Living and Working In Florida

The sunshine state of Florida continues to attract thousands of British travelers each year, despite the hurricane season. But what are the opportunities for living and working in Florida?

Due to the length of time it takes to reach the Sunshine State from the UK, British owners of Floridian property tend to spend longer periods making use of their home than, for example, a European home owner might. A majority of non-resident property owners in Florida spend between three weeks and a month there, but it is not uncommon to spend up to half a year in the state. Six months is the maximum period a foreign national is permitted to stay in Florida on a B-2 visa – the visa required to live temporarily in the United States. In order to obtain a B-2 visa, one will need to schedule an interview with a consular officer. The interview is done to convince the consular officer that the nature of the trip is temporary and that the applicant has full-time residence outside of the US. However, it is not the visa that actually grants permission to enter the US. When one arrives in the country as a non-immigrant, an immigration inspector will examine passport and visa. Afterwards, a small white card is issued – the I-94 Arrival/Departure Record. This latter will indicate the date one must leave the country. Take note: the date is at the discretion of the inspector.

If one is planning to stay in Florida for 90 days or less, one will then be eligible for the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP). This means that the visitor will not need a B-2 visa for staying in the States. However, in order to be eligible for the VWP, one’s passport must be machine-readable. This can be checked by turning on to the personal information page of one’s passport and looking for a line of chevrons. If these are there, one has a machine-readable passport. If it is not, it is advisable to renew the passport in good time before the planned trip. Furthermore, if one is traveling to the US between 26th October 2005 and the same date in 2006, the passport photo will need to be a digitized image, not an original photo. If the passport has an original photo stuck beneath clear plastic, one will need to renew it to comply with this new requirement. On 26th October 2006 the requirement will change again.

If one wishes to relocate to Florida full-time, one should be prepared for the long and arduous task of emigrating through the US immigration system. Should one become a full-time resident of the US, it is essential that one apply for a social security number as quickly as possible. Without this, it will not be able to open a bank account or even buy a car – an absolutely essential possession in the US. As British migrant Jarrod Randle says, “you can’t be a ‘real person’ in the States without this number.”

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Living and Working In Florida

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