US government to raise foreign artist visa fees by over 50 percent
The fee increases, first proposed in November of last year, have now been finalized and will be going into effect next month. The full details are available at the Federal Register, and as MusicTech reports, a handful of changes will have significant effect on touring artists and the arts industry.
Both the O and P visa classes, used frequently by touring artists or artists who otherwise wish to work in the US, will increase by over 50 percent each—P application fees will rise from $460 to $695, while O fees go from $460 to 705. The DHS says the increases are necessary to recoup the costs of processing and naturalization services.
Other changes include processing time—the $1,440 Premium Processing Service will switch from 15 consecutive days to 15 business days—and the amount of people covered under the artist visas, which will be capped at 25 people each, meaning that larger ensembles will have to apply for multiple visas (and thus pay multiple fees).
