Published
Fri, Feb 9, 2024, 19:53
- From April onwards, application costs for musicians and DJs to legally perform stateside will go up by more $500—a lower than expected rise.
The US government is increasing fees for various types of visas, including artist visas.
Starting April 1st, application costs for the O visa, which grants musicians and DJs a three-year stay in the US, will jump from $460 to $1,055, an increase of 129 percent. The P visa, for shorter stays that are tied to a specific event, will move from $460 to $1,015, a 121 percent jump. Both increases are lower than expected. Last year, authorities proposed to increase O visa costs to $1,655 and the P visa to $1,615.
In addition, small employers (25 or fewer employees) filing the I-129 form required for O and P visas must pay an additional Asylum Program Fee of $300. For larger employers, the fee is $600.
Fees for expedited processing will also increase from $2,500 to $2,805 per application starting February 26th. Timelines for this premium service will change from 15 calendar days to 15 business days.
The news was officially anounced last week. This is the first time artist visa costs have increased since 2016. On its website, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (UCIS) said higher fees were needed "to cover the cost of doing business and avoid the accumulation of future backlogs."
For more information, visit the UCIS website.