US Visa Fee Increase Impacts Foreign Artists
Looking forward to catching Tiësto, The Weeknd, or Fatboy Slim in concert? Good luck. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) just raised their Visa rates. That means that any musician or artist of any kind entering the US for a show (whether in a small local club or a large venue) is going to have to pay $460 to enter the country (for every person in his or her entourage). The fee used to be $325.
Although popular artists making lots of money probably aren’t going to bat an eye at the increase. That fee is going to effect smaller operators.
Do you know any DJs from Canada and beyond who might find this extra cost hard to swallow?
Once you factor in the cost of travel and accommodation, you have to know that you’re going to be earning enough to make the trip worthwhile. Apart from the negative effect of this fee increase on foreign artists, there’s also a negative effect on music lovers. Local talent is always great. But, it’s also really important to see and hear what’s going on elsewhere.
