Working in the USA..
polycounter lvl 8
Hey I have a question, do you need as an artist, that lives outside of the United States, an academic degree to work in the American gaming industry or is an awesome portfolio and many years of experience more important than some kind of degree? I know, this might be a dumb question but I'm kinda unsure how this works and i would really appreciate it if someone could help me out and make me I little but less confused...
Replies
I think the work experience equivalency to a degree is 12 years.
This isn't a matter of a company willing you to get in. This is a government issue with immigration and border control.
https://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers/o-1-visa-individuals-extraordinary-ability-or-achievement
A couple years ago, good ways to demonstrate abilities and achievements would have been to be featured in Vertex, appearing in CG magazines, releasing Gnomon DVDs, wining international art contests, and so on. These days I suppose that these still apply, as well as probably having a strong Patreon/Youtube presence, and presenting a talk at THU and at the Zbrush Summit for instance. All of that starts with creating top quality content to get noticed, so in a way the answer is both complicated and very simple at the same time.
Been considering taking non-related to videogame courses and pass a degree to be able to apply to an american work permit. (and learn new stuff at the same time)
This can totally depend on whoever is reviewing your visa application. Something "quick and easy" could very well raise a red flag. There is really no exact science behind all this, and filing for a O1 is a long and expensive process.
(I should probably explain my background : I worked in the US under a E2 visa for 6 years (= roughly equivalent to a H1B), and was in the middle of getting a O1 but eventually decided to leave to go back to Europe at that time).
Also I guess if you have the company to back you up it's way easier, but that requires a big company to hire you to begin with right
TN-Visa.
http://www.canadiansinusa.com/Working-in-the-US/tn-visa.html
(We are listed under Graphic Designer)
The O-Visa was used by a lot of companies for anyone that wrote a Vertex article, or was a finalist in Dominance war (This avenue is being heavily cracked down on now).
I have colleagues who graduated from CentreNAD with certification, and 17+ years experience with several AAA titles, and were Unearthly Challenge finalists who were turned away at the border recently.
This isn't simply about a company wanting you bad enough. You have to prove to a border guard who has zero idea what you do, that you're not just taking the job of another American.
thanks for advices here!
These days it's not worth the hassle unless you really need to be in the USA for personal reasons, or for the weather. Especially in Canada there are plenty of great studios, and there are going to be even more. US companies realize that it's a real advantage if they can attract foreign talent with an easier immigration process. Expect to see more IT and game companies opening up branches across the border.
fyi. I have no degree and I am a junior level so, hope this help you get through the struggle.
but to answer your question. Degree, resume and references dont mean much with a poor portfolio of work.
At my last job we had a really hard time hiring a super talented person from South Africa. He had a degree, he had 14 years of experience and had worked in the US before.
The people at immigration where being total a-holes about it. They took days and weeks to get back to us about simple questions and procedures. In the end they said we hadn't looked hard enough within the US and demanded that we prove that he was the only one that could do the job. To top it off the only kind of visa we were allowed to sponsor was a temporary one.
There were other candidates that we interviewed but none as qualified and none that we thought were a good match. Most of them would have required on the job training and we really wanted someone to fill a senior role not a junior.
The process was such a pain and taking so long, we ended up closing the position and outsourcing the work, which really added a layer of friction that we didn't want to add but didn't really have a choice.
Basically if they're an employer that hires from outside the US regularly like Microsoft, Boeing or Agriculture, you have a fast track to getting people hired. If you are a smaller employer, they are going to be a-holes. Probably more so if a certain wall building candidate weasels his way into office.
Good luck to you. Let us know how it goes!
Well, the reason why i asked this question was because i have a certain company in mind that is located in the usa and i saw that some of their artist, which also lived outside of the states before they started working there, had an bachelor degree but like some of you said it depends on how big the company is and if they really want you in their team...
Right now i've been studying something that doesn't interest me at all just to get my bachelor degree so i can work in the US (well, i thought it wouldn't be so dificult at all...) and it's taking so much time and effort that i'm not really able to set up an good portfolio... But i guess, the best thing i could do for now is to find a job in the german gaming industry so i can gain some experience and try to build a online presence in the meantime (and of course forget about the dream of working in the usa... haha)
It really makes sense, a degree does not guarantee to get you across the us-border or to find a job in the game industry whether in the usa or somewhere else in the world. It's all about the portfolio and a lot of luck, i think...
But really guys, thank you all for the advices! It's good to hear all the different experiences you all have made and I appreciate it that you shared them with me!
My recommendation would be trying the UK. It's still over 2 years to the Brexit, and your first job surely won't be your final one. 1 - 2 years is a good time for that first job. UK has a much better choice on mature studios, and the salaries should still be better than in Germany. Yes, studios are hiring less due to the Brexit, but there may also be less competition, with EU citizens wondering if it's worth to compete for jobs there, given that they may be thrown out or face serious problems 2 years later.
Sweden is also very active when it comes to games. Compared to Germany the studio vs. population ratio is much better there. Social security is very high there, which might be a good thing for young people in Germany who grew up with the whole "time limited contracts" and "internship" horror stories. I found that Scandinavians are generally more easy going and relaxed, which makes working there fun.
Also, work on a Plan B! To me, getting to the US seems to be like gambling. There's definitely an element of luck involved. Or maybe you'll just outgrow the "I must work at studio XY!" phase. 10 years ago I would have killed for working in certain places. But nowadays I don't care. I love my work, I have a great team, and in comparison the studio's name and credentials matter much less to me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8YsNMlc8YQ
This should answer everything.