Protests against increased US visa costs
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is planning to significantly increase visa costs for artists. The League of American Orchestras is opposed to this.
The increases would affect the cost of filing fees, including fees for O and P artist visa applications submitted by orchestras and other nonprofit arts organizations across the country. A date for the measure has not been announced.
The application fees for regularly processed O visa applications would increase from 460 dollars to up to 715 dollars per application, those for P visa applications from 460 dollars to up to 705 dollars per application.
The total number of individuals in a single petition would be limited to 25, meaning that numerous petitions would be required for larger ensembles such as visiting orchestras. For example, an orchestra with 110 musicians and a handful of accompanying personnel would now require six visa applications instead of two. The League of American Orchestras also points out that there are currently serious processing delays.
More info:
https://americanorchestras.org/advocacy-government/news-and-alerts/december-12-2019.html
