Musician wanting to move to the states

[Mylastseason]

I have been looking over a number of visas but cant really find anything that applies to me. I am a 23 year old male and work at a major home builder as a project estimator and have courses from the U of A in occupational health and safety as well as I'm a construction safety officer so my background is in construction management. But like it says above i really want to move down there because I'm a musician. I have come across the O-1 visa for people with extraordinary abilities in arts and sciences and was wondering if i could go this route or another? I'm a fairly well known musician and was in top 5 for national songwriting competition and Canadian radio star out of close to 6500 entries. Does anyone know anything i could do? or a immigration lawyer i could talk to?


thank you,
greatly appreciated

[Reba]

I'm sorry, I know abslutely nothing about entertainment visas. Nor do I know any immigration lawyers who could help.

Try Googling O-1 visa, I'm sure there's info out there somewhere.

[TNVisaExpert]

I do not want to make a plug for our services on the forum - but we are here to help. Since you've posted your question and no one has answered it - our suggestion is the same as your request - to get legal advice so that you can clearly move forward or not.

Contact a lawyer from the TN Visa Expert Lawyer Network. They offer a very affordable Phone Consultation so you can determine how to proceed. Currently priced at $65USD, it's a 20min call and you will be very clear on your best course of action of how to work in the U.S.

Let them know you found them from TN Visa Expert, to ensure you get this price we've negotiated on your behalf.

It'll cost you a lot more if you have immigration problems and that's not worth it.

Reba (moderator), please remove this post if you find it
unjustified - my intention, like our mission, is to help Canadians easily and affordably live in the U.S.

Hope this helps.

[nivsha]

Hello I'm a musician also of 11 years experience. I have recently found out from a Houston visa lawyer that the EB-1 (A) visa (for special talents) I have been trying so hard to apply for is denied. The visa is aimed at really exceptional talented people who have happened to have won "Nobel peace" prize or equivalent. This visa is only for a very select few and so they don't receive a lot of applicants at all for this one. EB-1 (A) was my choice because it was one which you can apply for permanent residence with and you don't have to have any employers waiting. This visa would have cost $4500+USD + other legal fees.

The only other alternative is to go through your local musician's union to help you attain an entertainers visa. You have to have employment waiting and contracted at least 6 months prior to apply for the visa. I forgot what that visa was called. But google the heck out of this topic and many valuable sites will appear. I have been researching non stop for almost 6 months and so far have come up with very little for myself, it is disheartening.

There is no such thing as free will anymore and the freedom to travel, even though you spent your life time earning that "right". Just stay put, or travel only for fun if you are a musician. Or apply for tons of travel grands or "tour" grants and spread your music to as many corners of the world as you wish. To live in the States though will prove to be a lot of headache and resistance from them.

The states does not require Canadian immigrants or workers (well just a select few who they can't fill the positions themselves), they just like when we spend money there and visit them on temporary basis.

Being a musician is gonna be tough, if you were working for some huge firm and you are on the top level -- your company will take care of everything and all you have to do is sign some docs and pack your bags. But us musicians, most of us do everything ourselves and we get the most hassle too.

All the best!