Publicado
Thu, Feb 2, 2023, 23:40
- Applying for an O or P visa, needed for artists to tour and live in the US, could be more than 200 percent higher if the policy comes into effect.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) wants to significantly increase fees for artist visas.
Applications for a P visa, meant for artists coming stateside to perform temporarily, would increase from the current rate of $460 to $1,615, while the O visa, a longer-term work visa, would go from $460 to $1,655, according to the official proposal. Both increases include a $600 surcharge to fund the US government's asylum program. According to the DHS, these hikes are needed due to high demand and insufficient staff at the Citizenship and Immigration department.
The DHS also recommends limiting each visa application to a maximum of 25 individuals. If the number of people in a group exceed that number, a separate application will be required. Among the other changes mentioned in the document are longer timeframes for premium processing. The service, priced at $2,500, currently takes 15 calendar days but the DHS suggests changing to 15 business days.
In 2020, the DHS proposed increasing fees by 50 percent as well as the two other measures listed above but those changes never went into effect. The last time artist visa fees rose was in 2016.
The new price hikes aren't limited to just artists. Other kinds of visas for foreign workers in the US, including the H-1B, are also set to soar under the proposal
For more details, check the official document. US citizens who wish to comment on the proposed rule can do so via the Federal Registry.
Photo Credit: Global Residence Index