[tonrob]

OP - please be wary of advice you get on an internet forum (including mine!) as there are some inaccuracies stated so far within this thread.

Your original post sounds like you already know the answers. There are no magic 'back door' solutions - and BTW - the UK makes it just as difficult for an American trying to make the same kind of move.

For the sake of completeness, read this (you may well have already, I guess):

Pulaski's Ways: How to Live and Work in the USA : British Expat Wiki

Elsewhere on that site there's a forum used by a lot of Brits who have successfully moved to the U.S. if you have further questions.

On the face of it, your business experience/acumen could be your only realistic way in right now - but with sufficient funds so your desire to live mortgage-free probably won't wash based on what you've said. Know now that the requisite E2 visa does not lead to Permanent Residency and therefore your status in the U.S. would last for as long as the business remained viable.

You won't be eligible for the GC lottery unless either of you were born in a country that's allowed to enter (mainland Britain is excluded) or both your parents were born in one of those countries. Note H2-B visas that were also mentioned require sponsorship too and are for short-term or seasonal unskilled work which sounds like that's not for you. In any case, the path from H1-B/H2-B to Permanent Residency is tough-to-impossible for most and you would both need to qualify independently of one another if you both want to be able to work.

Sorry to stick a rain cloud over things. By the way - it's not illegal to look for work while visiting on the Visa Waiver Program - it's just illegal to actally do any work. Your intent must always be to leave the U.S. at the end of the 90 days and you should bring proof to show strong ties to the UK in case it's asked for at the Point of Entry. In your cases though you're looking for an employer who will sponsor - given what's involved and what you've said about yourselves so far I don't believe it's likely you'll find one.

[SC2LV]

yip it's coming to a coffee shop near you!
lol

[SC2LV]

yes coming to a coffee house near you!
Hope

[SC2LV]

Thank you for your frank posting, had a look on the site you suggested. It's seems that this proccess is becomming more and more difficult.... Don't know how all the other UK pat's manage to do it. We did hope to have enough funds availalbe to purchase property and poss business but as said would be happy to have a home and job, but as you said if you can't stay perm then is there a point to buying property that we'll have to vacate in a year or so!

Time to re-think?

[tonrob]

Originally Posted by SC2LV

Thank you for your frank posting, had a look on the site you suggested. It's seems that this proccess is becomming more and more difficult.... Don't know how all the other UK pat's manage to do it. We did hope to have enough funds availalbe to purchase property and poss business but as said would be happy to have a home and job, but as you said if you can't stay perm then is there a point to buying property that we'll have to vacate in a year or so!

Time to re-think?

It's tough, very tough.

Lots of Brits are here through marriage. This gives them the "automatic"-in. Many more (myself included) were transferred in my their multinational employer. This is straightforward too and gives an easy path to Permanent Residency and, ultimately, citizenship if desired.

Next are those who are sponsored by a U.S. employer. This is more difficult as there are tight caps on visa numbers for most employment categories and this effectively turns the issuing of visas into a "lottery" that takes place on one day each year. There is still a possible path to PR status but this can take a lot longer.

Next is business ownership, but problematic if you have kids and no path to PR - and depends on the continued viability of the business. There are more strings attached here that you'd need to be aware of (profitability, employing Americans, whether you can find additional work outside of the business...)

Finally there are the students, trainees and seasonal workers - not great visas in themselves (if used with the desire to stay longer) however some find it much easier to find permanent sponsorship while physically in the country - albeit subject to the limitations above.

Many Brits find it easier to migrate to Canada, Australia or New Zealand - all of whom have points-based immigration systems that make it somewhat easier for people to get in under their own steam, and the younger you are, the easier it is.