Oops. I forgot. Actually, the official explanation is the following : The law states that no diversity visas shall be provided for natives of “high admission” countries. The law defines this to mean countries from which a total of 50,000 persons in the Family-Sponsored and Employment-Based visa categories immigrated to the United States during the previous five years. The UK is one of those.

I find it very hard to take anything branded “diversity” seriously. In the 1770s there were plenty of Irish background, but they’re not excluded. (One more reason to swap to Irish nationality if possible, in addition to the excellent tax treatment of artists and writers.) Welsh/Scottish/English ancestry must be a pretty small percentage of the contemporary US population.

A little googling found this:

Oddly enough, the “diversity” lottery originated as a way to bring more whites to the United States. White ethnic politicians in America felt that their distant relatives in Europe had been squeezed out by chain migration from the Third World. So, natives of the 14 largest sources of legal immigrants ? such as Mexico, India and China ? are banned from participating. In particular, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., saw a “diversity” lottery as a way to boost the number of legal Irish immigrants.

Fascinating, though I don’t know how reliable the source is.

The British are expressly excluded from the Green Card Lottery.

Why? [Fill in conspiracy theory here.]

You can also try the Green Card Lottery. It’s a purely online deal now. Fill in the form, upload the picture. No costs.

As for large employers, the Free State Project could be a good start. Although I’d recommend expanding your search to include evil Taxachusetts. At least initially….

As far as marriage, I’ve spent 8 years here and I’m still single so I can’t really help you in that department…:)

It’s either that, or Henley’s going to get an extra cash-only-guv taxi driver cum odd-job grasscutter/you name it guv, I’ll do it, cash only, please, type body.

Better not buy anything with it. Who do you think the extended money-laundering regulations are aimed at? It’s for plumbers and odd-job men. Proper criminals actually launder the money. It’s about their only overhead. They don’t need to buy capital goods or pay rent to an estate agent in cash.

I wonder if that tax-subsidised tax-pensioned tax-consuming Boris Johnson needs someone to do his garden in Nettlebed? He better offer cash, as a lawnmower in the side of the limo often offends.

Until his accountant has to turn him in under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

It isn’t legislative bricolage, you know. It is gradual so as not to frighten the horses but joined-up government is in sight.

Next stop: “generalised anti-avoidance regulations” = abolition of the fundamental rule of taxation law.

Thanks for thinking of me!

Alas, the forces too terrible too mention, indoor sorts of forces, are simply too powerful.

The only thing I think will do the trick are for the film rights to my (eventually) forthcoming novel to be snapped up by a content-hungry Hollywood, for gadzillions, when I can finally get my New Hampshire residence and sail a small boat off Portsmouth to seek inspiration for the second trilogy, or some benevolent multi-billionaire offers me a position offshore for an amount not less than 150k a year (sterling) p.a. – though all other reasonable offers considered! $-)

I have to be able to make an offer to the forces involved which cannot be refused, in the face of all furious opinion against them.

It’s either that, or Henley’s going to get an extra cash-only-guv taxi driver cum odd-job grasscutter/you name it guv, I’ll do it, cash only, please, type body.

That it should come to this, to even be considering this, is just an outrage, that we should be entering the Soviet position where everyone stops doing what they’re best at, and starts doing what gets the state off their back the most, but at least we saw what happened to the Soviets when most of the non-government population dropped out to spend its time avoiding any kind of work the government could tax.

I’m hoping the same will happen to Gordon when he crushes the self-employed sector on Wednesday. He may get a few extra quid in the VERY short run, but in the medium and long run he’s finished, as those falling tax revenues from those of us in the employed and self-employed sectors who actually generate tax, rather than consuming it, fall even further.

The man with a brain the size of a planet, and he just doesn’t get it. Well, sod him.

I wonder if that tax-subsidised tax-pensioned tax-consuming Boris Johnson needs someone to do his garden in Nettlebed? He better offer cash, as a lawnmower in the side of the limo often offends.

Rgds,
AndyD

Also, I don’t know what they are, but I understand there are tax advantages to living in the Isle of Man.

OK, it’s not Henley, and you couldn’t socialise with your beloved Boris so often, but everything has its price…