Thread: short term stay in US?

A sunny good-morning to you from Yorkshire.
We are perhaps, a little unusual in our request, in that we really do want to return to UK and are not looking for a Green Card etc.
Is it possible to live in US for two or a maximum of three years, but not going the E2/E5 route?
We are an older couple who want to obtain more business oportunities in the US, but then use those contacts for trade from US to UK.
It would not seem a good idea to buy a place for that length of time and so renting would be OK, and we would still have a house in UK to return to.
Wonder if there is another Visa category that would apply, as we are not students.
Thank you for any thoughts.

Welcome Cowgirl.

Hopefully some-one will be along & hopefully answer your questions

To stay here 2 or 3 years you're going to need a good reason, you already stated that it's business related, so if you can afford the EB5 route, I'm not sure why you wouldn't want to do it.

Realistically, the USCIS isn't going to believe your story about wanting to return to the UK. Everyone that enters the US is viewed by them as a potential immigrant that just wants to obtain US citizenship.

Renting for 3 years? Seriously? Why would you do that if you can afford to buy? House prices are so low in some areas here in the US, and the the pound still strong against the dollar, that financially it really makes no sense at all to rent for such a long term, when you can buy for the same monthly payment.

Thank you Purple for your observations.
Have I misunderstood the E5? I thought that you invested certain monies in a company, scheme etc. of which there are many, in order to obtain a Visa.
If we do not want to live in US on a long-term basis, why do that?
Has the E5 treaty investor system been going long enough for anyone to have got a decent interest or their money back?
As to why rent? Why buy short term when there is no guarantee that property prices won't fall further, and with the legal and other fees involved, it seems unecessary hassle to me.
Why should we not be believed if we have a business which is based in UK, also if we were not given a long-stay Visa or Green Card, then we obviously are going to go back?
Could presumably get a six-month visa with no problem, I used to have a business Visa until I changed my passport a lot of years ago, but my question was concerning staying longer than the six months.
Interested in your comments.

Thank you Purple for your observations.
Have I misunderstood the E5? I thought that you invested certain monies in a company, scheme etc. of which there are many, in order to obtain a Visa.
If we do not want to live in US on a long-term basis, why do that?
Has the E5 treaty investor system been going long enough for anyone to have got a decent interest or their money back?
As to why rent? Why buy short term when there is no guarantee that property prices won't fall further, and with the legal and other fees involved, it seems unecessary hassle to me.
Why should we not be believed if we have a business which is based in UK, also if we were not given a long-stay Visa or Green Card, then we obviously are going to go back?
Could presumably get a six-month visa with no problem, I used to have a business Visa until I changed my passport a lot of years ago, but my question was concerning staying longer than the six months.
Interested in your comments.

No you haven't misunderstood the EB5, you invest and that way you get the chance to stay in the US long term, because despite what you may consider it, I really think you'll find that US Immigration will probably consider 2 - 3 years a long term stay.
Your options are limited for that but maybe I misunderstood you and you actually don't want to invest anything here in the US?
As for the questions of whether it's worked and if many people have withdrawn their investment and got their money back, I really don't know the answer to that. I'd say with the economy how it is, anything that you invest in (apart from Cadbury stocks over the last week ;) ) is a lottery.

Why would you not be believed by US immigration that you wish to return because you have a business there? Well, to them, just because you have a business there it's really no guarantee to the USCIS that you would necessarily go back (to it) because people do sell up. It's really no different than the idea of giving a statemant showing $500,000 today in the bank to a lending company as collateral for a loan of $250,000, because it doesn't actually mean that you're going to keep or have that money still there in the bank once that loan is granted.

Of course you could apply for a B1 and spend up to 180 days here at a time, and then usually an equal amount back in the UK before re-entry, but maybe that wouldn't work so well?

The way it works is that USCIS view everyone visiting the US with a certain degree of suspicion that's just how it is. Remember, the presumption in the law is that every visitor visa applicant is an intending immigrant, so a story of moving back after 3 years would probably be treated the same way. If you're investing a huge chunk of money here to employ US workers, then the story is viewed a little differently. That's why the EB5 gets you a 2 year conditional GC.

As for the renting vs buying, that was just a suggestion to make you think about it really. The reason being that house sales figures here in some areas have been taking a monthly upturn lately, and obviously money is cheaper to borrow now than it has been in years. If they fall any further then we're all in the cart, but they're holding pretty steady (even if it is on the bottom) right now. Rent in someone else's pocket for rent vs an investment? For me it really only works one way. A lot of people are so desperate to sell that they're paying the closing costs too, so no real legal fees to the buyer at all.
If you were to buy in the right area for the right price now it's really a win win because there are some incredible deals around, but of course it's only an option if you have the money to do it. If you want to hang on to your place there I can understand that too, it's probable that the growth in value will be faster and bigger there than in the US, All depends where you want to be located over here I guess.

Something else that comes to mind if your existing business qualifies is the L1 visa, did you look at the possibility of that?
No investment needed on that one.

-purple