You've all been asked this before (Rio: insurance, condo, income)

[jenko2005]

Firstly what a wonderful forum

Right here go's i will be a bit more detailed than the others

Looking to retire to Florida from the U.K these are the questions i put to you experts in no specific order.

1. i have $800,000 plus in cash
2. a monthly icome of $2,500 per month

how would i go about perminant residancy ?
purchasing a new vehicle
purchasing a home
taxes
insurances
etc etc

the best area to live and so forth

thanks in advance

[tonrob]

Originally Posted by jenko2005

Firstly what a wonderful forum

Right here go's i will be a bit more detailed than the others

Looking to retire to Florida from the U.K these are the questions i put to you experts in no specific order.

1. i have $800,000 plus in cash
2. a monthly icome of $2,500 per month

how would i go about perminant residancy ?
purchasing a new vehicle
purchasing a home
taxes
insurances
etc etc

the best area to live and so forth

thanks in advance

On the assumption your British I'll answer your first question:

Marry an American.

That's about it, really.

[jenko2005]

if the wife permits were looking more of owning a business of some sort or even villa rentals

[tonrob]

Originally Posted by jenko2005

if the wife permits were looking more of owning a business of some sort or even villa rentals

No route to permanent residency then. Google E2 visa - it's the best you'll be able to do if you're looking to start your own business. You could get to live in FL for a while, but it won't be permanent.

[jenko2005]

would you be able to get an e2 renting out villas

[tonrob]

Originally Posted by jenko2005

would you be able to get an e2 renting out villas

I don't know - what did you find out when you googled it?

Visa aside, I'm not sure there's much security in property investment in the current climate.

[Magnulus]

Cross the Rio Grande... that'd be your illegal option. Otherwise, if you are retired and don't want to work anymore, the only way you can come in is by marrying a US citizen*. This isn't the 1920's anymore when we just take buttloads of people in from Staten Island. We've got 300,000,000 people, a very weak economy, and most Americans just don't feel like letting in any more people unless they've got alot to contribute right now.

Feel free to visit and maybe stay a few weeks, though. Rent a condo as a tourist, that sort of thing.

*well, not entirely true as if you have political asylum you might get in. But last time I checked, the UK doesn't have rape rooms and torture chambers.

[tonrob]

Originally Posted by Magnulus

This isn't the 1920's anymore when we just take buttloads of people in from Staten Island. We've got 300,000,000 people, a very weak economy, and most Americans just don't feel like letting in any more people unless they've got alot to contribute right now.

Sometimes I wonder whether it would be quicker and simpler (and possibly cheaper) to have 300,000,000 vote on approving each visa application rather than have the USCIS do it!

Anyway - you lot let me in, so gotta love you for it!

Back to the OP's situation - you just can't get permanent residency as a retiree - the best you can hope for is 6 months in, 6 months out and even then this wouldn't be guaranteed entry even if you held the visa. Because of all this hassle my parents ended up buying a gorgeous house that needed renovation a few miles from the coast in northern Italy. When you remove all the piffling about with visas and add in cheap medical care then this was a great move for them!

[jenko2005]

if i bought a franchise would i and my wife have to work there on a full time basis as i would have other income to rely on

[tonrob]

Originally Posted by jenko2005

if i bought a franchise would i and my wife have to work there on a full time basis as i would have other income to rely on

Ok - you're in E2 visa territory now. Never leads to permanent residency and valid only for as long as the business is in operation. Stipulations for E2s are tighter now that they have been in the past. This isn't an immigration forum so try the USCIS website followed by britishexpats.com (checking the immigration Wiki before asking more detailed questions).

Good luck!