Living and Working in Florida

Despite the hurricane season, the sunshine state of Florida continues to allure thousands of British travellers every year. Most of non-resident owners of property in Florida stay there between three weeks and one month. They may even spend up to half a year in the state which is the maximum period a foreigner is allowed to stay on a B-2 visa. To get this visa, an interview with a consular officer is required. The officer must be convinced that your trip is only temporary and that your permanent residency is outside of the US. However, it is the US Immigration Inspector, who examines your passport and visa upon arrival in the US, that will determine the date you must leave the country.

If you want to stay in Florida for ninety days or less, you can get a Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) which means you do not need to get a B-2 visa. In order to obtain a VWP, your passport must be machine-readable. But if you plan to permanently reside in the sunshine state, brace yourself for a long and difficult process in the US Immigration System. When you become a permanent US resident, it is necessary for you to immediately apply for a social security number to be able to open a bank account or even buy a car. You are not a ‘real person’ in the States without this number according to Jarrod Randle, a British migrant.

If you would like to earn an income while in Florida, you would have to apply for further visas to be able to work there. The EB (employment based) visas apply to permanent emigration to the US based on employment. However, many applicants choose to initially secure a temporary work visa and then try to change their status while in America to a permanent one. You may also choose to put up a business in the US for only $100,000 via the E-2 visa. If none of these options would work for you, you can also choose to marry an American citizen.

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