We are greatly concerned with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) proposal to triple the fees for P (including P2’s) and O Visa applications.
If implemented, this will have a devastating impact on the mobility of Canadian and International touring musicians to perform in the US. It will also disproportionately impact the cost for indie touring bands.
We want to assure you that we are working with the CFM to develop an action plan to fight back and will have more to report in the weeks coming. Please note that any fee increases are likely not to come into effect until the fall of 2023. Meanwhile, the AFM is actively lobbying Homeland Security and US government.
See here the message of the President of the AFM
What you can do:
1) Contact the Representative of American Congress
We are asking you to reach out to your US colleagues/engagers/musicians/employers and ask them to contact their Representative of Congress. It is important that US politicians hear that the proposed increases will have a negative impact on their constituents’ businesses, and revenues. To help your US contacts to take action please feel free to cut and paste the following into an email:
Dear Representative or Senator ...,
I want to let you know about the substantive increases that United States Citizenship and Immigration (USCIS) is proposing on musicians who tour in the US. The proposed increases are upwards of 251%, well beyond the cost of living and inflation.
USCIS imposing such heavy increases will vastly limit international touring and stifle cultural collaborations, activities that contribute significant revenue to the US economy. These also create a multiplier effect for local communities across the States – benefits dining and lodging revenues, live music venues bookings, ticket sales, transportation rentals and gas expenditures, and overall provide general employment in the performing arts sector. Furthermore, touring artists pay US and Federal state taxes on their performance earnings.
(We strongly encourage you to add a personal note here on how you or your business will be impacted)
I am calling on you to halt, or at least limit these onerous increases – increases that will hit an economy still in recovery from COVID-19 pandemic. Increases that not only impact musicians, but also dancers, actors, athletes, visual artists, and many others working in related artistic disciplines.
Yours Sincerely,
2) What else can you do ?
You can also urge your american colleagues to register their opposition online through the US Federal Register Portal (does not work from Canada).
And do it yourself by following this procedure (the only one that works from Canada):
Deadline for comments is March 6, 2023.
We remain at your side to defend your interests,
Luc Fortin, President of the GMMQ, Local 406 of the AFM.
