E2 for me??

[crys]

Hello im new to the board and would like some advice and feedback if possible please.

my mother is american but lives in the uk, she was not in america long enough in her life to pass on citizenship to me.

i have been looknig at alternative ways to obtain residency in the US and have stumbled accross the E-2 visa. we have enough capital to purchase a business (if we were able to obtain citizenship via my mother, we would have opened our own business anyway) and are married with 3 children, all under the age of 11.

I am just wondering (as everything i have read on the internet paints a rosy picture of the e-2, i am a realist so know this is not the case!) if anyone has gone down this route, was it difficult, was it as sure fire as attorneys i have spoken to have made out, the implications, advantages/disadvantages etc... also the implications on my children once they reach 21 (do they have to leave the US? can we file for permanant residency after a certain period of time. etc etc) we of course do not want to up sticks only to be thrown out again in a couple of years but by the looks of things, if we really do want to reside in the US, this may be the only route for us.

Any comments, positive or negative would be appreciated as if we decide to go down this route, i want my eyes as wide open as possible and i think the best way to get the real picture is to speak to people who have done this route themselves.

Many thanks
Crystal

[bkwld]

Crystal,
For E-2 Visa, you will need to invest a substantial capital. Why large amount of money? Because business has to be more than marginal meaning high income, high profit and have min. 2-3 full time US employees. So purchasing those businesses is pricy. Regarding your kids, they can attend public school until they go to college. When the kids apply for a college in the US, the school will often require them to have a proper status. So they would need to change their E-2 status to F-1. Washington Sate is the only state that I know of treat students who are a resident and have attended 3 years of high school in their state will allow a student to attend public college with any status. And like with any other status, once the kids turn 21, they are on their own. So here is basic pros and con:

Pros:
1. You can live in US and send kids to public school until they go to College.
2. Own your own business and produce your own income
3. Help US economy by hiring US workers.

Cons:
1. You will need to buy or set up more than marginal business which cost at a high premium.
2. Visa is only good for 2 or 5 years at a time
3. Cost associated with obtaining the E-2 visa is very high, attorney fees USCIS fees, and you start all over again once you file for E-2 extension.
4. Your intention has to be once you’re done with your business, you have to leave the country.
5. You have no way of obtaining a Greencard


The bottom line is money, and lots of it. If you have the means, try for the $ 1 million+ investment category or the $500,000 regional center EB-5 category where you can apply for Greencard.