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Ordinary by Edward Savaria Jr.

The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), as it relates to film productions, is concerned with the admission of aliens to work in the entertainment industry. All producers wishing to employ foreign actors or production crews must file a Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Form I-129, (with the Form I-129 Supplement O/P/Q/R for O’s and P’s) with the appropriate ServiceCenter of the INS. The mailing address for the office having jurisdiction over Pennsylvania, Delaware and the Northeast portion of the United States is USINS, EasternServiceCenter, 75 Lower Welden Street, St. Albans, VT05479. Forms can be obtained from a local INS office or by calling 800-870-3676. You can get more information from INS’s web site at: http://www.uscis.gov. Petitions may not be filed more than six months before the actual need for the alien’s or group’s services, and can be filed by either a US or foreign employer. The approximate time for action on a well documented petition is thirty days. Notification to the American Consulate abroad and visa issuance may require additional time. Employment may not begin until the petition has been approved and the alien has the corresponding nonimmigrant classification.