British Expatriate Network

I am actively involved (being attacked) in the forum of Brits in America.com
here is the first post.

They sound pretty desperate don't they, what do you guys think?

go here to read the thread hopefully!
I answered bluntly, but subjectively and told them how I saw it, then of course They said I am a northern doley tosser.
I also wouldn't be offended if some of you guys stuck up for me. :grin:

It's not the INS that discriminates against Brits - it's the US lawmakers who set up the criteria. The INS are just executing the law.

I'm not sure how the Diversity Visa is set up - whether the UK is excluded outright or whether they are allocated zero visas in any given year. I think for other countries, there is a specific number of visa numbers allocated per year for each country, which, again is a political decision made each year.

Maybe this person should write to their MP and lobby parliament to put pressure on the US government to include the UK in the DV program. I imagine that it would be easy enough to set up a support group of individuals with similar wants and thereby increase lobbying power.

Ameriscot.
You make some valid points, but here is what I was getting at. You can't come here just because you want to move here. It is impossible. Even if you marry someone and then divorce them they'll throw you out still. Most of us are here because either our job sent them or they had a love intrest here. You didn't wake up one morning and think, you know, that holiday in Orlando was awesome, I think I'll live there.
There has to be a valid reason, and just saying, well I have equity in my house and have my own business is well, a pretty sad reason. And in my first replies I answered objectively on how I saw it. Me and My wife ate hamburger helper for weeks because we had no money, our gas was turned off etc. I just said it was hard work, I even wished them good luck. However they didn't like my advice so they accused me of being an economic immigrant. (and obviously being from Northern England, I am.) I was just p*ssed off is all. Don't write about your woes on a public board and then get uppity when someone replies telling you stuff don't like. Maybe its me, I dunno, maybe they should be allowed to just upsticks and leave, thats not upto me. I never gave my opinion to that. I just told them how it was from my point of view.

I really liked this point
"The reason why people here want to move is because the country is over-run with immigrants."
Is this why they want to leave?
Were their parents immigrants to the UK themselves as they said "we both have foreign parents (Spanish and German)" ?
roll

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by wendl on 2003-03-03 0754 ]</font>

And then they want to be immigrants themselves. Sounds a bit hypocritical.

Thanks guys. I mean, I also got to work this morning and a guy in Canada had emailed me telling me he agreed with me. I just find he posts very ambiguous (spelling)as their jobs won't allow transfers, then the next thing they own a business.....Spanish and German parentage, then go on about asking about the Irish. bizaare.

and I am willing to bet my house (I only rent so its ok if I lose the ber!)they are a white middle class couple.

You won't find many people on this board who agree with your point of view - although I very much do (I am one of the few dissenters here). Hopefully, though, we can discuss it civilly without resorting to personal attacks.

There's certainly a big difference between living here full-time and going to Orlando on holiday.

We do okay here financially, basically because DH's company gives him lots of expatriate bonuses for being here - free housing, holidays, extra cash etc. If he were to localise here, he would lose all his bonuses and his salary would drop to about 10% less than what he would earn in the UK.

Housing is cheaper here on a square footage basis, but looking at the actual money spent, if we were to buy a house, we would be looking at $400 - 500k. Our house in the UK is worth more (apparently), but not that much more - and with it being smaller, it's a lot cheaper to run.

Cars might be cheaper here, but insurance and maintenance is more; petrol is cheaper but you make up for this in the number of miles you drive etc. etc.

It all evens out, in my experience. We found this when we moved back to the UK after our first stint in the US, and we are finding it again now. It's certainly very easy to focus on one thing and say it is cheaper/superior in the US, but life is a bit more complicated. I guess if you feel happy with your lot in life is the main thing, but what works for one person doesn't work for everyone.

You also have to remember that most people came here specifically to improve their lives - to a promotion, for example. They would not have moved if it was going to be just the same or worse - so opinions are naturally fairly biased.

First of all what exactly is going on with the Brits in America website? Is it my eyesight going or is their logo horribly blurred? And how many pop-up ads do you have to try and close whilst reading the posts? Moan moan.

Well what I think is that if you can support yourself and you have enough money why can't you go and live in the US? I thought lots of Brits have retired to Florida so they can see their years out in the hot and humid croc-infested swamp bogs around Miami wink. How did they all manage to get in then?

I am pretty sure that these guys are gonna need to work.
after all they have equity in their house (ie it ain't paid off yet)
and they either still own a business of have jobs that won't allow transfers. Whatever.

Ameriscot - I agree with you entirely. I don't think we're any better off living in the US, but then again we're in the New York metropolitan area and it's very expensive here (our mortgage is nearly $400k for a very small house). The housing taxes are $10k per year, considerably more than the highest band where our house is in Essex, England. My husband has to pay NJ State tax, NY tax and of course Federal taxes (but of course there are deductions). We don't get a company car in the US either. I haven't really settled here and would much prefer to return to Asia for another expat posting - tax is 15% in Hong Kong and 22% in Singapore and the overall quality of life for expats is superb.

Manc1976; I haven't yet read the link, but are you aware that if you're from Great Britain you can't enter the Green Card lottery, but you can if you're from Northern Ireland? I think this was from the influence of a certain Senator Edward Kennedy...I don't think he was intending this for the benefit of NI Protestants by the way! eek sad

I know a young Australian woman who recently won a Green Card in the lottery but doesn't enjoy living in the US. She says she will stay for about 5 years to make some money then will return to the warm Gold Coast (Brisbane). However, another Aussie friend of mine's brother has recently applied for a Green Card in the lottery - and apparently there isn't a huge demand from Aussies to apply for GC's so his chances are high.

The normal way to retire in the US is to come on a tourist visa, making sure you leave within the six months. You are very welcome to buy property and spend your retirement money, but the key thing is you can't work. That's why it's an okay proposition for retirees, but not for those who haven't built up a nest egg.

I would like another expat posting, but it's not going to happen this time round. It has been great financially, but that's about it. I wouldn't say that I have benefitted socially - or what I've gained, I've more than lost in the UK. My kids are happy enough, but they haven't done anything we couldn't have done in the UK and I do worry about their schooling (even though we are in a top school district) - the school culture really doesn't suit DS2 and it's not as flexible as in England. My DH hasn't made any friends (not that he has made much effort), so he is very happy to be returning to England. Overall, it's been a very enriching experience and I'm glad we had the opportunity to do it - but I am now really looking forward to going back now that it is on the cards for this year.

I was aware that the British didn't qualify, but unaware that about the Northern Irish were, but so what? It's their game and they make the rules. I am sorry these guys weren't born in Londonderry.
They seem to think they have a right to live here, and just can't believe they don't, while a northern monkey like me can. Sorry folks but thats bigotry and arrogance, and it quite rightly ****ed me off. I was a skilled Steeplejack in the UK. Worked for a company called Delta Steeplejacks in Oldham, Lancs. My best friend went to work in Canada, I knew I was coming here, but if I wasn't I would be north of the border right now. I am sorry to rant but these guys got to me.

Yep, if you are not a citizen of a country, you don't have any rights to settle there. Each country makes up their own laws as to what criteria they use to let people in. This couple are being hypocritical and arrogant - especially as they cite immigrants in the UK as a reason to leave.

It's a bummer when you can't do what you want, but that's just an accident of birth.

Some people are doers and some just moan. Best to let the latter be, imho. But that board! Now I remember why I never bother to read it. The pop ups are seriously annoying and that jiggly box at the top is mindnumbing, and all while trying to remember how to navigate a threaded discussion like that. roll hurrah for Britnet lol

And yes, I agree Americans can run their immigration however they damn well please. But it can be hard to understand from an outside perspective. As you pointed out, those people clearly haven't looked much further than what seems the easy option, and have no idea of the hoops you have to jump through otherwise.

Have to say, an "it's not fair" attitude is not going to cut it over here.