unclerico

Ok I have a ton of questions so sorry in advance but I'll explain my situation. I've saved up enough money to come over to LA for 3 months and live on a budget. I have an online shop which keeps me stable here in London and will hopefully keep me afloat in LA (providing I don't party too much).

Here's the corny part, yes Im an actress but no I am under no illusion that it will work out that I get an agent over there, but tryin is better than regretting not trying! ( I dont need a bunch of statistics thrown at me, I know my chances are slim). So anyway Im trained in acting, I dont have TV credits though and I am not eligible for an O-1 visa. Nor do I work in any profession.

What I would like to know is, if I find an agent that can take me on their books for a year (not nessecarily have work for me the entire year) does that entitle me to stay?
Also if I was to be offered an Admin/PA role how hard is it to get a visa on this basis? I know theres tons of administrators out there but Im confident that I could get a job offer whilst out there? Thanks in advance for your answers.

JRG67

Marry a Yank

MarkCowan

JRG67 nailed it on the head, your options any other way are really nothing but be illegal, be paid under the table, no drivers license, no social security the list goes on. It happens, heck 47% of workers in Los Angeles alone as a city dont pay income tax, its staggering........It can be done though and dont let it put you off, my suggestion is you come for 3 months, build your connections, go back home on your return ticket, stay home for a couple of weeks then come back again on another 3 month ticket, you will know better then what will work for you and each time you have stayed legal so when you decide to marry a chick or whatever then you can do so whilst in the country and fine.

Lion in Winter

This is it.

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Pulask...ork_in_the_USA

GeoffM

Just be aware you can't really "run" the shop while your physical presence is in the US. If you never log on to the site then that's fine, but once you start maintaining it, dealing with customer emails etc, then you start crossing the line into working - and for that you need a visa.



Marry a bloke, not a chick

JRG67

Even Billie Piper and L Fox, are having to do plays in London, while they wait for their visas to work in LA
Why don't you build up your experience here. British theatre is the best.

SanDiegogirl

Even if you get an agent to take you onto their books, that does not entitle you to stay.

You can't do any work in the US - you do not have a work visa, and your profession/work experience does not qualify you for one.

Admin/PA roles do not qualify for work visas either.

MarkCowan

you got me

scrubbedexpat099

How about a job at The Cheesecake Factory?

fatbrit

No.

Pretty well impossible rather than hard.

unclerico

Boiler - Thanks for your meaningless reply.
MoarkCowan - Yeh I will try the coming back home and going back thing, would I be able to get another visa waiver just as easily as the first time? Im not sure I wanna do work under the table as I dont want to ruin my chances of living there legitimately some day. The marry a yank part, I dont fancy 5 years in prison lol But yeah I may meet someone over there which would be really nice, if its genuine then its a possibility.
Geoff: The business will be registered in the UK and the items will be posted from the UK so I will only be answering emails and ordering stock to go to my mums hows which is perfectly legal. But I do understand if I came to LA and I started trading in LA that would be against the law.

materialcontroller

I think you have misunderstood the advice several people have given you already.

What you are proposing to do is NOT "perfectly legal" to do when you are inside the United States. Doesn't matter if it's your own business and you're just answering emails etc - if you are physically present inside the territory of the USA - you must have a work visa to carry out these tasks. End of.

unclerico

Also Lion In Winter thankyou for the link, a question though; It does say there is some possibility that I can get a visa if my business is in the UK and can be ran by someone else when I'm over in LA, what type of Visa would that be? Hopefully the kind that will let me get an agent and do some acting work LOL Thankyou all for helping me by the way, Im really pleased I joined the forum.

unclerico

materialcontroller I already had an hour long consultation with a lawyer who advised that I can infact take care of my business matters that is based in the UK including emails and telephone calls, infact not only did I ask the lawyer I asked the visa consultant over the phone at the beginning of the process. I appreciate your sterness however I am not confused when it comes to making calls and emailing and it is going to be ran by someone else in the UK. Non of my emails or telephone calls will be affecting the US economy in a postive or negative way.

materialcontroller

If I was you I'd get that lawyer to put that advice in writing for you.

There's actually an incredibly fine line between what is and what isn't legal when you enter on the VWP. The odd phone call or email is probably fine. Ordering stock and carrying out business transactions is almost certainly not legal under US immigration law.

I assume you'll be telling the CBP officer at the POE that you intend to do all of this so that you can seek to be be admitted "WB" rather than "WT"?