Visa fees for international artists to tour in the US shot up 250% in April. It could be devastating
international artists just got a lot more complicated.
On April 1, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services instituted a 250% visa fee increase for global musicians hoping to tour in the U.S.
Artists, advocacy groups and immigration lawyers are concerned it could have devastating effects on emerging talent worldwide and local music economies in the U.S.
If you're a musician from outside of the United States hoping to perform stateside and you filed visa paperwork before April 1, the cost per application was $460.
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After that date? $1,615 to $1,655.
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Bands and ensemble groups pay per performer. A standard rock band of four members went from paying $1,840 to around $6,460. And if you can't wait a few months for approval, add $2,805 per application for expedited processing.
If the application is not accepted, that money is not refunded — on top of losses from a canceled tour and missing out on “significant, potentially career-changing opportunities,” says Jen Jacobsen, executive director at The Artist Rights Alliance.
If a musician has support staff, a backing band or other employees to bring on the tour, these individuals need visas, too.
“Even if you’re Capitol Records and you have all the money in the world to throw at it, you still can’t get rid of U.S. bureaucracy,” says immigration attorney Gabriel Castro.
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