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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | Ralph Alfonso <ralph@nettwerk.com> |
| Subject | latest on canada/usa touring visas |
| Date | Fri, 5 Mar 2004 12:33:32 -0800 |
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tip to all musicians - join the Union, if for no other reason than for
international touring assistance.
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BILLBOARD
March 13, 2004
Tighter Rules Make Touring In U.S. Tougher For Canadians
BY LARRY LEBLANC
TORONTO - Increased immigration and security demands imposed by a post-Sept.
11, 2001, United States are making it more difficult for Canadian artists to
cross the U.S. border.
"It has always been difficult for Canadians, but it's been more so since
9-11," says Julien Paquin, director of Paquin Entertainment Agency in Toronto.
"The problem fluctuates," argues artist manager Jason Marcus at
Vancouver-based Nettwerk Management, which handles Sarah McLachlan
and the Barenaked
Ladies. "When the Americans tighten up [the border], to process [work-permit]
paperwork goes slower. [When] the 'heat' disappears, it goes faster again."
Traditionally, it has been easier for American acts to cross the border to
play in Canada. As long as an American Federation of Musicians-affiliated U.S.
musician has a signed employment contract and their identification and criminal
records check out, he or she can usually get into Canada.
Increasingly, however, there is no advance guarantee that AFM-affiliated
Canadian musicians will get into the United States to work.
"I have had no problem getting American artists into Canada," Paquin says. "I
have had to cancel many shows with Canadian acts in the U.S."
For a Canadian musician to cross the U.S./Canada border to work, he or she
first has to have signed contracts with U.S. employers six to eight months in
advance of applying for P-1 or P-2 nonimmigrant work permits. The
application is
filed through the international office of the American Federation of
Musicians in Toronto, which forwards it to the Vermont Service Center
of the U.S.
Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS). It can then
take 110 to 150
days to process. There is no guarantee that the act will be let in.
"Before 9-11, it took 90 days [for U.S. immigration] to process
applications," says booking agent Joan Kirby of LiveTourArtists in
Oakville, Ontario. "It
is difficult to plan tours for smaller Canadian acts in the U.S. You have to
tell promoters to book right away because of immigration."
Marcus claims there is no leeway in the processing time in applications for
even major Canadian acts. "The only difference is the amount of crew people we
can put on an application with a bigger act. For our smaller acts, we have to
get it exactly right."
Work permits, however, can be expedited through a 15-day process that costs
$1,000 over and above the $130 fee for P-1 and P-2 applications. This process
was initiated three years ago.
Marcus says, "$1,130 allows you to fast-track an application. That's only a
guarantee that U.S. Immigration will respond to you. They are doing far more
elaborate checks these days. They are pulling out very minor convictions,
flagging things like marijuana or drunk-driving convictions."
"Basically, it's now $1,130 to get across," Paquin says. "You can go through
the hoops of the regular application, but it's not worth the risk of not
getting across."
Meanwhile, the American Federation of Musicians is seeking congressional
support to make the CIS change its policy, permitting holders of P visas to be
processed in no more than 30 days. If it takes longer, the visa
application would
automatically shift to a 30-day turnaround, without having to pay the $1,000
fee.
Meanwhile, as a final resort if an application has not been greenlighted,
Kirby suggests contacting a U.S. congressman two weeks before the first tour
date.
"I've done that many times," she says, "and the application is done in 48
hours, in most cases."
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Ralph's Bongo Beat garage sale continues: pop, punk, junk and some
of the weirdest item descriptions ever (my boozing, womanizing and
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all detailed as I try to entice one and all to paypal me
today...c'mon now - who doesn't want a
poor condition SOMA vinyl 7" of "Liar Liar" by The Castaways? it's a
"decorative" item!!)
http://cgi6.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=beatnik_guy
Dig that crazy Bongo Beat!
Visit my web site
Http://www.bongobeat.com
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