Question by : How can I act in America if I have a working visa ? ( Not a green Card )?
Hi my name is Alex , I live in NC I have been acting since I was little, I did a lot of short films abroad in Mexico and one commercial in Italy , I have been ask a lot of information from agents that contact me, here in NC and some in LA and NY, but I have a working visa ( H1B ), because I work as a consultant for a company here in NC, so with this visa I can only work for my company ,so I want to know :
1 ) Can I audition for movies here in the US with no green card ?
2 ) If I get the part on a movie , would I have a chance to do it with this visa ( H1B ), or I have to do it for free ?
3 ) Is there companies here in the US, who would let me audition or that hired international actors ?
I heard that with this type of visa , you would have to act with no pay….. is there another solution ?
I got contacted by some agents in NC and they all ask for green card , I’m not from the US , so I don’t think I can sign anything with them ,cause I wouldn’t be able to get paid unless they are big companies how sign you and help you with visas?
Please help I need answers so i can start auditioning for films here , I guess I don’t mind if I don’t get paid on the beginning cause it create a good Resume but on the long road , I have to make some extra money…. Please help me with info what is the best way to get in auditions with my situation….. how does international actors , audition and live here ?
Best answer:
Answer by Gray Area
1. There’s no point in auditioning if you can’t work in the U.S.
2. No, as you already stated, your H1B makes you eligible for the company you currently work for, not the entertainment production company. I don’t know that they’d want to have your work for free because there could be unseen complications with their paperwork and your immigration status.
3. Production companies in the U.S. hire foreign actors all the time, it’s just that those foreign actors are already legal to work within the U.S. To get permanent green card status as an entertainer you must prove that you are in the top 3% of your field. This is exceedingly difficult for most actors to prove. Just recently an aspiring Canadian actress I knew was sent home after being denied a 3rd time for her green card. It is doubtful any U.S. production company will even have you on set working for free. The legal risk to their production and the fact that you can not sign any contract makes you a liability to them. As well most films are covered under the Screen Actors Guild union and the production can be fined by the union for hiring a non union actor let alone one who is not legal to work in the U.S.
You really need to contact a U.S. immigration lawyer. The only reason I know this much are the half dozen British and Canadian actors I’ve worked with and they all had lawyers to answer these questions. Do not rely on the answers you get from me or anyone except an honest to goodness U.S. immigration lawyer.
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Tags:America, Card, Consultant, Green, Living, visa, working
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