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::Archives::
August 1, 2006
Mail Petitions Directly to California The USCIS will soon announce that most O and P petitions, including those filed for artists, are to be mailed directly to the California Service Center. Petitions are currently mailed to the Vermont Service Center, then transferred to the California Service Center for processing. Petitions mailed to the Vermont Service Center will continue to be forwarded to California. However, petitioners should immediately begin mailing visa applications directly to the California Service Center to avoid delay or mishandling associated with transferring petitions from Vermont to California. The envelope must be clearly marked “Regular Processing” or “Premium Processing.”
We strongly recommend that O and P petitions be sent by overnight delivery (Federal Express, UPS, etc.). Overnight deliveries should be addressed to:
We will keep you posted as further changes to the mailing procedures are made. Please check this News Flash page frequently for updates. View the "Where to File" page of Artists from Abroad for complete details.
March 28, 2006
Vermont Service Center to Receive All O & P Petitions Effective April 1, 2006 ALL O and P visa petitions - regardless of the location of the petitioner - must be sent to the Vermont Service Center of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Previously, petitions were mailed to one of four regional service centers. All regular O and P visa petitions must be sent to: All Premium Processing O and P visa petitions must be sent to: According to its press release, specializing processing in two service centers will allow USCIS to "better manage and improve customer service." No doubt there will be some bumps along the way as USCIS makes this transition, meaning it is more important than ever to submit your visa petition as early as possible (up to six months in advance of your performance). View the "Where to File" page of Artists from Abroad for complete details.
September 27, 2005
USCIS to Increase Filing Fees! U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced an increase in petition filing fees, effective for petitions postmarked on or after October 26, 2005. Each of the following new fees reflect a $5 increase. The fee changes will not impact the fees paid by visa applicants at U.S. Consulates abroad. The Premium Processing fee remains $1,000.
August 25, 2004
Consular Wait Times Posted Online How long might it take your guest artist to schedule an interview and receive a visa from a U.S. consulate? The U.S. Department of State is now posting online approximate wait times for consular visa processing. The Visa Wait Times Site provides average wait times for appointments and predicts the amount of time it will take each consulate to issue a visa. The wait times for artists are found under the description "all other nonimmigrant visas." Please note: Wait times represent averages and do not take into consideration the time it takes to return the passport to the artist.
July 23, 2004
AFM Requires $50 Consultation Payment Effective September 1, 2004, the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) requires a $50 fee for each letter of non-objection requested by visa petitioners. All requests received by the AFM on or after September 1 must include a corporate check, certified check, or money order payable to “AFM Immigration Processing.” U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requires a letter of non-objection from the appropriate labor organization for each O and P visa application. View the memos from labor organizations for complete information about fee requirements.
May 26, 2004
USCIS Announces E-Filing! The USCIS is now accepting Form I-129 visa applications electronically. Only the Form I-129 and payment are accepted via the web. The rest of the supporting evidence still needs to be filed in hard copy. While USCIS does not process the petition until all information is received, the application filing date assigned to the petition is the date on which electronic payment is received online– so petitioners may “get in line” for processing a bit faster. Electronic applications also have the potential advantage of reducing USCIS typos and other errors. Please be aware – the filing instructions for electronic petitions vary from the traditional applications. Check out the complete e-filing instructions on the USCIS web site. Petitioners may still choose to file the traditional paper petitions.
April 16, 2004
USCIS Increases Filing Fees! The USCIS has announced an increase in petition filing fees, effective for petitions postmarked on or after April 30, 2004.
April 12, 2004
At a Time of Heightened Security, Artists' Visas Require Persistence and Precision On April 1 the FBI issued a bulletin to law enforcement officials warning that terrorist groups may use P visas - the category used by cultural, arts, or sports groups - to gain entry into the United States. According to an Associated Press article, the bulletin does not site specific evidence of such misuse. A State Department official advises that the bulletin will not significantly affect the already-heightened security measures at U.S. Consulates, but encourages arts organizations to apply well in advance of performances and carefully document the credentials of artists during the visa application process. We further encourage U.S. employers to advise foreign guest artists to keep their passport and visa documents with them at all times, once they've arrived in the United States.
Copyright © 2003 League of American Orchestras/Association of Performing Arts Presenters
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