[chiquita04]

Hi,

I am hoping to get some insight about visa possibilities for the entertainment industry. I am currently on an L1 visa, living and working in New York. However, I have recently taken to acting and modeling and wanted to find out about my options to try for another visa so I can continue being in the US to pursue my career change.

I am in my second year on the L1 and the GC way is looking way too bleak at this time to wait for via my current job.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[penguinsix]

For a model its an H1-B3 and for an actor it is a O-1B visa. However, both require you to be significantly established in the business, having performed as the lead or having obtained an internationally recognized award like an Oscar or an Emmy. For someone just starting out, these visas are highly unlikely, sorry to say.

[ian-mstm]

Originally Posted by chiquita04 I have recently taken to acting and modeling and wanted to find out about my options to try for another visa so I can continue being in the US to pursue my career change.

Is acting and modelling covered under your L-1 duties? If not, then you can't work as an actor or model. You can't do any work at all except for your L-1 sponsor... and you can't be self-employed. Further, you can't go to school to study acting or modelling unless it's incidental to your L-1 visa. Just an FYI.

Ian

[GeoffM]

Originally Posted by ian-mstm Further, you can't go to school to study acting or modelling unless it's incidental to your L-1 visa. Just an FYI.

Out of curiosity then, do you mean somebody could go to evening class a few hours a week, whether cooking, pole dancing, etc, but anything approaching full time is a no-no? Could you do something like an Open University degree, assuming there is something equivalent here, as long as it didn't impact on your day job?

[ian-mstm]

Originally Posted by GeoffM Out of curiosity then, do you mean somebody could go to evening class a few hours a week, whether cooking, pole dancing, etc, but anything approaching full time is a no-no?

I'm suggesting that if you're going to take courses while you're on an L-1 visa, the courses must be related to your L-1 visa.

Could you do something like an Open University degree, assuming there is something equivalent here, as long as it didn't impact on your day job?

It has nothing to do with impacting your day job... it has to do with whether or not the courses are related to the visa. If they are, then yes... you can take the courses.

Ian

[GeoffM]

Originally Posted by ian-mstm I'm suggesting that if you're going to take courses while you're on an L-1 visa, the courses must be related to your L-1 visa. It has nothing to do with impacting your day job... it has to do with whether or not the courses are related to the visa. If they are, then yes... you can take the courses. Ian

OK, thanks.