Thread: The Land of the Free

Firstly I am new member to this discussion group.

I have joined following a return from a year in the USA, returned that is at the advise of both legal and financial advisor's.

America has a reputation as a fertile ground for entrepreneurs, and the land of the free.

Well I would like to raise an awareness of those of us that have an experience which seems to advocate illegal immigration.

As a CEO of a manufacturing company setting up in the US we found ourselves only being allocated a 12 month visa. We then discovered after working in the US our visa would expire, but we would become tax resident. Taxed on all worldly income (which would have been 5 figures of tax)

So you become tax resident by default, but non resident due to no working visa ????????????

What you report sounds both disappointing and frightening - as a U.S. citizen, I am sorry if this is the case! We already know that "following the rules" to immigrate legally to the U.S. is evidentally very time-consuming and costly. We were sorry ourselves to learn that U.S. lawmakers evidentally do not want to do the hard work necessary to revise our legal immigration system to make it more efficient and less costly, but instead seem to want only to "open our borders" to a never-ending supply of cheap, unregulated foreign labor. Hopefully you will stay with us on this forum to work toward both immigration law enforcement and real reform of our legal immigration system so that creative, contributing immigrants like yourself will be justly rewarded for your efforts rather than punished for following the rules!

Welcome to Alipac, Weimaraner! Would you be able to renew your visa? I suppose that would have to be done through an embassy outside of the US.

If you are hiring Americans my congratulations to you. Please carefully check the leagl residency status of your employers and beware of phony driver's licences, Social Security cards, passports or other identification; be sure thay are all authentic.

There are many deductions to income that are available to a business owner. Seek the help of a well qualified tax preparer. Keep all receipts and invoices to assist your tax preparer.

Thanks Captainron

Yes, we did check for legal residency of staff. One ex-employee who's residency expired is still in the usa, he doesn't make any money now or have any assets to speak of, so tax is not an issue and has obviously decided to take the risk.

We did employ Americans some on 5 figure salaries.

Thanks Texas2step

Yes I forgot to mention the cost!

I don't really understand a lot about visas and immigration law.

My nephew is a petroleum geologist and has his on consulting firm, and travels and works all over the world. He is now trying to decide where to live for a year or two and the tax situation in other countries is the main thing he is checking. So I guess it could be a minefield so to speak.

Can I ask a very dumb question and not to be too nosy?

What makes America attractive to foreign companies? That's not intended to be unwelcoming, I'm just curious.

Hello nntrixie

The USA is a large market place if not the largest, so much so that Global companies can hardly claim to be global if they are not in the USA market!

Your Nephew may want to try Dubai, he has probably already worked there?

You know to my knowledge, he hasn't worked in Dubai, at least not for long. It's hard to keep up with where he is all the time.

He has been in Angola for a while, they seemed to have located quite a bit of oil there. I told him I wanted him to find a special kind of oil - Cheap Oil.

So your relocation is to market to Americans? I am always curious about these things.