Port Charlotte's Taste of Europe owners face visa woes amid retirement plans

For over a decade, the owners of the Taste of Europe Bistro in Port Charlotte have been serving authentic German cuisine to the Southwest Florida community.

However, their future in the U.S. has become uncertain as they look towards retirement.

Sandra Luck and her husband moved to Port Charlotte from Germany 12 years ago with the dream of opening a restaurant. They arrived in the United States on an E-2 visa, an investor visa for individuals looking to buy or start a business in the country.

The couple is now facing a challenging situation as they plan to retire. Without the business, their visa status is at risk, leaving them uncertain about their future in the U.S.

“A little devastated right now, because we don’t know what to do. I mean, OK, selling the business, one thing, but selling the house and everything? I mean, we build something up here, and then you don’t know where you’re going to stay,” said Luck.

Christian Zeller, an immigration attorney and managing partner with Maney, Gordon, Zeller, P.A. in Tampa, explained that the E-2 visa is a non-immigrant visa and does not provide a direct pathway to a green card or permanent residency.

“There is no such thing as a retiree visa in the United States,” said Zeller.

Despite these challenges, Zeller mentioned that Luck has options with her current visa.

“She does not have to actively work in the business. She can continue to own it. She could hire management. She’s still the investor; she’s still the proprietor,” said Zeller.

For now, Luck continues to work while considering her options.

“You don’t feel very welcome anymore, right now,” she said. “As long as I have the business, I’m good so, but I don’t want to work till I’m 80.”

In the past, Florida Congressman Bill McCollum filed the Retiree Visa Act of 1999, which proposed allowing foreign retirees to stay in the U.S. for up to four years at a time, but it did not pass.

In July, Sen. Rick Scott filed the Canadians Snowbird Act, which would allow retired Canadians to stay in the U.S. for an extra two months. WINK News reached out to his office and Congressman Greg Steube’s office regarding Luck’s situation. A spokesperson for Sen. Scott asked for Luck’s contact information.