Starting Over After Achieving Success: Dmitrii Selin on EB-1A, Relocating to the United States, and Building a Career in America
Oct 19
15 min read
International recognition, professional awards, proprietary techniques, teaching experience, and thousands of procedures performed — for many professionals in the permanent makeup industry, such a list of achievements would represent an established and successful career. But what happens when someone who has already built a strong professional reputation decides to continue their journey in another country?
Dmitrii Selin, known in the professional community as Dmitrii Tatuajev, has dedicated more than 13 years to permanent makeup. His professional background includes international championships, educational projects, working with artists from different countries, and developing his own techniques. Today, Dmitrii continues his career in the United States, where he is building the Virtuoso PMU brand.
One of the key milestones in this journey was the approval of his EB-1A immigration petition, a category reserved for individuals with extraordinary abilities. However, as Dmitrii’s story demonstrates, even this level of recognition does not eliminate the challenges of adapting to a new environment, meeting local professional requirements, and rebuilding relationships with clients.
Two years of preparation for relocation, 922 pages of immigration documentation, daily English lessons, additional professional training, and building a client base almost from scratch — behind this seemingly successful story lies far more than meets the eye.
In an exclusive interview with PULSE PMU, Dmitrii shared his experience of moving to the United States, the unexpected challenges he faced, his professional adaptation, and why, even after achieving stability, he still cannot say with certainty whether he would choose to go through it all again.
PULSE PMU: Dmitrii, your professional career has taken you across numerous countries through international championships, teaching, developing your own techniques, and working with artists from around the world. Today, you are continuing your journey in the United States. How has your international experience shaped your understanding of the profession and your own potential? Have your professional ambitions changed as you embark on this new chapter of your career in America?
Above all, my international experience has taught me to see the profession of permanent makeup as something much broader than simply a part of the beauty industry.
Over more than 13 years of professional experience, I have been fortunate enough to meet artists from different countries, participate in international championships, serve as an expert, share my knowledge, and observe how our industry is evolving in different parts of the world.
And do you know what conclusion I've come to? Professionalism has no nationality, no geographical boundaries, and no single language. What matters is knowledge, experience, aesthetic vision, responsibility, and results that say far more about an artist than any title ever could.
Connecting with international colleagues has allowed me not only to share my own knowledge but also to continue learning myself. I firmly believe that even after decades of practice, a true professional must never stop developing. In my opinion, the moment someone begins to believe they know absolutely everything is precisely the moment they stop growing.
Moving to the United States marked an entirely new chapter in my life. And perhaps one of the most interesting professional challenges I've ever faced.
When you have extensive experience, thousands of completed procedures, years of teaching, and international recognition behind you, it feels as though you've already established a solid professional reputation. But moving to another country forces you to see everything from a different perspective.
In America, I realized one important thing: your past achievements may open doors for you, but you still have to earn the trust of new clients through the quality of your work.
It's a different market, with a different consumer culture, different client expectations, and a completely different approach to marketing and promotion. For me, this is not so much an obstacle as an opportunity to reach a new professional level.
Have my ambitions changed? Absolutely. But I would say they haven't simply grown — they've become more focused, more intentional, and broader in scope.
While much of my professional life previously revolved around perfecting my craft, teaching, and participating in international projects, today I'm interested not only in continuing these activities but also in developing my own professional direction, strengthening my reputation in the American market, and creating new opportunities for knowledge exchange among specialists from different countries.
At the same time, my core professional principles have remained unchanged. For me, permanent makeup is first and foremost about respecting each person's individuality. I've never aimed to simply follow trends. What has always mattered to me is creating results that enhance natural beauty, complement a person's features, and remain aesthetically pleasing for years to come.
America has given me the opportunity to look at my own experience from a different perspective. I've found myself in a situation where I need to draw on everything I've learned over the years while remaining open to learning entirely new things.
Today, I see this as a natural continuation of my professional journey.
I don't consider moving to the United States the pinnacle of my career. For me, it's the beginning of a new chapter, with so much more still to accomplish.
PULSE PMU: One of the significant milestones in your professional journey was the approval of your EB-1A immigration petition, a category reserved for individuals with extraordinary abilities. What did this approval mean to you personally? Do you remember the moment you received the positive decision? What emotions did you experience, and how did this milestone change the way you envisioned your professional future?
One day, I realized that I had reached a certain professional ceiling.
Like anyone in a creative profession, I wanted to explore new horizons, opportunities, and possibilities on a larger scale. That's how I came to the decision to try my luck in the United States.
I signed an agreement with an immigration attorney. Two years passed between that moment and my move to America. And those were two incredibly eventful years.
The EB-1A category has ten criteria for demonstrating extraordinary ability. An enormous amount of work went into documenting each criterion applicable to my professional activities. As I like to say, there was no room for trying to make the facts fit the narrative. Everything had to be supported by solid evidence and documentation.
For example, if you won a championship in 2017, simply presenting your certificate wasn't enough. You had to reconstruct the history of the competition: find photographs of yourself with the trophy, locate publications from that time, contact the organizers, verify the judging panel, establish the number of participants, and demonstrate the level of competition and significance of the award itself.
And it was the same with practically every professional achievement. Everything had to be documented, rather than simply taken at face value.
In the end, our petition package consisted of 922 A4-sized pages and weighed approximately 7 kilograms, with documents in both Russian and English. I remember that weight very clearly: my entire professional journey had literally been packed into a carry-on suitcase.
Of course, I remember the day my attorney called to tell me that the petition had been approved. He congratulated me and said that my extraordinary professional abilities had received official recognition in the United States.
What did I feel? Above all, an enormous sense of relief. But there was also something else, a much deeper feeling.
That day, I think my impostor syndrome finally disappeared. That nagging little voice of self-doubt that sometimes makes even an experienced professional wonder, "Do I really deserve everything I've achieved?"
For me, EB-1A approval meant much more than simply an opportunity to move to America. It was an independent recognition of years of professional dedication and confirmation that the path I had chosen had been worthwhile.
But the most interesting part was that an entirely new life lay ahead of me, one in which I would have to start almost everything from scratch.
PULSE PMU: Receiving immigration approval is a major achievement, but moving to another country means starting an entirely new life. What did you imagine the United States would be like before relocating, and what turned out to be different in reality? What was the most challenging part of your first few months — everyday practical matters, the language barrier, cultural differences, financial considerations, or something completely unexpected?
Oh, that's a very interesting question! Because I thought I had prepared almost perfectly for my move to America. But as it turned out, America had other plans for me.
The first challenge was the language.
Throughout the two years we spent preparing my immigration petition, I was also studying English very seriously. And I specifically focused on conversational American English.
I was fortunate to have an excellent teacher. He had lived for more than 25 years in the very region of the United States where I was planning to move. So our lessons went far beyond grammar and pronunciation. He taught me about the local mindset, traditions, rules, laws, communication styles, and the everyday lives of Americans.
My mornings started at five o'clock. Until nine, when it was time to go to work, I would completely immerse myself in English. Four hours every single day, for two years! I thought I had prepared for absolutely everything.
And then I arrived in America.
To my surprise, which quickly turned into mild panic, I discovered that... I couldn't understand what the people around me were saying!
The funniest part was that Americans understood me perfectly well. Apparently, I had been lucky with my articulation and pronunciation. But understanding them? That was an entirely different story.
Real-life conversations, the speed of speech, contractions, local expressions, accents — everything was completely different from what I had experienced during my lessons.
It took about six months for my ear to adjust and for me to start understanding what people were saying relatively quickly, without trying to mentally translate every single word.
That was my first lesson: you can prepare perfectly for a move in theory, but real life will always have its own surprises.
The second challenge was meeting the professional licensing requirements.
I deliberately chose a state that wasn't the easiest place to start. First, I had relatives living there. Second, I understood that strict professional requirements create a certain barrier to entering the market, which could potentially mean less competition.
But I had absolutely no idea just how complicated the process would turn out to be.
Just imagine: I had 13 years of professional experience behind me, eight of which I had spent teaching. My own school, thousands of completed procedures, international championships, and students from different countries.
And suddenly, I discovered that none of this exempted me from having to go back to school.
The American system wasn't interested in my titles or awards. What mattered was meeting the local educational and professional requirements.
There was no other option. I enrolled in a permanent makeup school. The program included 100 academic hours of training and 15 practical procedures performed on models.
And this is where something rather funny happened.
When I started submitting photographs of my completed procedures, the examination board couldn't understand why there was almost no noticeable swelling after the lip and eyelid permanent makeup treatments.
They asked me to send additional photographs. Then more photographs. Then videos. At one point, they even asked me to demonstrate how I wiped pigment off the surface of the lips to make sure it really was permanent makeup and not ordinary lipstick.
I have to admit, I found the whole situation rather amusing. After all, I was simply demonstrating the technique I had been using for years.
After several rounds of additional verification, my practical work was approved.
In addition, I successfully completed a separate Bloodborne Pathogens assessment, covering the prevention of bloodborne infections and compliance with sanitation and safety requirements.
And just one month after arriving in the United States, I had documentation confirming that I had completed the required professional training.
I thought, "That's it! Now I can finally start working!"
But it turned out that this was only the beginning of the next challenge.
PULSE PMU: Before relocating, you were already well known in the professional community, taught permanent makeup, and participated in international events. How much did that experience help you establish yourself professionally in the United States? Did you have to rebuild your client base and earn people's trust all over again? How do American clients perceive permanent makeup, and how do their expectations and requirements differ? And what role does the English language play in your work today?
The third challenge was opening my studio and obtaining the necessary permits to operate.
In America, it's not enough to simply find a nice space, reach an agreement with the landlord, and set up a treatment bed.
First, you have to check with the local authorities whether permanent makeup services are even permitted at the address you've chosen.
Once you receive preliminary approval, you can begin preparing the premises to meet the required health and sanitation standards.
For example, the treatment room must have a sink with hot running water. And do you know what particularly surprised me? I was asked to submit a video showing me measuring the water temperature with a thermometer!
In other words, it's not enough to say, "Yes, there's hot water." You have to prove that it actually meets the requirements.
Next comes equipping the treatment room, organizing the work areas, arranging waste disposal contracts, and ensuring the separate disposal of used needles and other medical supplies.
Once everything was ready, an inspector came to visit.
And it was practically another exam. I had to demonstrate my entire workflow: how I prepare my workstation, follow sanitation and hygiene protocols, carry out the procedure, and perform the final cleaning and disinfection after each client.
Only after passing this inspection did I receive the necessary permit and finally get to start working.
At one point, I caught myself thinking: I'd spent my entire professional life teaching other people, and here I was, once again a student, an examinee, and a first-time entrepreneur all at the same time.
But the most interesting part was still ahead.
PULSE PMU: From the outside, international recognition, EB-1A approval, and working in the United States may seem like a story in which everything has fallen perfectly into place. But major life changes usually involve difficult decisions, tremendous effort, and personal struggles. What has been the greatest challenge for you throughout this journey? Have you had to make any sacrifices to build your new life? And was there anything that helped you keep moving forward during the most difficult moments?
The fourth challenge was establishing myself in an entirely new market.
And this is where perhaps the most difficult part of the story begins.
On another continent, hardly anyone cares how well-known you were back home, how many championships you've won, or how many students you've trained.
In Europe, people knew me. Word of mouth worked in my favor, I had a client base built over many years, professional connections, and an established reputation.
But here?
Here, practically nobody knows who you are.
And all you've brought with you are your knowledge, experience, and the skills in your hands.
Of course, that's an enormous wealth of experience. But I compare it to the submerged part of an iceberg. That's where everything truly valuable lies: years of practice, mistakes, discoveries, and expertise.
The visible part of the iceberg, however — recognition, trust, and a presence in the new market — had to be built all over again.
My wife learned how to run targeted advertising campaigns, and together we began promoting my services.
We searched for Russian-speaking and English-speaking communities, placed paid and free advertisements, filmed videos, developed our social media presence, and experimented with different ways of attracting clients.
And this was where my previously well-established professional life was completely turned upside down.
Before, all I had to do was focus on the work I loved. Clients came through recommendations, appointments filled up naturally, and my reputation worked in my favor.
Now, in addition to performing procedures, I constantly had to think about advertising, marketing, content creation, making new connections, and finding ways to introduce myself to potential clients.
I felt like someone who was just beginning to build a career all over again. Except this time, I had 13 years of experience behind me.
And do you know the most important lesson I learned during those first few months?
Moving to another country doesn't simply mean changing where you live. Sometimes it means voluntarily giving up the comfort, status, and stability you're accustomed to in order to discover what you're truly capable of under entirely new circumstances.
And that, perhaps, was the most unexpected thing I discovered about America.
PULSE PMU: Today, you are continuing your professional career in the United States. Do you feel that relocating has opened up the opportunities you had hoped for? What goals are you pursuing now — developing Virtuoso PMU, teaching, exploring new technologies, or working on entirely different projects? And if a talented permanent makeup artist who dreams of an international career and moving abroad, but is afraid of starting over, came to you for advice, what would you tell them?
You know, if a successful permanent makeup artist came to me today and asked whether they should move to another country, my first instinct would be to say, "Stay right where you are and don't even think about it!"
Of course, I'm joking. Although, I must admit, there's quite a bit of truth in that joke.
I would advise them to think everything through not just ten times, but a thousand times. Especially if they've already established themselves professionally, have a stable income, loyal clients, their own studio, recognition, and a comfortable way of life.
If everything is going well, you're happy, professionally fulfilled, and have no compelling reason to move to another country, you should honestly ask yourself: what am I really willing to leave all of this behind for?
Because relocating isn't a picture-perfect scene from social media or a new chapter that will automatically be better than the previous one. It involves an enormous amount of work, financial investment, and emotional and physical strain.
It means having to prove your professional abilities all over again, adapt to a different system, and sometimes start from stages of your career you thought you'd left far behind.
And there's one important thing to understand: your professional success in one country absolutely does not guarantee the same success in another. Even if you truly are an exceptional specialist.
People sometimes ask me: would I go through this entire journey again if I'd known in advance about all the difficulties, expenses, and challenges?
And I'm not going to give some polished, rehearsed answer like, "Of course! Without a second's hesitation!"
No. I genuinely find that question difficult to answer.
Because today, I've already been through it all. The most difficult stages of adapting, obtaining the necessary professional licenses and permits, and establishing myself in a new market are behind me. I've finally reached a point in my career where something extremely important to me has returned: stability.
And only now, looking back, can I fully appreciate the true cost of that decision.
Has relocating opened up new opportunities? Absolutely. Today, I'm working in the American market, continuing to build my professional reputation, connecting with a new audience, and seeing opportunities for further developing Virtuoso PMU, expanding my teaching activities, and pursuing international projects.
But at the same time, I've realized that moving forward doesn't always have to mean moving to another country. Sometimes it's far wiser to continue developing what you've already built than to dismantle an established way of life for an uncertain future.
So my advice to fellow professionals may not be particularly romantic, but it comes from the heart.
Don't romanticize emigration. Don't confuse the desire for change with a genuine need to change something. Research the laws, professional requirements, market conditions, expenses, and your own financial capabilities. And always have a backup plan.
But if, after considering all of this, you still feel that you want to give it a try, that you've outgrown your current circumstances, and that you're ready to accept not only the opportunities but also the consequences of your decision, then go for it.
Just don't expect your past achievements to make the journey easy.
And most importantly, don't be afraid of starting from scratch. Be afraid of starting from scratch without understanding why you're doing it.
Because ultimately, success isn't defined by the country you live in or the number of certificates hanging on your wall. It's about being able to do what you love, feeling fulfilled, and living a life that's in harmony with who you are.
And perhaps that's exactly what I'm striving for most today.
Dmitrii Selin: A Story of Success and a New Beginning
Dmitrii Selin's story reveals a side of an international career that rarely receives much attention. Behind the professional awards, immigration petition approval, and a new chapter of working in the United States lie years of preparation, the challenge of adapting to an unfamiliar system, and the willingness to face obstacles that seemed to have been overcome long ago.
What makes Dmitrii's story particularly remarkable is that he makes no attempt to portray his relocation as an unequivocal success story. He speaks openly about the difficulties, the financial and emotional costs, the loss of familiar stability, and the fact that even today, he cannot say with certainty whether he would choose to go through it all again. This perspective makes his experience especially valuable to the professional community: instead of a universal formula for success, readers gain a personal account from someone who has navigated profound changes.
Today, Dmitrii continues to develop Virtuoso PMU in the United States. And perhaps the most important takeaway from his story lies not in moving to another country or earning further professional recognition, but in redefining what success itself means. Sometimes, the greatest achievement is not reaching a new level, but regaining stability, the freedom to do what you love, and confidence in the path you've chosen.
Dmitrii's experience also demonstrates that a successful international career depends not only on professional expertise and recognition, but also on understanding the laws and regulations of a new country. In the United States, requirements for permanent makeup professionals can vary significantly by state, city, and even county. To learn which licenses and permits are necessary to work legally, how the PMU industry is regulated, and what to consider before opening your own studio, read our dedicated PULSE PMU article, "How to Legally Work as a Permanent Makeup Artist in the United States: Licenses, Requirements, and Permits".
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Publication date: October 19, 2026
By Sergey Yakovlev
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