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Sorry to say this but the only way it is going to happen is by buying a business and appling for an E2 visa. Ive been on this visa road for a while now , its all very confusing and hard to get your head around but thats the way we are going to do it now , and believe me the logistics of organising an E2 are not for the faint hearted ! But at least if needs be ,my wife will be able to get employment on this visa . Getting a job offer and sponsorship from the states is ni on impossible unless you are a rocket sientist or similar , dont believe all the webb sites offering to find you employment for a fee , it wont happen.
If its any help Australia is easier to get into , especially for blue collar workers like plumbers . Never been interested in going there myself ,they talk funny for a start and its not that cheap there , but a lot of people really like it .
Good luck
Richard.
I have read that less than 5% of american employers work with the authorities on the H-1B, which doesnt bode well, even more so that my husbands particular current skill as an electrician are falling over themselves out there to gain employment, and he has no skill as an electrician that a fellow American wouldnt have gained through training, so that avenue I feel is a definate no-go area.
I can see I should have married someone from the medical field who had aspirations to take his highly sought after skills to America ~ lol.
As it is, unless any of the umpteen things he has learnt and gained qualifications on whilst serving in the Military are a wanted skill, and again, something that a prospective employer can guarantee only he can do and no american is qualified for, then I dont see we have much hope at all really.
I will contact the lawyer regarding this, as dont see the point in us wasting our valuable vacation time and money only to be given the same stark hard facts that we have been faced with via this forum.
We really appreciate your honesty and putting the facts down in black and white as they are, and not trying to give us any false hopes. we now know just what hurdles we are up against, but from this end, at the present moment in time, it seems a fruitless dream.
It seems very unfair that here we are, willing to work and give our all to the American economy, not to mention, buy our own property and maintain its upkeep, and do everything by the book, pay our insurances etc etc and we get it thrown back in our face and told we are not wanted! (Well its unfair only because its been my dream since we first visited America some years ago and I fell in love with the country and came back to england and was very depressed for weeks, and yearned to live and work in America, although it wouldnt have been possible at the time as my husband was still serving his time in the military) (NOT to mention of course that being a woman I want what I desire AND NOW!!!!) .
Oh well, will try another avenue and see if that also ends in a dead end.
Many thanks for all your help on here, its certainly made us realise just how difficult it is, or can be, to get into America ~ but we not giving up all hope just yet
Sorry to say this but the only way it is going to happen is by buying a business and appling for an E2 visa. Ive been on this visa road for a while now , its all very confusing and hard to get your head around but thats the way we are going to do it now , and believe me the logistics of organising an E2 are not for the faint hearted ! But at least if needs be ,my wife will be able to get employment on this visa . Getting a job offer and sponsorship from the states is ni on impossible unless you are a rocket sientist or similar , dont believe all the webb sites offering to find you employment for a fee , it wont happen.
If its any help Australia is easier to get into , especially for blue collar workers like plumbers . Never been interested in going there myself ,they talk funny for a start and its not that cheap there , but a lot of people really like it .
Good luck
Richard.
Hi Richard, I was led to believe Australia was even harder to get into nowadays than America, they have got so many boxes you have to tick to their advantage before they will even consider your application, and like you, we have never fancied Australia, although my husbands best friend, a carpenter, is in the process at the moment of applying for Australia (he has relatives out there and has visited there a few times, so he knows where he would like to go to and has gained a feel for the place and he knows that his particular trade is sought after).
My sister, who now resides in Canada has told us that electricians are in very short supply on the west coast of Canada, and we would find it a lot easier to get into that country, but again, having never been to Canada, its not where my heart is!
I hope you are successful with your application for your E2 ~ sounds like its a laugh a minute .....NOT! Do they give you any indications on how long the whole process may take before you can finally embark on your new life?
This is exactly the reason why i told you to buy or set up your own business. Property Management business's are easy to set up and have relatively low cost start up fees. If you source the right realtor, or even do your own research for businesses for sale online you can buy a business for less that $100,000-$150,000. Its alot of money but it is realistically the only way you could come here and both work and that is why so many use this route. Only a very small percentage of people are lucky to have a US employer get visa's and guarantee a job for them. Is it hard work? absolutly, but if coming here is something you want to do, then no matter what job you would have had it will be hard work. I mentioned my friends English pub for sale just as an example but there a great many businesses you could look into and this is something you may want to check with the attorney to see which businesses qualify for the visa.
Best of luck
Nick
Quote:
Originally Posted by LindyUK
I have read that less than 5% of american employers work with the authorities on the H-1B, which doesnt bode well, even more so that my husbands particular current skill as an electrician are falling over themselves out there to gain employment, and he has no skill as an electrician that a fellow American wouldnt have gained through training, so that avenue I feel is a definate no-go area.
I can see I should have married someone from the medical field who had aspirations to take his highly sought after skills to America ~ lol.
As it is, unless any of the umpteen things he has learnt and gained qualifications on whilst serving in the Military are a wanted skill, and again, something that a prospective employer can guarantee only he can do and no american is qualified for, then I dont see we have much hope at all really.
I will contact the lawyer regarding this, as dont see the point in us wasting our valuable vacation time and money only to be given the same stark hard facts that we have been faced with via this forum.
We really appreciate your honesty and putting the facts down in black and white as they are, and not trying to give us any false hopes. we now know just what hurdles we are up against, but from this end, at the present moment in time, it seems a fruitless dream.
It seems very unfair that here we are, willing to work and give our all to the American economy, not to mention, buy our own property and maintain its upkeep, and do everything by the book, pay our insurances etc etc and we get it thrown back in our face and told we are not wanted! (Well its unfair only because its been my dream since we first visited America some years ago and I fell in love with the country and came back to england and was very depressed for weeks, and yearned to live and work in America, although it wouldnt have been possible at the time as my husband was still serving his time in the military) (NOT to mention of course that being a woman I want what I desire AND NOW!!!!) .
Oh well, will try another avenue and see if that also ends in a dead end.
Many thanks for all your help on here, its certainly made us realise just how difficult it is, or can be, to get into America ~ but we not giving up all hope just yet
Hi Richard, I was led to believe Australia was even harder to get into nowadays than America, they have got so many boxes you have to tick to their advantage before they will even consider your application, and like you, we have never fancied Australia, although my husbands best friend, a carpenter, is in the process at the moment of applying for Australia (he has relatives out there and has visited there a few times, so he knows where he would like to go to and has gained a feel for the place and he knows that his particular trade is sought after).
My sister, who now resides in Canada has told us that electricians are in very short supply on the west coast of Canada, and we would find it a lot easier to get into that country, but again, having never been to Canada, its not where my heart is!
I hope you are successful with your application for your E2 ~ sounds like its a laugh a minute .....NOT! Do they give you any indications on how long the whole process may take before you can finally embark on your new life?
I think the Australia process is easier because they have the points system and you can easily go though the questions online and see where you score points and dont score points and address each issue one by one , i think basically if you have a full education , a trade they want (and theres lots of them) are in your twentys (sadly im not) then you have a good chance .But if its not your dream then i agree its not for you .
Processing the E2 visa takes about 5-6 months at the moment , depends who you listen to, but theres alot to sort and arrange before getting to that stage , for a start you buy the business before you can apply for the visa , scary. We have 3 young children to consider so need to get everything right before getting to deep therefore we are hoping it will be the end of 2009 that we go , all being well .
Enjoy your holiday and while there maybe look into some business you could do together .
Richard.
I think the Australia process is easier because they have the points system and you can easily go though the questions online and see where you score points and dont score points and address each issue one by one , i think basically if you have a full education , a trade they want (and theres lots of them) are in your twentys (sadly im not) then you have a good chance .But if its not your dream then i agree its not for you .
Processing the E2 visa takes about 5-6 months at the moment , depends who you listen to, but theres alot to sort and arrange before getting to that stage , for a start you buy the business before you can apply for the visa , scary. We have 3 young children to consider so need to get everything right before getting to deep therefore we are hoping it will be the end of 2009 that we go , all being well .
Enjoy your holiday and while there maybe look into some business you could do together .
Richard.
I think for Australia, anyone over the age of 45 are a deff no go.
That is scary, having to BUY a business before you have everything in place, especially with 3 small children to take into the equation. At least we dont have young children, we have 2 that are married and one still at home, but its still a big step to take in the hope you are successful with your visa application. the very best of luck to you and hope it all works out in your favour and you have a wonderful life in Florida, bet the kids will love it ~ wish I had taken the plunge when mine were still young!
[quote=cfIfan;4199242]This is exactly the reason why i told you to buy or set up your own business. Property Management business's are easy to set up and have relatively low cost start up fees. If you source the right realtor, or even do your own research for businesses for sale online you can buy a business for less that $100,000-$150,000. Its alot of money but it is realistically the only way you could come here and both work and that is why so many use this route. Only a very small percentage of people are lucky to have a US employer get visa's and guarantee a job for them. Is it hard work? absolutly, but if coming here is something you want to do, then no matter what job you would have had it will be hard work. I mentioned my friends English pub for sale just as an example but there a great many businesses you could look into and this is something you may want to check with the attorney to see which businesses qualify for the visa.
Best of luck
When we came home the first time we visited Florida I was so in awe of the place and was on the computer until all hours finding out as much information as I could about getting out there, and did find a lot of sites with business's for sale, but was a bit more naive then, but with what everyone has advised on this forum I think we are a bit more informed now and will certainly look around to see what business's are available, as this is possibly our only option in order to make our dream come true. I suppose if you want something bad enough you will do whatever it takes to realise that end goal, and as I said earlier, we havent given up the fight yet!
thanks for all your input, its helped a lot.
I'm one of the lucky ones, I've been living in Florida for 2 years, I was able to get here on a green card because I'm a Registered Nurse.
I wanted to make some comments about your situation, having had the "dream" myself for quite a few years before taking the plunge and moving here. Like you, I fell in love with Florida after coming here on holidays.
You sound like a very level-headed person, and you come across as being one of the rare few who actually listen to the advice given on forums like this, makes a refreshing change.
Anyhow, what I wanted to say after reading your posts is this......don't kid yourself into thinking living here is like it is when you're on holiday. I thought I knew what the lifestyle would be like, as I'd been coming here 2 or 3 times a year for many years and already had our own home here. It's nothing like I expected. And the work ethics here would horrify you, compared to how things are in the UK.
About the Immigration Lawyer......why spend $150 to hear either what you can find on here, or worse still, get told a load of old bull. You'll get the best advice from your fellow countrymen who've been through the hell of US Immigration themselves.
I believe in not sugar-coating the facts......and (in my opinion) from what you've told us about your situation, you have zero chance of getting here through the employment route. However, as others have said, buying a business could be a way in for you. But the E2 visa is a very insecure one, and your status here would always be dependant on the business you own.
Sorry it's all a bit doom and gloom. But truth be known......this place ain't all it's cracked up to be. If I had my time over again, I wouldn't do it.
LindyUK......I just re-read your first post. You say your husband has his own company? Does he have employees? I ask because if his business is big enough, there's the option of the L1 visa, which can ultimately lead to a green card.
Let us know about your husband's company, maybe we can offer some advice on the L1 visa.
LindyUK......I just re-read your first post. You say your husband has his own company? Does he have employees? I ask because if his business is big enough, there's the option of the L1 visa, which can ultimately lead to a green card.
Let us know about your husband's company, maybe we can offer some advice on the L1 visa.
Hi MaryPoppins, Yes he has his own business, its run via a Franchise which he purchased, so, although he works for himself and is self employed, he has the backing of a big concern should he need any advice or help. He recently took on an electricians mate, who he is currently training up and will be sending him on to do his relevant exams at a later date. So, no his is not a big company, unfortunately.
I worked alongside two Nurses whilst working within the Hospital environment and they were a man/woman couple and they applied for their green cards and I know it took them a long long while to get it, as it was at the time when the US were not issuing any out at all (quite a few years back now), but they eventually moved out to the US, cant remember where it was but wasnt in florida, and they love it, and say they have a wonderful life compared to that in the UK, but can well understand having a holiday in such a wonderful magical place and actually living and working and breathing in the same can be two very different things. I did read up a while back that it can take a long time to become accustomed to the Floridian way of life, causing lots of homesick times (cant imagine ever getting homesick for this place lol), and its not something I or my husband would just jump straight into without doing lots of researching, as moving to another country, any country other than what you have always considered to be *home* is a major step, and we know if we were to get into america it would be for the rest of our lives as there would be no way we could ever afford to return home, so it would have to be the right move for everyone concerned.
Its funny as when you are there on holiday you only see the magical, fun side of it all, yet by reading others opinions on a site such as this you get a real feeling of what life is really like there, although have to say there appears to be some who are hell bent on slating everything that Florida stands for, which I find a bit sad.
Thank you for saying I appear to be very level headed, and I have indeed taken on board evrything that everyone has advised and suggested, and I have emailed the lawyer whom we are supposed to be seeing in august, as am not prepared to give him $150 only to be told what others have told me on here already, and am at present waiting for him to get back to me.
Also taken special note of the fact he could be a *bogus* lawyer, so am doubly cautious, and will await his reply with some anticipation!
Thanks for your input on this subject, its appreciated and nice to hear from someone who has seen both sides of the coin, and, although we have considered going through the *buying a business* route it would always be in the back of our minds that we were only there for the duration of the business and once we finished that and wanted to retire and take life easy, then what? That is fine if you are still young enough to have many years building up the business and reaping the rewards, but we are not spring chickens (not TOO old either lol) but we do want to know that where we lay our roots will be where we will end our days.
Will definately be coming to Florida in August with a different view point from that of previous visits, previously it all seemed to be the most perfect place to live what with the year round warm/hot weather and the people are lovely (well I think so despite hearing the contrary on other threads), everything is so much cheaper to buy than here in UK (yes my favourite pastime is shopping, just love Walmarts, oooh how I have missed that lol), but now, after reading so many negatives about the place, maybe I will see it without my rose tinted glasses on, which I think in all honesty, when you are on holiday you do only see the good things and dismiss anything that isnt pleasing to the eye and so you dont even think about it.
Bet I will still love it as much as previous visits though!
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