Dealing with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is like playing the “whack-a-mole” game at the state fair. As soon as you deal with one issue, another rodent rears its ugly little head. As you may recall, within the last six months, USCIS tried to re-define the term “agent” to limit the ability of petitioners to submit visa petitions to cover multiple engagements, then they began arbitrarily cutting-off classification periods where there were engagement gaps longer than 45 days. The performing arts community (led by the League of American Orchestras, American Federation of Musicians, Association of Performing Arts Presenters, Dance/USA, North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents, OPERA America, Performing Arts Alliance, and Theatre Communications Group) successfully drove back these moles. Undaunted in its in inexplicable campaign to vex the performing arts community, USCIS is now proposing an across-the-board fee increase!
The USCIS proposes a $5 increase in the fee for the regular I-129 visa processing form (which would bring the fee to $325), and a $225 increase in the Premium Processing fee (bringing the total fee to $1,225). The performing arts community is urging USCIS to immediately make long-overdue improvements to the regular artist visa process and to refrain from increasing the already-unaffordable Premium Processing fee. In other words, they need to fix their already broken system before charging us more for the same arbitrary, capricious, and unacceptable—and often illegal—results!
Comments to USCIS are due by July 26. However, in its inimitable fashion, the League of American Orchestras has made it easy for you to get involved and make your voices heard! Visit:
www.americanorchestras.org/advocacy_and_government/foreign_artist_visa_tax_news.html
At the League’s website, you will find more information on this issue as well as sample language for you to personalize and instructions for how to submit your comments to USCIS. It really couldn’t be easier and it will only take a few minutes. We hear regularly from many of you about how frustrated you are with USCIS. Don’t tell us, tell them!
The League will submit detailed comments on behalf of orchestras, in collaboration with its national colleagues in the Performing Arts Visa Working Group: American Federation of Musicians, Association of Performing Arts Presenters, Dance/USA, North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents, OPERA America, Performing Arts Alliance, and Theatre Communications Group.
At this point, we need to consider forming our own arts-based tea-party movement—with a shot of vodka thrown in!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
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