# relocation to Califonia from UK. Which visa?



## kentishman (Feb 26, 2010)

Hi All,

I dont know if you can set me on the road to answer some questions i have about staying in the USA?

Myself my partner and 3 year old are seriously looking to relocate to California if at all possible. Either full time or on a Visa. We are unmarried. I have savings of over 500000 Uk sterling and am fairly confident i would be deemed to be an entrepreneur.

The problem is that we need to be in one country to start schooling all year around for our little boy.

Could we either get residency because of the savings, if not what is necessary to be classed as an entrepreneur?

If we cannnot get the residency how long can we stay in the US with those savings and what needs to be done with the savings?

Also, can anyone recommend a visa agent in the UK?

Finally, if we were allowed to stay in the US for the majorty of the year on a visa tourist visa. could we put our little boy into full time education in the states.

i imagine also, no healthcare if on tourist visa?

Sorry, lots of questions but hopefully you can set me straight on a few things.

Best regards

Andrew


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## Davis1 (Feb 20, 2009)

kentishman said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I dont know if you can set me on the road to answer some questions i have about staying in the USA?
> 
> ...


You will need to be married 
You cannot live in the US on a tourist visa 

With the funds you mention ..For $500k you could get an EB-5 ..which will give you all an green card ... and you are not required to work at the investment 
and can work elsewhere ...

its basically buying a green card 

Forgwt visa agents ..they are mostly scam ... you only deal with proper Immigration lawyers


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## kentishman (Feb 26, 2010)

Davis1 said:


> You will need to be married
> You cannot live in the US on a tourist visa


Thanks 'davis1', lots of info on the EB-5 on the forum. Thanks for pointing me in that direction. You say that you will need to be married. Does this mean i cannot use the EB-5 to bring in my partner unless we marry???


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

kentishman said:


> Thanks 'davis1', lots of info on the EB-5 on the forum. Thanks for pointing me in that direction. You say that you will need to be married. Does this mean i cannot use the EB-5 to bring in my partner unless we marry???


Yep! If you're married and your partner is the opposite sex, s/he will be on the same EB5 ticket for a permenant residency. 

If you're not married, s/he will have to find their own route here. The biggest mistake is to marry a foreigner while already a permenant resident -- that'll cause you endless grief.


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## kentishman (Feb 26, 2010)

Fatbrit said:


> Yep! If you're married and your partner is the opposite sex, s/he will be on the same EB5 ticket for a permenant residency.
> 
> If you're not married, s/he will have to find their own route here. The biggest mistake is to marry a foreigner while already a permenant resident -- that'll cause you endless grief.


...........and the entrepreneur route would be the same i imagine?

Any other way to stay in the UK for 6 months or more on a tourist visa. Someone we know from the UK with a home in Florida told me that if you have decent savings your tourist visa is more flexible and you are allowed longer time in the US.


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## kentishman (Feb 26, 2010)

kentishman said:


> Any other way to stay in the UK .



can't figure how to edit my post at the moment. Obviously i mean 'stay in the US'- thanks


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

kentishman said:


> ...........and the entrepreneur route would be the same i imagine?
> 
> Any other way to stay in the UK for 6 months or more on a tourist visa. Someone we know from the UK with a home in Florida told me that if you have decent savings your tourist visa is more flexible and you are allowed longer time in the US.


On a VWP entry you get 90 days.

A B2 visa application (180 days) is likely to be denied unless you fit in one of the narrow niches -- retired snow bird, for example. Denial moves you one step backwards, not forwards.


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## kentishman (Feb 26, 2010)

Fatbrit said:


> On a VWP entry you get 90 days.
> 
> A B2 visa application (180 days) is likely to be denied unless you fit in one of the narrow niches -- retired snow bird, for example. Denial moves you one step backwards, not forwards.


retired snowbird- I take it that you would only need to be self suficient rather than over a certain age?

I'll look into the B2 visa criteria in depth also- thanks.


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## Davis1 (Feb 20, 2009)

kentishman said:


> retired snowbird- I take it that you would only need to be self suficient rather than over a certain age?
> 
> I'll look into the B2 visa criteria in depth also- thanks.


Snowbirds reference really applies to the OAP from NY and Ohiio and Michigan who flood Florida for the winter months usually Nov to April 

Of course we also refer to the Brit who do the same as Snowbirds
The chances of anybody not retired getting a B-2 are very slim ..if you have a child 
not at all .... their point is you can use the visa waiver for 90 days ..people who work cannot get 6 months vacation ...and if you dont work ..you are an intending immigrant ...

And of course they add ..you cannot keep a child that long out of school

You have to think from an american angle to see some of the thinking


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## kentishman (Feb 26, 2010)

looks like i may need to get married, or start a US business maybe?

I'll contact an immigration lawyer first, i'm sure there are plenty of threads on the forum.


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## Maddalena (Feb 6, 2010)

kentishman said:


> looks like i may need to get married, or start a US business maybe?
> 
> I'll contact an immigration lawyer first, i'm sure there are plenty of threads on the forum.


Also, no one has addressed the "health care" question. The US does NOT have any type of socialized, national programs. Even if you get a "green card", you are on your own to find and pay through the nose for medical insurance.

And that comment about "if you have money, nobody cares about overstaying your visa"??? WRONG!! 

I am serious..do NOT try and mess with US Immigration.....


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## GillianF (Mar 7, 2010)

Hi Kentishman - I've just joined the forum and read your post with interest. I used to live in California, it's a gorgeous part of the world, lots of sunshine. 

I would definitely echo Davis1's comment about thinking from an American angle, especially when it comes to holidays/vacation, as many Americans come from a totally different place from us on this topic. They generally have such small vacation allowances and often a lot of inflexibility over their use, that they just do not comprehend the European point of view. 

For example when I first started working there I had an annual allowance of 13 days, and that was PTO (personal time off), i.e., I had the flexibility to use it for vacation, or to be sick, my choice. My colleagues thought this was pretty generous as some other employers had lower allowances. Definitely agree with Maddalena comments about not messing with the US imm. services.

Re. health care, if you aren’t getting it through an employer, some of my friends have found that they get better deals going through business associations or even through their local Chamber of Commerce if they offer it, than getting it by themselves, although both health insurance and car insurance are expensive in California.

A difference from the UK - depending on where in California you are going to live it’s also worth checking if it’s worth your while having earthquake insurance as it’s not included in your standard household insurance and can be extremely expensive. If you are going somewhere which doesn’t get many quakes (like Sacramento) you prob won’t need it, but you may want to consider if you’re going to LA or the Bay Area.

Cheers


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