Anyone here from Canada (or elsewhere) and gone to the U.S. to study? Can you describe the process of applying for a visa? How long can you stay in the U.S, can you work while you're there, etc?
Thanks!
Students Visas
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kontrabass
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tmmcas1
- pro musician
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Typically the school will provide the visa for you which is valid for the duration of your study there. It only permits you to work on campus during that time and this is usually limited (20hrs a week). You can't seek employment off campus. After your degree you can then apply for a couple of different visas. One is a visa that lets you work in the field that your degree was in (but only that field) and the other is called an artist visa. This is very expensive and difficult to obtain. Usually an immigration lawyer is the speediest way to get one. I know several jazz musicians who have gone this route to stay in New York to get gigs but need more work on the side. The downside is that they've spent 10's of thousands of dollars just so they can apply to wash dishes at Denny's to get by. During my masters I found the biggest hassle being how how to get paid for gigs. You have to be creative! It's a drag of a process but worth it if you know where and what your going after.
Tom McCaslin
Tom McCaslin
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Mudman
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I'm from Canada and did all of my university studies and gigging in the US. I now teach in the states on a "TN" (Trade NAFTA) visa.
The university that admits you will grant an "F-1" student visa.
One way to play significant gigs is to use what is called "post-curricular practical training." This allows you to work for up to one year in your field of study to gain professional experience. For gigs such as a week here or there with an orchestra, you have to get approval by the person on your campus who is in charge of foreign students.
Another way to work is to have any payment go through the university, claiming gigs as part of your training. Students in many studios are expected to freelance to be competitive players. Tell your campus foreign-student rep that this kind of work is an essential part of your musical studies. Your applied professor can write a letter backing you up. See if your employer is willing to pay the university for your services. (May take some wrangling, but if you can get an account set up, it might be a good idea.)
Small church gigs, weddings, etc are probably best paid under the table. (Shhhh.) Make sure you have the above letter stating that gigs are an integral part of your training on file with the campus office of foreign students to cover yourself just in case. My campus rep gave me the green light to take any small gigs without individiaul authorization. (Slightly under the table, but much easier.) If the Chicago Symphony calls you, or you are about to earn more than a couple-hundred bucks that is when you should dot your i's and cross your t's.
Try and do as much work on campus as possible (paying operas, musicals, quintet gigs for graduation ceremonies, anything you can think of.) Then you are covered for sure.
Good luck! Please feel free to send me a private message if you have any more specific questitons.
The US is definitely a great place to study music. Canada has some wonderful schools, but I found that the States is a better place to study brass playing. More opportunities and events going on. Big-name American schools are needed on a resume to get noticed for most college teaching gigs. Canada has better support for the arts and often has better high-school music programs. In higher education, the opposite seems to be true. Music Ed programs are very well planned out at just about any US university.
The university that admits you will grant an "F-1" student visa.
One way to play significant gigs is to use what is called "post-curricular practical training." This allows you to work for up to one year in your field of study to gain professional experience. For gigs such as a week here or there with an orchestra, you have to get approval by the person on your campus who is in charge of foreign students.
Another way to work is to have any payment go through the university, claiming gigs as part of your training. Students in many studios are expected to freelance to be competitive players. Tell your campus foreign-student rep that this kind of work is an essential part of your musical studies. Your applied professor can write a letter backing you up. See if your employer is willing to pay the university for your services. (May take some wrangling, but if you can get an account set up, it might be a good idea.)
Small church gigs, weddings, etc are probably best paid under the table. (Shhhh.) Make sure you have the above letter stating that gigs are an integral part of your training on file with the campus office of foreign students to cover yourself just in case. My campus rep gave me the green light to take any small gigs without individiaul authorization. (Slightly under the table, but much easier.) If the Chicago Symphony calls you, or you are about to earn more than a couple-hundred bucks that is when you should dot your i's and cross your t's.
Try and do as much work on campus as possible (paying operas, musicals, quintet gigs for graduation ceremonies, anything you can think of.) Then you are covered for sure.
Good luck! Please feel free to send me a private message if you have any more specific questitons.
The US is definitely a great place to study music. Canada has some wonderful schools, but I found that the States is a better place to study brass playing. More opportunities and events going on. Big-name American schools are needed on a resume to get noticed for most college teaching gigs. Canada has better support for the arts and often has better high-school music programs. In higher education, the opposite seems to be true. Music Ed programs are very well planned out at just about any US university.