Actress moving to Toronto

[hawksfan97]

Hello! I am an actress from Chicago and I'm in the process of changing agents to one the represents Canada as well as the US. My goal would be to move to Toronto to be closer to my agent and then I can just fly to Chicago when/if need be. But most of my work would be located in Canada. Currently, to support my acting, I waitress and work as a data entry clerk. I was wondering if anyone had any advise on a way to get a work visa, student visa, or temporary residence. Any advise would help, thanks!

 

[scylla]

Temporary residence is the equivalent of being here as a visitor. Visitors are not allowed to work or live here.

To go the study permit route, you must be a full time student. During your studies, you are allowed to work up to 20 hours per week off campus. This would be a very expensive route to go since you'll be paying international student fees. You'll be looking at spending $25K+ per year on tuition and living expenses. If you want to go this route, you'll need to start by applying to a full time program and being accepted. Next you'll need to apply for a study permit and show you have at least $25K in funds to cover your first year living and tuition expenses. It's too late for January. The earliest you could apply is for the May term.

Generally speaking, to get a work permit you must secure a full time job offer in Canada and your employer needs to obtain an approved LMIA (long and expensive process that requires the employer to prove no Canadian could be hired for the role). You can then apply for a closed work permit tied to that specific employer (meaning you can only work for them). The rules are slightly different for actors and your agent is any good he/she will be extremely familiar with them. These rules make it easier for actors to engage in acting work in Canada. Supplementing this income with part time work as a waitress or data entry clerk is a different matter and I don't believe is allowed. Again, your agent should be very familiar with the rules.