Cantref Posted March 30, 2021 Share Posted March 30, 2021 Hi Does anyone have any advise on applying for Visas for the U.S My daughter has 2 offers for 10 month training places in the U.S from August to the end of May. The one company told us to apply for a student visa but from what I can see the company needs to be on the SEVP list to do this, which they are not. The other company has said to apply for an extended tourist visa. I was worried that this would not be the correct process. Plus the embassy is only dealing with emergency application which does include the M1 student visa but I doubt the tourist visa. I have visited the U.S embassy in London website but am still unclear as to what we need to do. I have contacted a couple of immigration attorneys who want between £200 and £750 just to answer my initial question. I am happy to pay for support to get her application through but I do not want to waste my money if it is not possible as the companies are not SEVP listed. Any advise will be greatly appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeafterballet Posted March 30, 2021 Share Posted March 30, 2021 Both my dc had ballet contracts in the US but we’re unable to go as the US Embassy in London has been closed since last March and isn’t scheduled to open for face to face interview til this August. There are no ESTA, holiday visas, allowed in at present and I doubt very much you could extend it for the whole season. Also, anyone currently entering the US from the U.K./EU has to quarantine for 2 weeks elsewhere prior to entry. A performing arts/work visa is a P1. The company should apply for this. Dds petition cost us nearly $1000 before we gave up 😞 It was just a bridge too far. Too many hurdles. That’s before Covid vaccines/passports start to play a role in entering too. Im happy to answer any questions x 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MPatti Posted March 30, 2021 Share Posted March 30, 2021 There are lots of Ballet schools on the SEVP list. If they are a school, they should get on the list if they are accepting international students. The list is lengthy and includes many small schools of all sorts. I am confused, are you paying tuition or is this a ballet contract and will be receiving pay? Is there a school associated with the ballet company? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cantref Posted March 30, 2021 Author Share Posted March 30, 2021 33 minutes ago, MPatti said: There are lots of Ballet schools on the SEVP list. If they are a school, they should get on the list if they are accepting international students. The list is lengthy and includes many small schools of all sorts. I am confused, are you paying tuition or is this a ballet contract and will be receiving pay? Is there a school associated with the ballet company? We will have to pay tuition fees. They are 10 month programmes to bridge the gap between training and professional career. They will recruit from the training programme but obviously not guaranteed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MPatti Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 Cantref it seems if they are taking international students, they need to apply to get on the list from their end. You may be able to sway them, as Houston Ballet Academy is on the list, ABT JKO, Joffrey, Orlando Ballet, etc. There are many small high schools (Public and private) who take foreign exchange Students who are on the list, Many small private universities. So not sure they can get around it if you are paying them tuition. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlexyNexy Posted July 5, 2021 Share Posted July 5, 2021 Good morning lovely ladies/ gents. Do you have any information when the US embassy in London opens up? I noticed ESTA is back online and acepting applications, even the travel as tourist is not allowed yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeafterballet Posted July 5, 2021 Share Posted July 5, 2021 I believe the US embassy in London is now open for limited face to face visa appointments. When you have your petition , this is arranged by the company, then you can go onto the website and see what appointments are available x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlexyNexy Posted July 5, 2021 Share Posted July 5, 2021 1 hour ago, cotes du rhone ! said: I believe the US embassy in London is now open for limited face to face visa appointments. When you have your petition , this is arranged by the company, then you can go onto the website and see what appointments are available x Thank you! Was not sure of the process (1st time applicant for USA visa). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeafterballet Posted July 5, 2021 Share Posted July 5, 2021 2 hours ago, FlexyNexy said: Thank you! Was not sure of the process (1st time applicant for USA visa). Just to be aware, Ds’s petition/application was paid for by his company and DD’s cost us just under $1000. Then the US embassy charge for the face to face 😞 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlexyNexy Posted July 5, 2021 Share Posted July 5, 2021 2 minutes ago, cotes du rhone ! said: Just to be aware, Ds’s petition/application was paid for by his company and DD’s cost us just under $1000. Then the US embassy charge for the face to face 😞 I feel I only work for ballet! 😐 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeafterballet Posted July 5, 2021 Share Posted July 5, 2021 6 minutes ago, FlexyNexy said: I feel I only work for ballet! 😐 Try having two at vocational school 🤣🤯 It doesn’t even end when they graduate sadly £££ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlexyNexy Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 So upset I can not tell you. 2 trainee offers, 1 Junior Artist offer starting September and October respectively and 1 uncooperative US embassy who scheduled our interview for visa at their earliest appointment for end of March 2022. DD all day in tears...can this go any worse for graduates this year? All this hard work and now feeling the emptiness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justkeepsmiling Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 @FlexyNexypm’d you x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MPatti Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 FlexyNexy, I am so sorry that is the case. I will say in my past experience, if the schools know anybody (friend of friend etc) who works for the US state department, they can sometimes move things along. Ask everybody you know and see if they know anybody!! Wishing you the best of luck. This is just horrible… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlexyNexy Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 3 minutes ago, MPatti said: FlexyNexy, I am so sorry that is the case. I will say in my past experience, if the schools know anybody (friend of friend etc) who works for the US state department, they can sometimes move things along. Ask everybody you know and see if they know anybody!! Wishing you the best of luck. This is just horrible… Thank you MPatti, we will definitely try this too. I just can not believe that they would not hire extra staff processing student visas when they know that September is coming and most auditions are during summer intensives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amme Posted July 10, 2021 Share Posted July 10, 2021 I’m so sorry to hear you’re going through this. We just went through this process in Australia. I would definitely keep trying and even contact some of the schools and see if they can help. I feel for you guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilacfairy Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 What about the U S Embassy in Edinburgh is that open ? They usually have more appointments available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeafterballet Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 (edited) 26 minutes ago, lilacfairy said: What about the U S Embassy in Edinburgh is that open ? They usually have more appointments available. When we were seeking an appointment the only two choices were London or Belfast. I was visiting a European country last November and stayed opposite the US Embassy that was accepting appointments for US visas. I spoke with them to see if they would see Dd and they informed me that she had to go to her own countries US embassy. So no luck there 😢 To add I have just looked at the US Consulate in Edinburgh and they say they do not issue visas and you have to go to the London US Embassy x Edited July 19, 2021 by cotes du rhone ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 Could you try writing to President Biden? You never know... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeafterballet Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 6 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said: Could you try writing to President Biden? You never know... That’s really funny 😆 as my husband messaged Dr Jill Biden through Twitter about visas for Dd and Ds. She never replied 😏 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlexyNexy Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 1 hour ago, lilacfairy said: What about the U S Embassy in Edinburgh is that open ? They usually have more appointments available. We have tried as well and no appointments available 😒 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peanut68 Posted July 26, 2021 Share Posted July 26, 2021 On 05/07/2021 at 13:03, cotes du rhone ! said: Try having two at vocational school 🤣🤯 It doesn’t even end when they graduate sadly £££ Oh yes it does.... my Hisband keeps reminding me & my 15 & 17 year olds.....feeling very anxious....& that years of training & costs could do easliy amount to nothing.... the whole visa situation sounds a nightmare too...is this also an issue to attend summer intensives there? Thinking next year... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeafterballet Posted July 26, 2021 Share Posted July 26, 2021 18 minutes ago, Peanut68 said: Oh yes it does.... my Hisband keeps reminding me & my 15 & 17 year olds.....feeling very anxious....& that years of training & costs could do easliy amount to nothing.... the whole visa situation sounds a nightmare too...is this also an issue to attend summer intensives there? Thinking next year... Dss first year post graduation was in the US. He was paid but it still cost us a fortune to get him out there and set him up. Then the US contracts are only 9 months, August to May if you are lucky. Then you come back to the U.K. with no income for three months and the whole thing starts again 😩 Europe has been better. Cheaper to get him set up and they pay all year round 😊 And thats classed as a success 😅 Dd trained for 8 years and a term and had a contract but couldn’t get there so decided to stop. She took her pointe shoes off after her live Nutcracker performance with BRB and never put them on again. It made us feel sad at first but now we are all so much happier. Ballet isn’t the be all and end all. There is a lot of life after. I know a lot of girls who have made the same decision. Sometimes you just have to draw a line, physically, mentally or financially, whether that’s the child or the parents, enough is enough x 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peanut68 Posted July 26, 2021 Share Posted July 26, 2021 Your words will ring so true with many & - I suspect - will be prophetic for even more over the next couple of years.....😢 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlexyNexy Posted July 26, 2021 Share Posted July 26, 2021 2 hours ago, Peanut68 said: Oh yes it does.... my Hisband keeps reminding me & my 15 & 17 year olds.....feeling very anxious....& that years of training & costs could do easliy amount to nothing.... the whole visa situation sounds a nightmare too...is this also an issue to attend summer intensives there? Thinking next year... This year some USA schools and companies mentioned only to apply if you already hold visa (working or student)...regarding summer schools, we are doing all via Zoom this year (most of them are virtual and in person for people already in country). Before covid, my DD has attended summer schools on ESTA. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MPatti Posted July 27, 2021 Share Posted July 27, 2021 FlexyNexy, I was just talking with some UK family. You mentioned you have an appointment for next year, have you requested it to be expedited? My family mentioned you can request that, and need to list your reason. Not sure if that helps, or if you did that already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlexyNexy Posted July 28, 2021 Share Posted July 28, 2021 19 hours ago, MPatti said: FlexyNexy, I was just talking with some UK family. You mentioned you have an appointment for next year, have you requested it to be expedited? My family mentioned you can request that, and need to list your reason. Not sure if that helps, or if you did that already. Yes we did and they have declined it! It was rather automated message so I don't believe anyone actually looked into our request. Tried to call number of times and I didn't get anywhere. We have even emailed and the message response was just bland and directing us to talk to immigration lawyer. Hopeless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peanut68 Posted July 28, 2021 Share Posted July 28, 2021 4 hours ago, FlexyNexy said: Yes we did and they have declined it! It was rather automated message so I don't believe anyone actually looked into our request. Tried to call number of times and I didn't get anywhere. We have even emailed and the message response was just bland and directing us to talk to immigration lawyer. Hopeless. ‘Talk to immigration lawyer’..... yep, direct you to sinking ever more money....typical! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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