Musician in USA on P2 Visa and...

Hi, I am a Canadian musician writing from Los Angeles, California.


I was issued a P2 work visa for a job in Florida (cruise ship) back in Sept. After working for 2 months at said job, the entire band was laid off and replaced with pre-recorded music, due to the recession.

When this happened, friends in California offered to put me up and help me get back on my feet, as moving to Florida drianed my savings.


My quesion is this; with my temp. Social Security number I have, can I obtain work legally outside of the entertainment industry-or any work at all?


I would like to stay and give California a try, but need to know where I stand work-wise.

Thanks

Your employer is supposed to notify USCIS of your layoff, and you must "immediately" leave the country, which USCIS generally interpret to mean ten days or less.

I'm not sure if USCIS go as far as notifying the SSA to de-activate your SSN, but regardless, it's illegal to work without work authorization.