PROPOSED INCREASE IN P2 VISA APPLICATION FEE
USCIS (United States Citizen and Immigration Service) has proposed a 42% fee increase to the petition related to the P and O permits for artists/entertainers/athletes.
If this proposed increase ends up going through, the fee to Department of Homeland Security will increase to $460 USD (currently its $325 USD). There is NO indication that this increase will result in any improvement to the current wait time of 100-110 days for Regular Processing.
This information was released May 4th, 2016. The AFM Legislative Director Alfonso Pollard, AFM Theatre, Touring, Immigration Director Michael Manley and CFM Executive Director Liana White have already been in discussions on AFM’s efforts to vehemently oppose the increase. The AFM/CFM is part of a lobbying group comprised of Artists, Entertainers and Athletes.
USCIS is required to seek Public Comment before implementing any proposed increases. The period for public comment ends July 5th, so if the increase is approved it will not be in effect until mid-July 2016 at the earliest. Musicians requiring a work permit this year are strongly encouraged to get their applications in prior to July 5th.
We have prepared a PDF document with the exact wording of the proposed increase as it affects the P2 Work Visa P2 proposed fee increase May 2016
For more details from the official US Register website click here.