Usa

PasturesNew

NICKYS32 wrote: »

you can`t just move over there. Visa`s are very hard to get and you are lucky if you can get a company to sponsor you.

I am always having people in the US say "God, you should come over here and work...!!" and I point out to them: I can't just turn up and at my age it would be VERY unlikely at all that I'd manage to get in.

Some people think you can just go pottering about wherever you like in the world. It isn't so. Especially if you're older.

Arfhurdaly

I am a UK resident, for tax purposes. Good point on Visa's. Very tricky if you are a UK resident. You can start/buy a business out there. That would give you a visa, albeit a temporary one. Otherwise a visitors visa is 90 days, so you can just return then, if you have other forms of income.

BobProperty

Arfhurdaly wrote: »

I am a UK resident, for tax purposes. Good point on Visa's. Very tricky if you are a UK resident. You can start/buy a business out there. That would give you a visa, albeit a temporary one.

I think you need about $400,000 in clear funds and have to employ people. It might not be that simple. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-2_visa That actually suggest you can get away with $150,000 but implies that you must have some sort of visa already.

Arfhurdaly wrote: »

Otherwise a visitors visa is 90 days, so you can just return then, if you have other forms of income.

You can't get round it by going to an adjacent country then going back to the US.

nelly_2

I wanted to move there this year but the biatch wouldnt go the old cow bag

Standard of life over there is sooo much better and the foods bigger

Arfhurdaly

So you're saying i cant live there on a tourist visa by leaving the country every 90 days and returning? Is there a maximum number of visits you can have in a year or something?

I heard, i dont know where, that some brits bought menial businesses such as mobile car-valeting or laundry services, so they could get a visa. Not sure if this is true or not.

BobProperty

Arfhurdaly wrote: »

So you're saying i cant live there on a tourist visa by leaving the country every 90 days and returning? Is there a maximum number of visits you can have in a year or something?

That's what I'm trying to work out. Things got a lot tighter after 9/11 and the Patriot Act of 2002(?)

Arfhurdaly wrote: »

I heard, i dont know where, that some brits bought menial businesses such as mobile car-valeting or laundry services, so they could get a visa. Not sure if this is true or not.

I can see that, say, a car valeting franchise might qualify but when you read those rules in the wiki link, I can't imagine you can get away with any old business, especially when you are expected to employ at least 2 people.

Arfhurdaly

Good points. Maybe wait a couple of years, for property to fall further. I do think now is a good time to look for opportunities abroad, as if you compare the UK vs other westernized countries, there arent many arguments which make you want to stay in the UK.

LittleTinker

Depends where you want to buy Arfhur.

If you take Florida as an example.......big problems over there with the housing. Simply put....they built far too many. So yes, you can get a massive, beautiful house for next to nothing.....but then what? You need to pay your mortgage and you have virtually NO chance of being able to rent it out.

As for the idea of leaving the states every 90 days.....I am not 100% sure, but I dont think you can do that. However, even if you could, you still wouldnt have a SS number so how would you work?

thriftybabe

We bought a lovely 4 bed/3 bath to rent out in florida in june 2003. It was ready May 2004 and we owned it for 2 years and sold it in June 2006. Thanks goodness! We saw what was going on with all the over build. We sold for $325k and the same houses are now up for sale at between $210k and $240k albeit they have not sold! I think the prices especially in Florida will come down further so would hang on a bit longer.

Arfhurdaly

You do get a lot for your money in the USA. But in Florida i suppose buildings insurance must be massive now.

Did anyone read this article? More reasons to abandon Blighty.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/martin_samuel/article3634764.ece