I'm writing with a seemingly strange question...
I've just finished animation school in the US and wanted to take the opportunity to visit Toronto, as I often hear about how good the job environment is up there. I'm going in about 2 months and have begun to compile a list of places to see and people to talk to. I know visiting won't be an issue (I know about the mandatory passport thing). Yet, if I like the environment, I'll want to return to live there. I'm curious as to how the whole "US citizen working in Canadian animation studios" thing works.
I've heard many different things from many different people. Some studios won't consider you unless you're a Canadian citizen, some apparently will get the work visa stuff together for you, and others don't seem to care about any of that. I really don't want to develop a relationship with these studios and then come up empty-handed when they see I'm an illegal immigrant from the States.
Do I use a Canadian address? Should I be honest about where I'm from? Should I apply for a work/temp visa before going? I really have no leads about the best course of action to be taken.
Any advice would be more than appreciated, including names/information of good sources.
Thanks in advance.
If you are dishonest about your citizenship and hired on a job up here, the following things will likely happen;
-- you'll be fired immediately.
--You could be reported to immigration, and quite possibly arrested and deported.
--You could be barred from entering Canada again, until pardoned, and your name would be passed around to various Canadian studios as a "non-hire".
--Since 9/11, immigration staff on both sides of the border brook absolutely zero-tolerance for bullshit with misrepresented visitors or immigrants--they will makes things very scary for you if you get caught.
As harsh as that all sounds, it can all happen.
There's reasons for this.
Obviously, immigration must be handled in a legal manner, and work visas are a serious requirement. You don't want to run afoul of the legal system, because it can cost you dearly, financially and otherwise.
Most Canadian studios now have a policy of confirming citizenship, thanks to the CINAR fiasco ( look it up)--in which a Canadian studio illegally took advantage of tax incentives in hiring Canadian talent, but chose to hire American ( and foreign) talent instead. There was a HUGE stink created by this, tremendous legal hassles, and basically every Canadian studio was either called on the carpet or put on notice.
If too many non-Canadians are hired on ( or even too many people outside the studio' province), then the studio can lose out on certain valuable tax incentives. Not many companies like money being taken out of their pockets....
Every animation job I do these days, I sign a citizenship document, and provide proof via my birth certficate etc.
US talent can be hired, and still is--but they have to really want you and your skills to go thru the process of getting you a green card.
In many cases, there will be similarly talented Canadian artists available already.
Consider that your paperwork is not only needed for hiring, and for those tax incentives, but also for things like your own income tax responsibilites--for which you are also required to take on. Your will be required to pay taxes in TWO countries, unless you surrender US citizenship.
Talk to an immigration lawyer for the right answers--they can guide you to the resources and proper info.
"We all grow older, we do not have to grow up"--Archie Goodwin ( 1937-1998)
great information, thanks
I also really need this information. I'm in the exact same situation as you. I even recently found an article "what it means to be an american", used https://edubirdie.com/examples/what-it-means-to-be-an-american/ for that. In fact, there is no normal guide about this and you have to delve into Internet resources. But it’s not a fact that they write the truth there, you also have to check.