given up hope

[geoff and lesley]

having almost given up hope of our dream move to florida. we are now looking for a move to canada. does anyone know where to start. we are villa owners in orlando and have amasssed loads of information over the years but now we are back to square one. we chose not to pick the E2 route because of the lack of permanancy. is this possible in canada???

[chris]

try this http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.html
It's the web site for immigration to Canada.
The country has visas similar to E2 ala they are about setting up or buying a business. Big difference is you are permanent res pretty much from day one. You also have access to their very good healthcare system.
Main thing to consider is the climate. It's definately NOT Florida. British Columbia is supposed to be really nice, climate OK and the culture, social scene very vibrant.

[Susie]

Hi Geoff and Lesley

Sorry you have given up the dream

Was the main reason that an E visa does not lead to a green card?

The reason I ask is that I am working with the officals of the Central Florida Visitors and Convention Bureau and have written a white paper on the E visa situation. They will go direct to the Senators as the difficulties that are affecting investors from the UK also are affecting the travel and tourist development, eg coffers in their kitty

Yours would be a good case to mention

[mark]

Hi

If only the USCIS could understand that to allow E visa holders to change to green card would make no differnce to them

In fact, it may just.

If people could retire and live in the US then all their pensions would be spent here instead of home country so would benefit. I really cannot understand why the USCIS are so against a retirement visa.

[Ron]

Hello Jeff and Lesley

If moving to the USA is really what you want, then go for it

Who knows with effort and determination together we can get our voices heard, listened to and acted upon

One of the aims of this site is to petition so that E visa holders can adjust to LPR

[InnVic]

IN principal the Canadian system gives you a lot less hassle in the long term. However the rules for Entepreneur visa are as follows. You need to have a minimum of 35 five points which are given for things like age, experience of running business, education etc. You need CA$300,000 and you have to be able to demonstrate that it was gained legally (sale of house or whatever) You apply using the 'simplified form" which is available from 1st Sept you pay processing fee of $1000 ish plus $500 for each dependant and then you wait....I think its taking four years! However when you do get your permenent residence you have three years to buy and operate business. If during monitering you prove success then you are allowed to stay. We had looked at this as "Plan B" but cannot hack the wait. IF our E2 is not renewed then I guess its Viva Espana like the rest of the ex E2 Expats!
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.html

[Kitty]

Hi

Such a shame to give up your dreams. I fully understand why you feel this way and why the system needs to be challenged and changed

[Kriz1]

We were going to Canada first...hubby had a job offer...but my daughter would age out at 18....I know now after doing a few bad MA winters that Canada would not of been for us.... I used to race sled dogs out in all weathers....but I'm just too old for long cold winters....

[Ray10]

Hi
If people could retire and live in the US then all their pensions would be spent here instead of home country so would benefit. I really cannot understand why the USCIS are so against a retirement visa.
USCIS don't make law ...

[Kriz1]

I don't think there is going to be such a thing as retiring for most Americans...I live in a retirment area and most of the people here are finding it hard and have to go back to work...people coming here from other countries could not do that to top up their pensions...I could just see a lot of problems having a load of oldies from around the world moving to the US....

[geoff and lesley]

thanks everyone for your responses, i will give you a brief background as to why i have given up hope but definitely NOT given up the dream.
my wife and i had both been succesful casino managers and whilst we have travelled the globe with various jobs our most fun was with various cruise lines out of miami. it is here with have spent most of our adult life until we made a bold decision to put down roots and start a family. we have had itchy feet back in uk but our little baby boy has made the sacrifice worth while BUT there is a better standard of life out there for our son and vancouver is consistently top five! even though it is not constantly bathed in sunshine overall it is better for our son and that is why until E2 is permanent it is definetly out the question. keep me posted on developments.....

[JulieC]

I have homeowners who have decided to move to Vancouver rather than here They are on the points system, you get points for age, occupation, whether you have relatives there etc. Have been waiting to hear for several months so it isnt a quick thing but seem happy they made the right decision.

I personally dont think they will change the law on E2. At the moment they are making it harder and harder to get and are still up to their necks in applications so many it is taking six months to look at an application. If they made it green cardable, there would just be more people wanting to come, the investment is easily affordable for anyone selling a home in the UK. I dont think they want a little Britain here.

[floridapete]

thanks everyone for your responses, i will give you a brief background as to why i have given up hope but definitely NOT given up the dream.
my wife and i had both been succesful casino managers and whilst we have travelled the globe with various jobs our most fun was with various cruise lines out of miami. it is here with have spent most of our adult life until we made a bold decision to put down roots and start a family. we have had itchy feet back in uk but our little baby boy has made the sacrifice worth while BUT there is a better standard of life out there for our son and vancouver is consistently top five! even though it is not constantly bathed in sunshine overall it is better for our son and that is why until E2 is permanent it is definetly out the question. keep me posted on developments.....

You might like to make contact with Mike and Mandy at mikecato@telus.net


They have a place in Fort Myers and they were hoping to get an E2 to emigrate to Florida a couple of years back. It didn't work out and, in a knee jerk reaction to their disappointment (like you) they set off for Canada instead.

A couple of years later I read recently that they were, again, unhappy and now considering trying to emigrate to the USA from Canada, hoping that it would give them some benefit over emigrating from the UK. Last I heard, it didn't !

But they are in Vancouver and I am sure that they would love to compare notes with you.

Tell them that I sent you !

[InnVic]

Just to reiterate...the wait to get into Canada is about 4 years if you believe the processing times on their website (do we believe processing times stated kiddies???)
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/times-int/03a-business-fed.html

Yes you get permenant residence at the end (if you comply with requirements) but thats a big chunk out of your life spent "on hold".

[Kriz1]

I liked vancouver...we don't have family that end...but made the trip because my dad had always wanted to go there...we stayed in a small place about 50 miles away from vancouver itself..it was a really nice small town...it had an odd name...
We got a bit lost in the City...lots of traffic....lots of one ways....

[Wendy]

we have friends in Canada, left UK same month as us, they are still trying to get through the Canadian system, wife and sons still can not work. Process is costing them more than the US, winter temps -39. Major advantage is health care. Don't give up on the E2 if it is your dream, sometimes you have to grab the bull by the horn and take the huge risks. The biggest regret of people over 80? Not taking risks and going for it. Keep dreaming and talk to more people about possabilities

[Susie]

Hi Wendy

I agree that Canada is taking up to and more than 5 years in some cases. But I would never give up my dream, if its America or Canada then go for it

Otherwise you will have to live with the decision and if you do not make the move What if?? you will always wonder

Just a thought, if your wife buys a business then Hubby can apply for work autho. One hubby has been in his job and working well he could approach his boss to see if they would petiton him for I 140 and I 485 in other words a green card

So all is not lost by coming on an E visa . We do hope to be able to petition for E visa holders to be able to adjust status to that of earned LPR subject to running the business for xx years and of good moral character

[Kriz1]

I know people say you think 'what if.'..but we give up thinking about moving to the US about 18 years ago...and 'what if' never crossed our minds....we give Canada ago because at the time I was racing sled dogs...but give up when my daughter would timed out..which I'm now very happy about...it was not the place for us...we had been happy in England for a good few years just taking US holidays...when my husband company started to close...so a friend who had moved to the USA and knew that we had once looked at moving here asked hubby if he would like a job...we had played with the idea that year of taking a few temp jobs in the USA be never to live here forever....we have had a billion more scary 'what ifs' since moving to the USA...

[Ron]

Hi Kris

I agree,

what if this, what if that, sometimes you just have to take the bull by the horns and go for it otherwise you may never do or get awywhere

The trouble is once a seed is planted in your mind you are damed if you do and damed if you don't

[Kriz1]

I asked my parents if they had any 'what ifs'...they were going to move to the US when I was both 13 and then 17....and they have none...they are always pleased to get home after a long visit here....
I did sometime think... did I miss out not coming over to the USA earlier...living here this last few years told me I never missed out on anything...I'm so so happy we moved over later in life...I'm happy here most of the time...I've never been home sick...apart from work I had to find no reason why we should leave England...I love the UK warts and all...there is no need to have a reason to leave a country.....apart from wanting to give somewhere else a go...I don't like to see England pulled apart as a reason...because all of the problems found there you'll find in the US too..

[floridarulz]

Canada is so much easier to get into then America. My friends in England got all there work visas and everthing in one trip to London. If America doesn't work out we will probably move to Canada