rl787 wrote:My partner and I would like to buy a property in Arizona and move there to live, we are financially independant and want to declare our income to the IRS, pay taxes and live quietly, paying for health insurance etc.
Is this possible? If anyone could advice on how to find a reputable company in the UK to advise on US Immigration I would appreciate that.
We have one other option and that is to live 179 days in US a year which I am told would be easier.
Thanks for any advice
You each need to put up at least half a million dollars for an investor's visa, and that doesn't include the money to buy your property in Arizona. In addition to that you'll need money to pay for medical insurance for at least five years. This can become very expensive in your old age, and if you've never worked in the US you won't qualify for Medicare until you have been a permanent resident for five years. Even after that you'll have to buy your way into Medicare by paying 400-500 dollars per month. Another possibility would be for you to get a job there (which you can do with a green card) and pay ten years of social security tax so that you do qualify for Medicare when you are 65.
If you don't have the money, the other option requires you to get a B2 visa, which is much easier to get. However you still have to make your own arrangements for medical insurance, which can be very expensive in the US.
If you decide to seek advice avoid "companies", go for immigration lawyers. There are some based in London, but they will be a lot more expensive than US based ones. You can look them up on
http://www.aila.org/
