Spain or US or both

[Oliversmumsarmy]

I need to move somewhere hotter. Have thought about it for a long time.
I am riddled with arthritis and the last few months with the hot weather it has been fantastic every one has noticed how easy I have been just even walking around.
Last few days I can feel the pain and stiffness coming back and am getting really down that i will be stuck in pain till next summer.

Have always wanted to go to the US to live but went to Spain for a couple of weeks and could be tempted to go there in the short term given for the next few years with family circumstances that have cropped up I am relatively tied to being nearby (Spain only a couple of hours away as opposed to Florida/California being more like 7-9 hours).

I don't need a job but I would be looking to run a similar business to one I have had to almost give up because of my health issues.

I have had a Google round and done some research and on paper it looks like I could make it work both in the US and Spain.

Just need it to pay for itself initially.

I would be planning on going for a couple of weeks every so often during the winter months just to give me a break from the weather and to know when things get too painful I can.

With BREXIT how would what I would like to do be feasible for the next few years and if I then wanted to do something similar in the US what sort of visa would I be looking at.

I would for the US like to get a visa that I could then get American citizenship from eventually.

Anyone done this or is planning something similar

Bump

America one of the toughest countries to obtain a visa for. I think Spain would be far easier although what effect Brexit will have I don't know.

What type of business do you have? Will you continue to run your business in the UK? Do you currently employ people? If you are planning on continuing to run your business in the UK you could apply for an L1A new office visa for the US. You will be required to have office space in the US and employ people. Your visa would be valid for a year after which you would need to reapply and show that you had a fully functioning business and had employed enough people (your employees would normally need to have college degrees) If the visa is renewed you would then be able to apply for a green card. Once you've held a green card for five years you can apply for citizenship.

You could apply for an E2 visa by buying a business in the US. You would need to invest at least $150k (I think) for this and it doesn't give you a direct path to citizenship.

The other option is an EB-5 visa which is essentially buying a green card. You would need about $1million and it would give you a two year conditional green card, after this you can apply for the conditions to be lifted and have permanent residency.

Are any of those possible? Of course if you aren't planning on working there and only spending a few months at a time there then it will be far easier. The best advice I can give is to consult an immigration attorney.

Good advice from the PP, the visa system for the US is complicated and you will need help from an immigration attorney. Even going with a sponsoring employer needs reams of evidence and documentation. The cost is high as well, every step costs money, even having the visa put in your passport costs something like $120. Once you get to the US setting up home with no credit record, social security number etc is a pain and, again, expensive. Then there is the cost of medical insurance.

I was looking at the $1million visa but the last time I looked it was only to be invested in certain areas but obviously those areas were not exactly thriving.

I did think Spain would be easier and ATM I need to be closer but was worried about after March .

I deal with anything to do with property, I have done holiday let and anything to do with doing up places.

Hence why my arthritis is effectively put a stop to doing stuff.

The last month or so has been a relevation.

I could walk freely with no pain, even dc couldn't believe how I was able to dive into a swimming pool and jump about yet as soon as the rain came I am back to hobbling around in agony.

I need to go somewhere the weather is hot especially in winter. Even if it isn't Spain or another European country has anybody any other suggestions

Im thinking about something similar (Spain, not US though), although my pain/stiffness triggers are damp and wet rather than heat per se. Spent last Christmas and New Year in Spain, walking for hours along the seafront and on the beach, came home, and the mildly annoying cough I'd had turned out to be pneumonia. I seem to function so much better in the dry, so we're planning to winter in Spain and summer in the UK, once we can do some business restructuring which would let DH work from anywhere.

Placemarking to see other replies.

damp and wet rather than cold, sorry, brain fog has taken over atm

I think mine was triggered by the damp.. It poured down and I was back to square one.

I am tied to the UK for the next 3 years. Ds needs to finish college. Also dp is terminally ill although ATM he is doing OK.

I just want somewhere to escape to close by that will relieve the pain for a couple of weeks before I come back and it starts again.

Given what I do I think I can make it work in Spain but long term my heart lies in the US.
When I go to a particular area there it feels like I have come home. (I don't know why it isn't even a really fancy area)
Also I think on paper I would find it easier in the US to make a business (visas aside)

I have lived all over the UK and have never felt that way about any house or area.

ATM though I think Spain would be the more sensible and practical option although like the UK it is not where my heart is.

With BREXIT I can see how things could get more complicated. So any other suggestions of places that are hot, in winter (or at the least dry and warm) not in the EU, are safe and are a couple hours flight from the UK would be greatly appreciated

I have spent some time looking at non eu countries that are a few hours flight from the UK Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania but the biggest problem is they all seemed to be quite cool and too damp in the winter.

I am worried about what would happen long term with the EU. I don't want to buy a place in a country where I can't rent it out or visit it without huge problems.

Whilst the UK have already come out with what will happen to EU citizens after BREXIT there has been no such announcement from the EU. Given it is only 7 months till the drawbridge gets pulled up I am left wondering how bad the announcement is going to be.

If everything was going to be ok I would think they would have announced something by now. After all there are a lot of British people and their families working in the EU and EU businesses are not able to plan ahead if a percentage of their work force ends up being illegal immigrants.

Although going to America is not what I can do atm I think it is looking simpler to go to the US, at least I know what I need to do rather than the radio silence coming from the EU.

But in the meantime I am going around almost crippled till the weather heats up sometime next June.

Does anyone know when the EU will be announcing what will happen to British people who want to buy and stay in the EU or when it will be announced

Also I think on paper I would find it easier in the US to make a business (visas aside)

But you can't just put the visa issue aside. The visa is the most important consideration for moving to the US so it doesn't matter how easy it is to make a business when you get there, if you can't get there in the first place. If you don't qualify for any of the visa categories (and the vast majority of people don't) then it's a non starter. Don't underestimate how difficult it is to move to the US (especially in the current political climate) and the hoops you have to jump through to get approved even if you do qualify.

I am an optimist, where there's a will there's a way.

ATM I would like Spain for the next few years but am nervous buying in Spain or any EU country given we have no idea what the terms of staying and buying property in these countries will be

TBH I don't think getting a US visa is a 'where there's a will there's a way' situation. If you don't have a US employer making you a credible job offer, or a UK firm wanting to transfer you, then what you need is a lot of money and an experienced immigration attorney.

I think you are overestimating your future security in the US, too. It will take many years for you to get citizenship, and until then you're completely vulnerable to any changes in visa or residency requirements. Things can and do change at any time, and you would not be the first or last person to have invested a huge amount of money, time and effort in your new country, only to lose your visa on a technicality or regulation change.

Also don't underestimate how difficult it can be establishing a business in the US. Yes, the advantage is you'll be using English, but it's still a completely foreign environment. Property, for one example, is very different to the UK, in terms of everything from legal framework to actual construction. You would also need to consider the cost of your own healthcare, both now and in the future, particularly if you have chronic pre-existing conditions.

What about Turkey or Morocco?

Ps good luck by the way! The US isnt easy visa-wise but you sound v determined so I’m sure you will find a way!

How much have you actually got to invest in the US?

And do you have around $20k a year to spend on your health insurance as a self-employed person? With arthritis that will be vital.

The money isn't the issue it is the t&cs about where you have to invest.

As I have said my arthritis isn't a problem in a hot climate. If here had 30+degree heat I wouldn't be moving.

You can invest anywhere you want if you've got $1 million.

The money isn't the issue it is the t&cs about where you have to invest.

Well, if you've got half a million it's not an issue.

Not really as cut and dried.

Any qualifying investment must, within two years, create full-time jobs for at least 10 U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, or other immigrants

What I would like to do and what I am familiar with is not really something where I would employ anyone on a full time basis let alone 10 people.

In the meantime I will be returning to Spain for a week or 2 over Christmas. But would love to spend more time there but am nervous of making a commitment when there is still no indication on what will happen to UK passport holders who own property in the EU

What I would like to do and what I am familiar with is not really something where I would employ anyone on a full time basis let alone 10 people.

If you've got $1m to spare it's pretty easy to find a business opportunity that can do this. Some friends set up a climbing gym and came over very easily that way. They knew very little about the business before they got started - they just partnered with someone who did know what they were doing. It's a growing economy and there are plenty of opportunities.

You'll need the hard cash to get started and to be willing to jump through a lot of hoops but it does give you a pathway to a green card.