whatittakes

Hi everyone.
I'm new although I've been reading all the relevant feeds for months, trying to work out how to respond haha.
Anyway!
My names Alex hi
I'm a 21 year old soon to graduate actor, from Wales.
I did part of my study in SoCal, at CalStateFullerton, big up any titans if you're out there ... And I fell in love with it. The way of life, the people, the mentality EVERYTHING. I felt so at home. Leaving was devastating.
Now, naively, all my life, my 'plan' (not that you could call it that anymore) was to move to the states. I am a big personality, ambitious and outgoing, which I've always found to be a hindrance here in the UK. We brits don't like big personalities do we haha. When I visited NY back in 2009, I instantly made friends and felt so much more accepted, and though the 'culture' of the east coast wasn't so much for me, I was still hooked.

Now.

I can only imagine how stressful it is for you all to hear this over and over again, and I completely and utterly understand if no one replies, or just wants to tell me I'm crazy. But, you don't ask you don't get

So...

I have done my research. I am VERY aware of the visa system. I am aware that I am not eligible for the lottery, nor do I have family. I am not prepared to marry some poor guy just for the GC (I'm determined not desperate). I do not have any 'in demand skill' nor an MA.

what I do have, is bundles of ambition, drive, enthusiasm, a thick skin. Study time and a clean record on a J1... And quite a lot of contacts.

Now. 'Its practically impossible' I know. But, I'm willing to work from the bottom up, I'm young and I'm sensible. I have other plans. But this is my ultimate bigger picture.

I would love to work, and have experience in, International Undergraduate Admissions Counselling (in other words, helping study abroad students acclimatise and deal with home sickness etc) ... Which I think I'd be an excellent candidate for since I have first hand experience as well as intern experience in my international office at my home university. But I'd also love to stay in entertainment, if that we're an option.

I have a cv converted in to a resume.

Apologies for the long post,but I thought best give you guys everything, so that way you don't waste your time typing
Any advice... On anyway in to that states, even for a short time would be brilliant.

Thank you in advance

kimilseung

There was an actor a month or two ago looking for a way in, do a search and see if you can find the thread. PM the OP in that thread they may have found something that might help you

Search does not work on my tablet, so I can not find the thread or provide a link

Pulaski

So, you've done the reading and research, understand the rules, and prepared your answers to all the right questions. Very good so far.

But the answer appears to be "No".

Do you have plan B?

Noorah101

Hi and Welcome to BE.

You yourself said you are VERY aware of the visa system...so do you see any visa out there you might be qualified for? As a refresher, take a look at our Wiki Guide: http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Pulaski's_Ways:_How_to_Live_and_Work_in_the_USA

You're graduating with a degree in acting or theater, is that correct? But you want to get into being an admissions counselor? You'll probably have to go back and get a different degree for that.

I see a few ways...

1. Work in the UK on your acting career. Get a ton of experience and exposure, and be able to produce evidence that you're at the top of your field, then go for an O visa.

2. Get a degree related to the admissions counseling you want to do. Get some experience in the UK. Then go for whatever visa that relates to...not sure if it's an H1B (doesn't sound like it to me, but could be different for a university position).

3. Come to the USA on an F-1 student visa and do a degree here, probably in the admissions counseling area, so that you can have the contacts at universities for when you graduate, you might get OPT with them and perhaps sponsorship.

4. Keep in touch with all your single male friends you made when you were in the USA previously...you never know, something romantic could come of it.

But if you're that famliar with all the visa types, you probably knew all of the above.

Rene

Michael

One round about but time consuming way is to immigrate to Canada, possibly Vancouver which has weather similar to Washington state, and get your citizenship and a degree that is applicable to the TN-1 visa. Once you are a Canadian citizen, you can then look for jobs in the US and if you find one that fits the TN-1 visa, you can apply at the border for the TN-1 visa (generally the TN-1 visa is granted immediately).

http://www.workpermit.com/us/investor_tn.htm

whatittakes

Thank you very much I will do so

whatittakes

Well yes, plan b is to stay here and do the same work, with international offices but on this side.
As I said, it's not something that I think I'm just gonna up and do. I've been looking in to it for years, and it's proving as difficult as everyone says.
But I don't quit. So until I'm too old to keep trying, ill keep looking in to it

whatittakes

Great response. Had considered them all and am still considering them all haha.
Thank you for the welcome too

whatittakes

This is fantastic! Canada is something I'd definitely considered but hadn't researched as much. But I will definitely look in to it!
Thank you very much!

MMcD

Hi Alex
and if you've truly got "whatittakes".......
Here's a big little plan for you; it's based upon your own self-assessment and your stated goals - which I've summarized (above) by trimming your post down to its essence:

ICM, Wm. Morris, CAA .....these are but a few of the major talent agencies with branches both in England and in the States.
Why not immediately aim to work your way into a job at the London office of one of them?
If need be - start at the bottom of "the totem pole" ie: a job in the mail room - paying next to nothing - with the goal of eventually becoming a talent agent, in your own right - with your own clients......clients whom you will have discovered and brought to the agency in the first place.....clients who would be loyal to you (hopefully), valuable to the agency and who eventually - would be sought after for jobs in the States.
If you can - over time - pull this off (a big "IF?")- and if, over time you still harbour the same yearning to live/work in the entertainment field here in Hollywood - you'd be in a good position to request your Agency transfer you to their LA branch - where you could continue to represent the British actors, directors or even writers - signed to their London office.

And if - over time - you no longer continue to hanker to live here - you will still be the beneficiary of this plan: you'll have taken good advantage of both your professional training (as an actor) and your unique personal attributes (as a forceful, dynamic individual) and constructed a career which (hopefully) will be fulfilling and successful.

What do you think? Got "what it takes" ?

Bob

Some Brit actor who was in a movie that wasn't actually filmed in the US also was going to be in the sequel, which was being filmed in the US, he didn't get the visa, despite having quite a acting record and the movie making quite a sum of money. This was over the summer.

Anyway, so even having a lot of experience doesn't guarantee anything.

Best options, do something you enjoy, or study further in the US in something you enjoy and hope something works out, but don't put life on hold for something that might not work out.

Michael

You might even get lucky and get parts in US tv shows or movies (Vancouver and Toronto are popular locations for US production) and then become eligible for an O-1 visa to work in Hollywood.

Jerseygirl

A lot of US movies and TV series are filmed in Toronto. There are quite a few movie studios to the east of the city. Probably much easier to get a visa too.

Michael

I agree that Toronto probably has more US tv shows and films produced on location than Vancouver but Toronto can be very cold during the winter. Also being in Vancouver would allow her to visit her friends in California more easily.

Hotscot

Search my posts..I gave advice to a film guy last month. Any questions let me know.