So, I've been thinking a lot what I'm gonna write about. I asked myself a lot of questions and they are all pretty important. Well here's the question I've been asking myself for a long time. It is hard enough for UK citizens to get a job as performers after they graduate college or university, but why should it be almost impossible for foreign graduates?
I've been living in London for 7 years (as a student), I graduated Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in July 2010 and 2 months later I had to leave the UK and come back to Russia. I've left home and my family at the early age of 16 and it was quite hard, but now I look back and I wouldn't change my decision I've made 7 years ago even if I could. I've started a different life and living in London was/is everything to me. I feel home in London. I came to London to do Latin American and had really good results in competitions. I wasn't planning on going into Performing but it happened so. After I stopped Latin American, perfuming has become something special in my life. It made me a happier person and I can proudly say I love what I do no matter what sacrifices are! Ok enough about my life story. Lets get to the point.
As I am a Russian citizen, every single year living in London I had to extend my visa. I've been refused in visa a few times and it's been a nightmare. It's a very hard process and very expensive. To be able to work in London I have to have a work permit. To get one I need to find a job and then my employer applies for my work permit. They have to prove (which is not so easy as it sounds) I can do a particular job better than a UK citizen and that I do not take this job away from someone who needs it more than I do. Also I have to have at least a BA Hons qualification before work permit. So basically I am now stuck in Russia hoping to get back to London in January.
This problem has effected a lot of my auditions in the past. Just one question comes out of the casting team member's mouth: "Are you able to work in the UK?", then follows the answer: "No, but…" and then CUT!
I have read a lot of material about solving this problem made a lot of research. I feel like I could be a visa expert if I don't succeed in my performing carreer. There's always something on the way. I have always sorted out this visa issue before and now it seem like mission impossible. It makes me so angry and sad and strong at the same time. Loving so much what I do I can not let myself give up on it.
Here's a few points if you are a foreign perform!
• The work is for continuity.
◦ For example if the person has worked for a period of one month or more on the same piece of work overseas.
◦ Applications submitted under the criteria for continuity must supply proof that the overseas national is currently, or has recently been working on the same piece of work overseas (i.e. contracts or press reviews or other such documents) and has done so for at least one month.
◦ The UK Border Agency will still consult with Equity if the actor/actress has played the same part abroad in a production of the same name, as this would not be classed as continuity.
• The person has international status.
◦ For example if they are internationally famous in their field.
◦ An actor with international status is a well-known star who would not displace resident labour. This does not mean the same as being established overseas.
◦ Applications for actors who are of international status do not need to give details of a resident labour market search.
• The worker(s) forms part of a unit company.
◦ A unit company is a large group of entertainers who have regularly performed together in their own country and have toured overseas as part of an established production before entering the United Kingdom.
◦ Evidence to this effect should be included with the application.
◦ This may include contracts of employment to show that the individual/s has/have been a permanent part of the unit company.
• Where none of the above can be provided, evidence that the post has been advertised should be provided.
So here is my question: Why can't we have a choice about where we want to build our career? It's not that it's just for performers (any kind of entertainment people), it's also hard for people of different professions but performer's work permit is the hardest to get. Also if you are not EU, U.S., Australian citizen it's 2 times harder.
Why can't we do something we love and good at, anywhere we want?
Alien of extraordinary ability- This is the term lawyers use to describe foreign actors and celebrities who want to come to different countries in order to grace them with their extraordinary talents.
Here's the example:
Cheryl Cole didn't put Gamu Nhengu through to her final 3 in The X Factor despite her unarguable talent.Cheryl told Gamu: “You are extremely adorable. You’ve got a great voice. “It’s just a question for me now as to whether you brought the star quality that I was looking for yesterday.” Lies! Here's the real reason: They were concerned over Gamu's immigration status that prevented her from being chosen for the live shows. Her mother's visa is due to be renewed during the course of the show and the producers were concerned by any problems that may occur during that process.
Why can't we do something we love and good at, anywhere we want?
Alien of extraordinary ability- This is the term lawyers use to describe foreign actors and celebrities who want to come to different countries in order to grace them with their extraordinary talents.
No visa, no show for foreign performers is what they say! How is that fair? It's completely out of order.
If you have £200,000 which can be invested in the UK to setup a new business enterprise or to take over an existing UK business, you may be eligible to apply for a UK Visa. So Basically if you have money you can do pretty much everything you want anywhere in the world and if you don't then you stay where you are or may be you just need luck and fall in love with a citizen of the country you want to work in and get married!
There are a lot of people that get a chance to stay in foreign countries by faking documents and it works! Even though you think you will get in trouble for that, somehow other people don't! It's been proved that there are thousands of illegal immigrants living a good life in the UK, but when you want to do everything right and legal it's just not good enough.
I think this attitude is that it's easier to deny something than to approve something that you might be called on later. I wish there was something I could do about it but Impossible is not the word!
1. David Barrett, Illegal Immigrants, Telegraph, 20 Feb 2010/ www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/7279436/Thousands-of-illegal-immigrants-win-right-to-stay-in-Britain-under-squatters-rights.html
2. Arts & Humanities, Celebrity Immigration Attorney Kate Raynor lawyers, 19 Aug/ 2010 www.mybetticket.com/2010/08/celebrity-immigration-attorney-kate-raynor-lawyers-o-1-visa-green-card/
3. Actors/ Theatre Work Permits/ www.internationalworkpermits.com/actors-theatre-work-permits.html
