As far as I am aware the license is permanent - I still receive my invoice each year! The big accounting firms always had special arrangements regarding licenses/passports/visas/green cards etc. My old passport had the "Given leave to remain in the US for an indefinite period". I think the green card expired after 2 years. I even had a temporary SS number.

We had reciprocal agreements in the UK. I personally had people from Australia, Switzerland & Egypt working for me at times. At KPMG they were always able to argue successfuly that there were skills shortages in certain geographical locations but it was not economic to have skills centres in every place.

After 9/11 I had contemplated going back full-time. I had been a Derivatives Risk Management Consultant and a large proportion of the worlds experts in this field lost their lives that day. My wife talked me into staying put. I probably knew 300 of the people involved in the tragedy. A few of my friends escaped unhurt.

Whilst in CT I actually worked for the FED in a joint investigation of a Swedish bank.