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US Visitor's Visa and Ms. Jagger

By Annie Banerjee

A New York Appellate Court has ruled that Bianca Jagger (Ex wife of Mick Jagger) cannot have a "primary residence" in the US, and thus she could be evicted from her residence in NYC. Bianca had a visitor's visa. The visitor's visa does not allow a person to maintain a residence in the US, because the visit is purely temporary. This is the main proof that the Consulates look for in granting the visitor's visa. A person can visit, travel (B-2 visa) or work (B-1) temporarily (usually not more than 6 months) in the US on this visa. However except in rare circumstances, a visitor cannot be paid for his services in the US. Unlike Australia, we do not have a visa whereby a person can visit, work and get paid to defray the cost of travel in the US. For more information on the visitor's visa please visit my web site: http://www.visatous.com/

However that does not mean that a person cannot have a house or residence in the US. In fact much of Manhattan real estate is owned by people who do not live there. I think it is inherently unfair that we let visitors buy property and businesses without granting them some type of status to work in the US. We should institute a system like Australia whereby visitors can perform temporary work and get paid here, as long as they return to their home country. Of course they should pay taxes to the US on those earnings. This will be a win win situation.

Full post as published by US Immigration Matters on October 19, 2007 (boomark / email).