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Thread: Question for Melonie!

  1. #1
    Cally
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    Default Question for Melonie!

    Okay Melonie im getting mixed opinions here. And your the law expert on dancing

    As its well known I am going to the US to dance next week. Now i've heard different things about this. I know I need a license for PHX and when Blade called the licensing place for me they told him I need either my passport or two pieces of ID. But now i've heard that this is wrong and I need a work visa or I will be deported if cought? But a work visa is next to impossible to get. I am so confused about this I know I can go there to dance and just go to a place that does not require a license. But I want to know about the licensing thing just in case. Do you know anything about this? Im going down from Toronto.

    Edited to add... I have done a lot of looking into this but I just can not seem to find a solid answer. I have no problem going to a place that does not require a license but I just want to know the actual truth to this.

  2. #2
    Banned Melonie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Question for Melonie!

    The 'truth' as I understand it ...

    A. under the Patriot Act, it is illegal for any US club to hire a dancer without checking her ID. Part of that ID check is to make sure that she is a US citizen (Social Security card) or legal permanent resident (green card). If the dancer doesn't have either a Social Security card or a green card, the club is supposed to ask to see a US work visa. If the girl who couldn't produce a Social Security card or green card also can't produce a work visa, then the club faces major legal penalties and fines if they hire the dancer.

    B. Local licensing authorities (which are usually tied into some branch of local law enforcement) are supposed to check both the criminal record and the legal work status of new license applicants. Thus if local law enforcement follows the law, if a new license applicant presents non-US ID they are supposed to ask for a US work visa. If the girl has already presented foreign ID and cannot produce a US work visa, then if local law enforcement follows the law, not only will a dancer's license not be issued but a phone call will be made to the feds regarding a particular foreign visitor having attempted to work illegally. This probably won't result in anything negative happening this trip, but it will most likely get you entered into the feds database and could prevent you from being allowed back across the US border in the future the next time you have to stop at US customs. Deporting someone requires time and money on the part of the feds, and they're not going to waste it on a cute girl from an english speaking country !

    Obviously there are a lot of clubs in the USA that will hire any 'hot' dancer without being too picky over her ID. However, most of these clubs (how do I put this delicately) have equal disregard for the Patriot Act laws as they do for prostitution laws, drug laws etc. There's also the option (and I'm certainly not recommending this, but it IS downright easy) of presenting fake ID to US clubs - who obviously don't have the same resources available to discover that the ID is really fake that local law enforcement does during a dancer's license application records check.
    Last edited by Melonie; 03-08-2006 at 03:18 PM.

  3. #3
    Cally
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    Default Re: Question for Melonie!

    Oh god... so I should not apply for a license unless I can get a work visa... eek... thanks Melonie for the heads up. ...

    So even by me asking for a license I can get in trouble? Even if I play the 'I didnt know' act when they tell me I cant? Damnit I guess im going to just either not work or work in a place that does not require one.

    Thanks again Melonie for the info. You get so many mixed opinions on this

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Question for Melonie!

    Also, the 'degree' to which different clubs really bother to check ID's in areas that don't require dancer's licensing is mostly a function of location ... i.e. how 'hot' of a political topic illegal immigrants/workers are in that particular state and city. Obviously California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas are pretty 'hot' at the moment. Other states that don't directly border on Mexico are much 'cooler', unless they're a major 'entry point' like NY or Florida.

    I'll also add in that 'corporate clubs' (Scores, DejaVu etc.) are under a lot more pressure to follow the Patriot Act to the letter, simply because they have staff attorneys giving directives to club managers, and because they have much more to lose financially if caught violating the Patriot Act than some no-name independent club with a local owner.

    So even by me asking for a license I can get in trouble? Even if I play the 'I didnt know' act when they tell me I cant?
    Again there's no way to know what actually might or might not happen if you apply for a dancer's license without legal US work status. To an overzealous local cop doing the records checks, doing so would clearly be illustrating your intent to break US law. As I said earlier, with budget constraints etc. it's highly doubtful that anybody will try to take you into custody and stick you on the next flight back to Toronto. However, it would cost nothing to add your name to a US customs 'shit list', which could potentially lock the door on future attempts to visit the USA.

    The whole issue of US - Canadian border animosity is kind of up in the air right now after Jean Chretien and Paul Martin gave George Bush the international middle finger. With nobody in the USA being sure whether Stephen Harper's election win was a fluke i.e. whether the conservatives will be able to stay in power for a while or get tossed in a matter of months (the liberals have been in power in Canada for all but 9 months out of the last 40 years after all), the previous US efforts to clamp down on Canadian border security are still continuing. Thus unless something changes, within a year every Canadian will need to show a passport and undergo a database check when entering the USA. If your name gets added to the 'shit list' because of a report from a local Sherriff's deputy doing licensing records checks ...
    .
    Last edited by Melonie; 03-08-2006 at 04:45 PM.

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