Proposed Visa Increases and the Impact on the Arts Sector

Ann has long auburn hair. She's a white lady and she wears thick framed eyeglasses. She has gold earrings that dangle and a teal poncho.

Communications Director & Co-Accessibility Coordinator

NEFA is concerned by the proposal from the Department of Homeland Security to introduce steep increases in O and P artist visas as the increase would negatively impact the field.

The proposed increases for regularly filed O visa petitions would see a 260% increase, from $460 to $1,655, while P visa petitions would increase by 251%. In addition, caps on single petitions would mean additional petitions for large ensembles. Premium processing, already out of reach for most arts organizations at $2,500, would now also take longer with the proposed new timeframe.

These changes would pose a significant financial burden on a sector still very much in recovery from the COVID pandemic. It would also limit the ability for smaller, community-based U.S. cultural organizations to present artists from abroad in their communities. The arts and culture sector have the unique ability to both support the economy and connect people to artists and art works that have an impact on their hearts and minds; for this reason, and many others, NEFA joins our sector colleagues in advocating against the increase. The public may weigh in on the proposal by responding to the public comments before the March 6 deadline.

When commenting, tell your story and how the changes would affect your work. Artists might share how the increase in costs would impact their ability to do international work especially in light of the ongoing pandemic. Organizations and venues might share the potential budgetary impacts of the increased fees and the ability to continue to program international artists and how you may continue to feel the impact of the pandemic on your work.

Share your comments by March 13, 2023

In NEFA's work with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, we bring artists from abroad to American communities through our Center Stage program to do this work of cultural diplomacy. While our State Department funding means that Center Stage is not impacted by this proposal, NEFA has a long-term commitment to supporting artistic voices from around the globe.