The new visa fees for foreign artists are out. This is not good

[nippoo]

As someone who's had several of these artist visas in the past... especially when you're a small band with limited budget and need to get several of these - this is going to be cost-prohibitive for a lot of smaller artists.

FWIW, a lot of countries, including Canada / Australia etc allow artists who perform under a normal tourist visa which is essentially easy and free for much of the Western world. It always amazes me that I can perform in Canada by just flying over but I need to spend $1000+, hand in my passport for a week, go for an interview and wait several months just to do one show in the US.

[kevin_thibedeau]

To be fair. Canada is stringent about Americans coming over the border and teaching anything, even in a non-professional capacity, without a work visa.

[mataug]

As frustrating as the US visa system is, large numbers of people are still applying for visas which is funding USCIS. Until either the numbers drop, or congress changes how USCIS is funded, I unfortunately think this is not going to change.

[derbOac]

As an American, I'm always angry and sort of ashamed when I hear about this sort of thing. I feel like we should be making it easier for people to produce and visit, not more difficult.

[londons_explore]

Culture is really a slow motion war game. If you can make your films and music popular across the world, that will eventually buy you influence with the people of the world, and that in turn will turn into political influence.

That's part of the reason nearly every country spends taxes to support the arts/music/theatre/film.

By restricting foreign actors, you are restricting foreign countries culture spreading, and giving your own actors/filmmakers/musicians a boost. That in turn will translate into more worldwide cultural influence for your country.

To be honest, I'm really surprised all countries don't ban artists from non allied countries.

[justinclift]

They're hiking the fees for artists from allied countries as well. ;)

[lurking15]

wasn’t it betolt brecht who really pioneered getting state funding of theatre as a way to advance communism (and line his pockets)?

[portaouflop]

Extremely cynical and reductive look at one of the most meaningful things humans can do in their lifetime. War eats everything, don’t let it eat your soul.

Edit: also not clear how restricting foreign actors in your country would boost your cultures influence in another country.

I would even argue that giving foreign artists the opportunity to be influenced by your culture, in turn will strengthen your cultures influence outside of it.

[tfigueroa]

I used to book Japanese bands for FanimeCon/MusicFest (happening today, coincidentally). It’s frustrating for a single event, as the overhead eats into (already meager) revenue. The net result is a high-pass filter where you either have to be bigger than “indie”, go on a multi-show tour, or just eat the loss and do it for the love of the art.

It’s a shame because the cross-cultural connection is very special. Every artist I brought over was floored - sometimes brought to tears - that people from across the Pacific loved their art.

[jpalawaga]

I just saw Dylan at the Bowery Ballroom in New York a few weeks ago. All of her openers were foreign (along with her).

It really makes me wonder if that show would have happened at all.

Why there is so much barrier, I do not understand. And yes, the cost will absolutely be born by customers, at least at these small shows.

[ungreased0675]

It seems like some fee is a good thing. Small time venues should hire small time local musicians. We don’t need to import more starving artists, because that pie is sliced pretty thinly already.

How high the barrier should be is debatable, but $1615 seems too high. That’s a ton of money for a large ensemble.

Most egregious to me is the several month waiting time. When we allow anyone and everyone to enter via the southern border, fly them wherever they want to go within the country for free, and provide resources at their destination, that same administration is going to have some elaborate screening process for touring guitar players? What a sick joke.

[xenospn]

Wow. This is absolute madness. I can’t see how small European bands can possibly afford it.

[kome]

but, truth to be told, there is little interest or curiosity for small eu acts in the US, just niche stuff.

[dotps1]

The fees are going up, but this article is mostly clickbait.. which is why they likely don't link to anything but their own website.

Pretty much all touring artists will use a P3 visa, or get a waiver.

A P3 visa is going to cost the sponsor $460. The person filling out the application will have to pay $190 (and then another $80 for biometrics if it's their first time)

[moribvndvs]

I go to see a lot of independent and smaller label bands. The show scene has just been getting rougher over the past 15 years or so with rising costs for touring bands and venues, challenges to connect with an audience and get them to show up, Trump-era visa changes, COVID, probably a bunch of other things I’m forgetting, and now this. It’s terrible for fans and is going to ruin a lot of artists and possibly obliterate small venues.

[akudha]

Work visa extension fees has also increased, more than double.

[orochimaaru]

This is the USCIS using visa money to fund its operations, which includes the spike of undocumented/illegal migrants across the border. The entire immigration policy is a complete shit show and both the major parties shoulder the blame for not being flexible enough to make improvements.

This will hit smaller and medium size acts. It is really sad.

[lotsofpulp]

I can only surmise the US’ immigration policy and lack of consequences for employers is the way it is specifically to provide for a large contingent of labor that is willing to work for lower prices due to their immigration status. Illegal immigrants’ labor for more physical work, and H1-B labor for more mental work.

[jimbokun]

Seems like a win for small American bands looking for paying gigs.

[tfigueroa]

Not meaningfully. It’s already expensive to get over the border and line up a tour, so international artists are already far more disadvantaged.

[AlotOfReading]

I don't think culture war stuff is particularly appropriate here, but to provide some more useful discussion/context about the southern border, about half of illegal migrants enter legally and simply overstay their visas. Of those who do cross the border, about 80% are caught and arrested. The southern border also stretches through some of the harshest terrain on earth and most of the bits remotely near populated areas are heavily fortified. Crossing the border is the closest thing I've seen to the DMZ outside Korea. Those who cross far outside populated areas are putting themselves at incredible personal (and financial) risk.

[bsimpson]

Asylum is the system that gives people a safe place to exist when e.g. Russia invades its neighbors. There's a lot more to it than 'walking across the Mexican border for a free meal ticket.'

There's plenty broken with the US immigration system. None of it is going to get solved by posting talking points to a largely apolitical discussion of "things hackers find interesting."