The US seems determined to kill international acts from touring the country with fees and costs.
First the US hiked the cost of visas for musicians from foreign countries who want to tour the country. Now there’s this asinine plan for visitors on visas to post a bond worth up to US$15,000.
The State Department says that this is a measure to stop people from overstaying their visas and that they have a list of countries whose citizens overstay the most. Metal Injection reports:
“For many overseas bands, DJs, and solo performers, the B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourist) visa categories are commonly used for short-term U.S. engagements, showcases, and promotional tours — particularly for acts that don’t qualify for more specialized visa categories like P-1 (internationally recognized performers) or O-1 (extraordinary ability).
“If implemented, the new bond requirement could significantly increase upfront touring costs, potentially putting U.S. shows out of reach for smaller acts, independent artists, and emerging international bands.”
Who will be affected? The Visa Waver Program covers much of Europe, Australia, Japan, and (I assume) Canada, although the list of targeted countries hasn’t been made public yet. But it’s a fair guess to say that acts from Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe will not like the new bond rule.
If this takes effect, this will add thousands to the upfront costs for foreign bands touring in the US. If the bands follow the visa rules and leave the country when they’re supposed to, they’ll be refunded the bond. But they still have to pony up the money ahead of time.
You can imagine what promoters and owners of small- and medium-sized venues think of this.
