Retirement in the USA

Many people would simply love to work in their home country but retire in the USA. Unfortunately, it is simply not possible to enter the US with the sole purpose of retirement. There is no particular class of visa that provides for retirement. Instead you would need to qualify fo r and obtain a green card first.

There are many ways to qualify for green card, as your immigration attorney will tell you. If you have immediate family members in the US who are citizens then they could sponsor you into the US on a green card, although this process can take several years to complete. For example, it can take up to five years for a child (over 21) to sponsor their parents. If can also take around ten years for a sibling to sponsor their brother or sister into the US on a green card. With these time frames in mind it would be a good idea to start the ball rolling as quickly as possible.

Alternatively, you may wish to enter the USA as a business investor. Depending on the size of the business you were looking to invest in you could qualify for a green card immediately or for a lesser non-permanent visa that over the ensuing years could be upgraded to a green card.

If your company could transfer you to their existing or new branch in the US this could also open up green card possibilities for you over time.

In short, if you are looking to retire in the USA then you really need to start your plans several years in advance, preferably five to ten years before you actually intend to retire.