Immigrant Visa for Actors in Los Angeles
Working as an Actor in Los Angeles
Los Angeles is the place where movie magic happens! Thousands of aspiring actors flock to L.A. on a regular basis hoping for their big break in film or television. However, as a director or producer, the particular actor you want for your project may not be living in the Los Angeles area or even the United States. If you want an actor who is a foreign citizen to come to Southern California and work on a movie or TV show, you must make sure they have the necessary visa to avoid any delays or setbacks on your project
Obtaining an O-1 Visa for an Actor
While there are many different types of visas, an O-1 visa is intended for people who have demonstrated extraordinary talents in the arts and other industries. Specifically, the O-1B visa is the appropriate actor visa for actors who wish to work in film or television. However, the O1-B visa will not be granted for just any actor–instead, you must show that the actor applying for the visa has exceptional talents and/or success in the industry.
Demonstrating exceptional abilities can be accomplished in several different ways. First, if the actor has received an Academy Award, Golden Globe, or other highly respected honor, it should be relatively easy to convince USCIS that they have high talents. Outside of awards, you can demonstrate evidence of box office success, high salaries, an established career, and other successes. In the case of a major star, you should have fewer complications, however, if you want a lesser-known actor for your project, it may require more convincing evidence to get an O-1B actor visa approved.
Visa for Actor’s Families and Support Teams
With an actor often comes a support team, including assistants, personal styling crews, managers, agents, and more. In many situations, actors want to travel with their team and want them present throughout an entire project. Fortunately, assisting individuals who are imperative to the actor’s job performance can apply for an O-2 visa to accompany the actor to Los Angeles for the movie or show.
In addition, many actors do not want to leave their spouses or children for the extended time it takes to film a movie or television show. Such family members are often eligible for O-3 visas, which allow them to come to L.A. and remain stateside for the duration of the project while their family member works on a O-1B actor visa.
Our team of immigration lawyers also helps producers, musicians, models and athletes obtain O-1 visas to work in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles and across the United States.
Work with an Attorney Regarding an Immigrant Visa for an Actor in Los Angeles
As an actor, being able to visit and spend time in Los Angeles and the rest of the United States is extremely important for your career. Obtaining an O-1 visa can help you accomplish this and can often propel your acting career to the next level. As a production company, ensuring that you have the right actor for your project can substantially increase revenue by millions of dollars.
PRACTICE AREAS
As immigration lawyers in Los Angeles, we specialize in a complete spectrum of services pertaining to immigration, visas, and citizenship. Regardless of how simple or complex your unique situation may be, you can place complete trust in our achieving the most favorable outcome possible.