[NewMusic] Visa help for foreign musicians touring the US

[Michael Zelner]

>NY Times
>
>New Bill May Speed U.S. Visas for Artists
>
>By FELICIA R. LEE
>Published: April 3, 2008
>
>When it comes to artists trying to obtain visas, notorious 
>performers like Amy Winehouse usually get the headlines. That 
>British soul singer's application to come to the United States for 
>the Grammy Awards in February was initially denied, with speculation 
>that the refusal was because of her alleged use of illegal drugs.
>
>But as the House of Representatives voted this week to speed up the 
>visa approval process for some foreign artists and entertainers, the 
>heads of arts organization said attention was finally being paid to 
>the real problem: the time, money and complexity involved in getting 
>visas for lower-profile artists, including dancers, singers, 
>musicians and actors.
>
>"It has become a huge burden," said Nigel Redden, director of the 
>Lincoln Center Festival, the renowned arts showcase that this summer 
>will bring together 57 performances and events from nine countries.
>
>"We hire someone in January whose only job is to do visas," he said. 
>Once, when the festival sought to bring in a cast of Chinese 
>acrobats and soloists, a "visa wrangler" in China asked for $75,000 
>to smooth the way for the group to travel to the embassy and get the 
>necessary papers in order.
>
>"We're turning the United States into fortress America," Mr. Redden 
>said. "It turns everyone into an enemy. It loses us friends around 
>the world and respect around the world."
>
>Now, those seeking entry must run a bureaucratic gantlet that can 
>include having to establish their artistic credentials, hire a 
>lawyer, pay visa fees and visit a United States embassy or consulate.
>
>All of that requires money and time, said Jonathan Ginsburg, an 
>immigration lawyer in Fairfax, Va., with the firm of Fettmann, 
>Tolchin & Majors. An entertainer from London who has an arrest 
>record, for example, would need a report from Scotland Yard, which 
>can cause more delays.
>
>Once the application is made, the Homeland Security Department is 
>supposed to act within two weeks, but recently it almost never has; 
>in the worst cases, getting an answer takes as long as six months, 
>arts organizations said. So-called premium processing is available 
>to expedite an application, at a cost of $1,000 for each petitioner.
>
>The House bill, approved on Tuesday, extends the processing time to 
>30 days from two weeks. If the deadline is not met, the department 
>is required to provide free expedited processing. The bill, which 
>applies only to visa applications made by nonprofit arts groups, 
>still needs the Senate's approval.
>
>Heather Noonan, the vice president for advocacy for the League of 
>American Orchestras, called the bill an important step.
>
>"We're very pleased to see Congress support opportunities for 
>international cultural exchange this way and particularly happy to 
>see such broad bipartisan support for the measure," Ms. Noonan said.
>
>Sandra Gibson, the president and chief executive of the Association 
>of Performing Arts Presenters, said: "We've been watching this issue 
>for 10 years. The premium-processing fee meant the nonprofit 
>community would not be served."
>
>A task force on visas was formed in 2001, she said, when premium 
>processing began. But the Sept. 11 attacks slowed everything down. 
>"There were delays in interviews, inability to get interviews," Ms. 
>Gibson said. On applications, problems like inverted birth dates and 
>misspelled last names made problems snowball. Around the world, the 
>embassies and consulates that were part of the process were staffed 
>at different levels. "In China and India it can take 100 days to get 
>an interview," she said.
>
>With the value of the dollar waning, more and more artists have 
>decided to stay home, Ms. Gibson said, echoing other officials. And 
>fewer of the presenters, she said, are willing to go through the 
>contortions of bringing in foreign artists.
>
>Cyril M. Ferenchak, a spokesman for the Bureau of Consular Affairs 
>at the State Department, said in an e-mail message that the 
>government had worked hard to make the visa application easier and 
>more efficient.
>
>"Over 570 new consular positions have been created to handle a 
>growing visa demand and the added security measure in our visa 
>adjudication process," Mr. Ferenchak wrote, adding that embassy Web 
>sites provide information on things like required documents to 
>demystify the visa process.
>
>Matthew Covey, executive director of Tamizdat, a nonprofit group 
>that helps artists get visas, said the House bill was a step in the 
>right direction. Emerging artists without much money or the 
>organizational skills to get together a visa application are the 
>ones especially hurt by the visa labyrinth.
>
>"An awful lot of musicians don't make a lot of money," he said. 
>"They are looking to break even, to promote their work. Most 
>musicians need to expedite their visas because many clubs book six 
>to eight weeks in advance."
>
>And American audiences may never know what they are missing.


<http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/03/arts/03visa.html>