are now 4th....most of FL in at the bottom...I don't want to think what they are teaching kids down there...but the few from FL that are at our local High School after moving here are 2 years behind MA kids...

E2 is really for people with no kids....grown kids happy in the UK....people with very young kids who want a different life for a few years...it is a temp visa...its not the start of a new life as it stands right now....its a way to live in the US for a time ...the USA will never be home......its giving you a chance to live a different life for a few years....if you come with that thought you should have a great time in the USA for how every long the US Gov lets you stay....or until you sell up and return home yourself...
If you want to stay longer you need a long term plan of school to get a degree in work needed in the US...hope that you can get an H1B...and hope it leads to a greencard...this can take 12 years in your English job...or 4 years of school...but its a lot safer...and a better way to bring your kids to the US....this way is also getting harder...but if something is worth having its worth working and waiting for...just my 2 cents...
If you have to come on an E2....have enough money...whatever you have now...double it before looking at moving over...if you're only here for a short time...you don't want money worries...think about what you want to do here...you'll be at work most of the week...and most of the year...find something you'd like to do for the rest of time...if you are lucky enough to get through renewel every few years...you'll be doing this job till you die...you can't retire...you can't trust most staff to run your company...
America can be a great place to live....make sure you do everything in your power to make your time here happy....read everything....take advice from people already here....understand your visa and its limits...have long term plans for going home if on an E2....make sure if on an E2 with kids that they KNOW this is not a life time move...its a way to live somewhere else for a while...be honest with them...keep a home in the UK if you can....send your kids back to the UK to spend time with family...keep a tie with old friends....keep up to date with school work in England...don't let your kids fall to far behind....

[Robert5988]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Therefore, even with ownership of a Florida villa (traditionally good grounds for B1/B2 visa) questions are asked at interview why you need more than 90 days available on the Visa Waiver scheme, if you are in full time employment and/or have children of school age, this becomes very difficult to justify.
[/quote]

I find some of the US Immigration policies hard to understand. However this one is perfectly understandable. Why would anyone eligble for a Visa Waiver(and not retired) want a visitors visa?

In fact I cannot understand why anyone who wants to stay less than 90 days goes through the trouble and expense of obtaining a visitors visa. It is not as if it garantees you entry - if the Immigration officer has any doubts he can still stop you entering.

[esprit]

B2 is being used at the moment as a vehicle to change status to another visa, Robert, and that is its worth over visa waiver, as as you know you cannot change status from visa waiver. In so doing. you can obtain say an E2 internally within the US and circumvent the problems in London. Except that now apparently according to the post above, they have started stampimg them as ineligible for change of status.

That last paragraph of Chrizzy's post is great stuff. I would agree with every sentiment, however I also know that people should do all those things and dont. It isnt a permanent visa yet many people spend 10-15 years on it and believe this is their home, I feel like it is mine after only three years, but it isnt, it is a temporary abode as long as you trade and continue to satisfy requirements. Many kids cannot even remember the UK let alone still have friends there. It hence comes as a huge shock to them when they have to face up to approaching 21.

[PAUL GIZZI]

I know this is not quite you same question as the rest, but what sort of cost is the health insurance (approx)

Cheers

Paul

[florida4sun]

We were paying around 700 per month but that was through our company in order to get pre existing coverage. 2 adults and 2 children. I would say a typiucal amount would be aroun $400 per month for a healthy family with deductables.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by PAUL GIZZI
I know this is not quite you same question as the rest, but what sort of cost is the health insurance (approx)

Cheers

Paul
[/quote]