What You Don't Know About US Visas for International Actors with Joomin Hwang

International actors looking to pursue a theatrical career in United States - listen up! I sat down with Broadway actor, Joomin Hwang, who came to the US in 2013 on a student Visa to study vocal performance. After he graduated in 2015, he knew he would have to apply for a new Visa in order to stay and work in the country.

Joomin Hwang

Originally from South Korea, Joomin Hwang is an actor/dancer based in NYC. Joomin made his Broadway debut in The Prom, when he became the only native Korean-male performer to be on Broadway since 1985. As an actor, he also performed off-Broadway in KPOP, and regionally in In The Heights at Alxerod Theatre. On the screen, he appeared in Marvel's Iron Fist, Isn't It Romantic and the upcoming movie adaptation of In The Heights.

Joomin studied Vocal Performance at the University of Wisconsin.

In episode 72 of the Actor Aesthetic Podcast, Joomin chats about growing up in South Korea, performance visas for international actors, how he got his equity card, survival jobs and agents.

Here’s a snippet of our conversation.

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What is the process like for international actors applying for a visa after graduating from school in the US?

So when you graduate from school, if you're an international student, you get an OPT Visa (Optional Practical Training). You have to apply for it like three months before you graduate. After you graduate, you get one year to do everything you can to make your credits. And your time starts right after you receive the OPT Visa.

Can you work a survival job during this time?

The thing with that kind of visa is that you can only work in a related business. Like… let's say I’m a music major. If I want to work in restaurant to survive, I cannot do that because it's not related. You have to be doing something related to the industry.

What kinds of credits do you need to get during this time?

You get whatever credits you can get - non union, community theater, it doesn't matter. You have to do as much as possible.

When do you start applying for your next Visa?

You have to start your next Visa process up to six months before it expires.

What’s the name of the next Visa you have to apply for?

The next visa is called the Artist Visa, or the O-1 Visa. You need around 800 pages of proof (of your “extraordinary ability”) as a working actor. To prepare, you have to hire a lawyer for that… and it’s very expensive. It could be $3,000, it could be $10,000.

What makes for the best application?

The better the reputation of your lawyer, the better chance you have. And the more credits you have, the better. You know how theaters do something where they publish about upcoming shows on the internet? Whenever you’re mentioned, you need to save all those publications. 800 pages sounds like a lot. But actually, you’re preparing for like six months.

How did you receive your Visa?

For me, I was lucky. I took a fastpass because I got married with my wife. She’s an angel! I was actually going to apply for my Artist Visa… I thought I had good credits. I tried to find a lawyer between like $5,000 to $10,000. Then we found out that the Visa doesn't guarantee you to be able to work on Broadway. Some theaters require you to have a green card. (NOTE: According to the Equity website, “There are certain eligibility restrictions that are applicable to Non-Resident Aliens. You will need to submit proof of US citizenship or Resident Alien status with your application for membership if you were born outside of the US.”)

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To hear the rest of the conversation, head on over to Episode 72 of the Actor Aesthetic Podcast.