An American student in London

Hi, my name is Song Marshall I am fundraising money for my graduate visa so I can stay in the U.K for another 2 years and utilize the connections I have made here through school and actually be paid for performance work in this country.

I have been struggling to find consistent ("regular") work in this country so my savings, small as it was, is gone and even with the few temp jobs I've been able to pick up, I am barely scrapping by for basic needs of living. So the visa, with the fast-approaching deadline.... is starting to feel almost impossible.

The Graduate visa is £2,892

Application fee £822

Healthcare Surcharge £2,070

Total = £2,892 (Which is roughly $3,684 depending on the exchange rate fluctuations).

I truly thought I would have landed a more steady job by now given my extensive work history. It's never been this difficult to get work before and I am stressing out. And I now have 30 days to get this situated.

Now I know you're probably thinking "Song why don't you just go home then?" Well, the thing is, I would still need the same amount of money to get a plane ticket, pay for my luggage and ship all the rest of my belongings back to the States. Plus, then I'd be leaving my flat mate in the lurch for our apartment's lease. So, regardless, I need help, and the quickly approaching deadline is stressing me out right now.

By staying in London I can immediately put the connections doing this program has earned me to good use. I have had film projects and agents reach out to me already before I'd even graduated. But I can't legally accept/ or pursue them because of my current student visa status. Which is annoying, to say the least.

So I am humbly putting out into the ether that I need help. I've been able to get this far with the help and support of my community, family and friends. It would be amazing to be able to get just this bit further to achieve my goals/dreams by getting this visa. I know the world is burning right now and it may seem trite or tone-deaf to some people, to ask for monetary help when so many horrible things happening around the world.

But I honestly don't know what else to do. There are so many stories I want to tell, and projects I want to get off the ground to help uplift marginalized voices. (This is NOT about fame and glory. If you know me at all you know that "fame" is a terrifying concept to me)

But getting this visa, and being able to do this work here is more than a trivial pursuit. It is the pursuit of a dream, a lifelong goal that I've had since childhood. This is a huge step for my career, and I am beyond grateful and appreciative of anything help you can give.