Fashion Week

Smuggling Models 101

siri1.jpg
Lily Allen isn’t the only one with immigration troubles -

We’ve heard from several sources that many models are having trouble getting work permits this season.

The move is less about fashion and more about Homeland Security - ask any foreign friend about their job, and they’ll immediately launch into a stressed-out explanation of their international employment.

The problem here is that most models aren’t American, and though the Canadian girls are driving across the border with ease, their stick-thin sisters from Russia and Brazil are running into major issues - especially if they’re new and haven’t worked before.

What does that mean for the runways?

Fewer girls will walk more shows - which means more breakout stars could happen, since we’ll start recognizing new faces on the catwalk.

But there’s also an underbelly:

According to an agent, “A lot of the younger girls can come on student visas.”

Which means the “I’m fourteen but I have to say I’m sixteen” syndrome from last year will probably continue…

Editor’s Note: Model Siri, at left, is neither underage nor illegal - we just liked her show card the best so far, and so we pulled it!

Comments

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1

posted by Glenn

Aug 23, 2007 2:12PM

Amerikkka is rapidly becoming a marginal country.

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2

posted by Miss Jeffrey

Aug 23, 2007 2:36PM

Have to agree with Glenn, (love the Amerikkka) spelling) I think me an my French boyfriend may have to move to Paris next year.

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3

posted by anon

Aug 23, 2007 2:46PM

AHA immigration is fun!!

Behati and her 'im too short to be a model' (whilst bending down slowly) story

Joshua walters getting 'they made me lift by balls and bend over' strip searched

marc by marc jacobs having a 'where are all those models who are supposed to be here' syndrome

god bless fashion!

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4

posted by Brad

Aug 23, 2007 3:26PM

Gross.New faces is what fashion is all about.This realy limits things.

Oh well ,with the student visas I can see the tidal wave of new teenage models coming now.

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5

posted by CynthiaC

Aug 23, 2007 4:41PM

Come on student visas? Does this mean that they'll have to enroll at a high school? I thought "student visa" means that you are going to a country to attend school.

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6

posted by Faran

Aug 23, 2007 5:14PM

Great question, Cynthia.

I have no idea how so many girls get here, on Visas or otherwise, and the agent could have also been mistaken - they are knowledgeable about many things, but foreign policy is probably not one of them.

What I think is a funnier question:

What happens when the 14 year olds who are lying and saying they're 16 turn 20 but everyone thinks they're 22 - and therefore "old" ?

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7

posted by Malia

Aug 23, 2007 8:13PM

A student visa is not the same thing as a work visa, so I don't see how that would work.

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8

posted by anon

Aug 23, 2007 11:48PM

i think that a student visa would suggest that they are not there for work where as somebody who is not in education and taking a trip to new york just around fashion week would look very suspicious

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9

posted by Annmarie

Aug 24, 2007 1:25AM

Student visas are very easy to get as long as you are considered to be taking classes at pretty much any school...so while that obvi includes Columbia and NYU, it also includes any acting programs, professional schools, etc...and you pretty much only have to be taking one class. Aka, there's tons of room for interpretation there, and its probably worth it for some girls to pay a perfunctory sign up fee somewhere and "enroll"...no one checks if you actually show up!

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posted by guest

Aug 24, 2007 2:43AM

8:13, depends on the student visa.

My question is, arn't there visas specifcally for models???

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posted by childbride

Aug 25, 2007 2:10AM

France has 'model visas' just like they have the categories for 'au pair visas' and 'student visas' but I'm almost sure they're the only country to issue them. (I have a French carte de sejour--it means residency permit--so I know a fair amount about arcane French visa policy.)

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