Price increase of US touring visas for international artists delayed
Industry pressure to a proposed increase in visa fees for foreign acts touring the US has led to the price hike being delayed.
The US Department of Homeland Security announced it was set to raise touring visa fees for international acts by more than 250 per cent in January, bringing the price of a P visa up from the current rate of $460 (£358.53) to $1,615 (£1,259).
Naturally, this caused a lot of backlash from musicians against the proposed price hike, as well as various industry organisations and politicians.
One key figure pushing against it was Maxwell Frost, who led a group of Congressional Democrats against the plan, citing the devasting effect it would have on small businesses and local economies that travelling artists help boost.
At present, Citizenship and Immigration Services has delayed the vis rate increase until March 2024, with the government reportedly considering lowering the rate hike altogether.
Speaking to NME, Primal Scream bassist Simone Marie Butler explained she pushed for action on the decision because “the USA remains the biggest music market in the world”.
She continued: “The proposed 260 per cent price increase for work visas will be prohibitively expensive for new and emerging bands, as well as small to medium artists and above too.
Many bands simply can’t go over because financially it won’t work unless they are prepared to make a loss. The increase of such a large amount seems unprecedented and unrealistic.”
This came after New Order vocally criticized the proposal at Austin’s SXSW, stressing the importance of touring across both the US and Canada as a British band.
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