Expert: Wanda Reinholdt - 9/20/2008

Question
Hi,

My name is Jackie, and I’m from Vancouver, BC, Canada. I understand you’re Canadian, so I thought you might know something about this.  You often hear about how aspiring American actors move to LA to pursue acting – that makes sense, they’re American and are entitled to work anywhere in the states. But how exactly do aspiring Canadian actors move to LA to pursue acting? I hear this A LOT and I want to know if it really is that easy—that you could just up and move there and start looking for an agent. From what I understand, as a Canadian citizen, you cannot simply just move to the states and start working, let alone work as an actor. So how can they actually look for work in LA without a proper work permit that has already been arranged for them? Or do they go there as a vacationer? Am I missing something here? Please help me out!
Thanks for all your time and I look forward to your reply.

Answer
Hi Jackie...And thanks for writing.  

This is a great question and one that I have not been asked yet on this site.  So I am glad that you asked it so that others can learn about this process as well.  

First of all, never take anyone's word (including mine) on this topic.  Always do your own research and ask your own questions.  You need to know thoroughly what is permissible and what is not.  Otherwise, you could be liable if you don't do this right.  It is big deal to be crossing borders for any reason but especially for work.  You want to have your paper work in very good order.  

Secondly, it takes time to get this together.  So if you want to go to the States, I would recommend starting to get the paper work and research together now.  The best place to start is by finding someone who knows about international visas and crossing borders and asking lots of questions.  You can also do some research online.  

Strictly from a government and border point of view, if you are not a duo citizen or an American, there is no way for you to work in the States at any kind of job unless you have a working visa or a permanent visa.  These documents/cards mean that you can be paid by American sources.  

However, there are a few situations where it MAY work for you to go to the States and work (again always check out details thoroughly):

If a Canadian organization is paying for the work that you are doing in the States, I've heard of individuals going to the States to work as a volunteer (having a letter from the US organization stating for the Border that you are a volunteer).  And there must be in this letter a good reason why YOU as a Canadian were chosen for this job.  For e.g. We have found Wanda Reinholdt to have the skill set and the character and values that we need to direct our show for this season.  

Another situation where it could work out is if you marry an American.  This is not a good reason to get married LOL  But by getting married, you can more easily obtain a working visa to work in the States.  I have friends that did this only a couple of years ago.  It took a long while for him to get his Visa (she (a duo citizen) had to leave Canada before he could leave because of the process).  But now it is working well.  Their children have duo citizenship as well.  

Lastly, I've also heard of both Canadian and US companies setting up a legal situation within their payroll and hiring process to have cross border employees.  As far as I know (again, you would have to check this out), these companies have done the work for the employees.  They don't have to be concerned about whether they are legal or not.  All they need is proof by letter of the position and the company needs to provide proof that they have made the proper arrangements.  

So, that's a long answer.  But the bottom line is that there is much paper work and information to glean through in order to get to the place where you are able to work in both countries.  Whether it is a company you work for or yourself, there is much preparation to be done to make it possible.  

I would recommend that you apply for a working Visa in the States if you want to do this.  There is much information online from the US government on this process.  But if you can find someone to talk with as well, that would be preferable.  

Does this help you?

Wanda