Four Questions For....Jason Morrison of Cirque du Soliel

Cirque du Soleil is one of the largest live production companies in the United States . The company recruits top athletes, artists and technical professions from around the world and Jason Morrison plays a critical role in ensuring that Cirque’s immigration cases go smoothly. Jason agreed to be the first subject of a new feature “Four Questions For…” where we will hear from top immigrants and immigration professionals in arts, sports and fashion immigration.

Q - Jason – Tell us a little about your role at Cirque du Soleil.

A - I am the Immigration Technician for the Resident Shows Division of Cirque du Soleil. Basically that means I manage all of the immigration issues for Mystère, “O”, Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE and our divisional offices here in Las Vegas and La Nouba in Orlando as well as any future permanent productions in the United States . I prepare and submit the petitions to the USCIS, prepare US Visa Applications for our artists and staff, arrange appointments at US Consulates throughout the world, assist in obtaining Visitor Visa’s for other countries (generally Canada and the Schengen States ) as well as any other related immigration matters! It keeps me busy!

Q - Do you have two or three tips to offer your counterparts at other entertainment and sports organizations on managing immigration matters?

A - Immigration Laws of the US and procedures at the Service Centers seem to be constantly evolving and changing and it can be a struggle at times to keep up! It’s essential to educate yourself on the changes that are put into place and stay on top of them! If you don’t, you could potentially find yourself in a very difficult place! Also, it’s important to realize that US immigration can be a very complex and difficult thing to understand and your clients might not always be able to comprehend the realities of a given situation. Developing a solid working relationship with your clients and building a level of mutual trust will ease their minds when difficult situations arise.

Q - How do you keep up to speed with the latest changes in immigration law and policy?

A - Internet publications like the Siskind’s Immigration Bulletin on Visalaw.com and Immigrant’s Weekly and Immigration Daily from ILW.com are great resources that I receive via e-mail! I also use Bender’s Immigration Bulletin to keep up with any changes and developments. There are also several internet sites that contain a lot of useful information such as Bender’s Immigration Bulletin Daily Edition (bibdaily.com), The Immigration Portal (ILW.com) and VisaPortal.com to name a few.

Q - Have you noticed any changes in the immigration climate over the past several years that affect your efforts?

A - We have artists representing many many different countries from around the world and one of their biggest concerns is being able to go home during their breaks to see family and friends and being able to return to the States for work. Since the Visa Revalidation Program was terminated in 2004, it’s created a few obstacles for our artists to overcome. In some countries, like Russia or Mongolia for example, it’s nearly impossible for the artist to obtain a Visa in time for their expected return to our productions. These Visa issues are probably the biggest challenge we face in terms our artists and staff. It’s important to us that our employees be able to return home during their breaks! Most of them are far from home and for some of them, it’s their first experience being so far away from their network of friends and family.

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