England - America

[Miguel Angel]

 

The question is if Common Wealth citizens have easier immigration amongst other Common Wealth countries? Or, are they pretty much independent and quota driven, perhaps less than the US, but still a hurdle to cross?

 

It has been a while since I've traveled to the UK specifically, but of the immigration/customs, Australia has been the most like the US... Canada use to be 'ok' but due to the US's activities, I think things have gotten worse going to Canada. Mexico has even scaled up on requiring Passports for foot crossing at Tijuana...

 

The 'best' place I've traveled has been in Europe were the EU has pretty much eliminated most 'border' issues... this of course is for 'tourist' activities rather than job seeking.

 

The most 'causal' I've experienced other than 'old Mexico', was in Hungary, shortly after the fall of the Late Great Soviet Empire, where despite the clear stereotypic customs officer and Kalishnikov armed guards... a mere glance at passport and me was it...

 

 

Actually going to South Africa for work as a local is very difficult, rules are the same as the ones in USA.

 

From what people told me when I was there, two or three years ago it was totally different and you could live there and get citizenship easily and if you had a tourist visa and then somebody picked you for a job the only thing that you had to do was go to your Embassy and get a document stamped.

 

Nowadays, if you have a tourist visa and you are picked for a job, you have to go back to your country of origin, get the document, get it stamped and go back to South Africa, tough job!

 

Wish I had discovered South Africa 6 years ago! I would have moved to South Africa instead of Ireland :D :D

[Guest]

Seriously, South Africa is the place! forget about USA.

 

Can't agree more, I love it there. Great climate, super low cost of living.

 

R,

[John E Clark]

I just happened across this classification on US immigration visas... H-2B.

 

This classification seems to be usable potentially for those who are not 'stars' or 'superior' workers in the entertainment field. The text does not mention filmmaking, or artists in particular, just 'work'. There is a comparable 'agricultural' H-2A visa.

 

In any case, one still must have a sponsoring employer lined up, and that there are no 'unemployed but qualified' US workers in the area.

 

So, sign up for film production in Cheyenne Wyoming... or someplace like that...

 

The visa is a 'nonimmigrant' type, so at the end of up to a year it's back to the homeland, where ever that is... but who knows, one could have graduated to the "O-1" category in that year... or at least got a leg up...

 

 

Here's a blurb on the topic.

 

http://www.americanlaw.com/h-2b.html

[Stuart Brereton]

I don't think that the H2B would work. In as far as it applies to the Entertainment industry, it's for technical and support personnel only, and I think you would have a very hard time convincing the INS that no suitably qualified workers existed in the US, particularly in a market like Los Angeles.

[Phil Rhodes]

I've said all this before, but:

 

The way most people seem to do it is to convince the authorities that they're "of extraordinary ability," deepening on what the wording is at the time.

 

Often, this is done on what I'd call the sketchiest of evidence and I have no idea how people pull it off. I've known actors who have had the backs of their heads visible in one TV show get visas. I could (but won't) name a few people, including both actors and camera crew, who have done it. I suspect some of them may have had contacts in appropriate places or that some other chicanery was at play (a famous director was willing to write a letter of recommendation for reasons unknown), or they just lucky in terms of which government inspector dealt with their case.

 

From what I've been told, they value fame, as measured by the amount of press coverage someone has received. This makes it much more difficult for some occupations than others. Crew tend not to get any press until they're so successful that it hardly matters anymore.

 

In essence, unless you have a bulging folder of press cuttings, you're screwed.

 

It's an irritation as I have frequently been offered work I can't take, but I've absolutely no interest in breaking the rules.

 

P

[Adam Frisch FSF]

Multiple O-1's here until I got my permanent residency. They've become a little tougher with the O-1's, but it's still a viable way for most artists. First time around a lot of paperwork and interviews at embassy etc, second and third time around less so. Normally they're valid for 3 years, but 2 years and even 1 year ones have become a little more common. Expect to pay about $5K in lawyers fee's to set it up initially and a little less to renew.

 

A new requirement is that they want to see future US projects lined up, which needs a little 'creative' presentation and someone who can provide that for you. I just had a bunch of commercial prod co's I worked with a lot create a few projects that I was up for on paper. Doesn't mean they have to end up materializing or you have to do them. They just want to get a sense that you're in demand and won't cost the US taxpayer any money.

[Guest]

Adam, you were allowed an O-1 with US immigration knowing you were a freelancer? Or did you start with a specific employer lined up?

 

R,

[Adam Frisch FSF]

I was employed by my business manager. You can not be self employed and sponsor yourself technically, although some have gotten away with it.

[Guest]

Perfect, will you sponsor me Adam? :)

 

R,

[Phil Rhodes]

t's still a viable way for most artists.

This may be true if you're a sufficiently successful artist to already be making lots of money and getting lots of press. It's important for people to realise that spending a lot of money on an application with the idea that claiming to be an artist is sufficient... Is very unlikely to lead to success.