Musical America Blogs

LAW & DISORDER Performing Arts Division June 7, 2023  INSIDE THIS ISSUE: • What Are Contracts For?  • Non-Profit Laws Made Simple  • Are Union Strikes Force Majeure Events?  • Artist Visa Updates   Legal Issue of the Month: What Are Contracts For???  It’s no secret that a vast expanses of artists, venues, managers, presenters, […]

Unemployment and the CARES Act For Non-US Artists April 7, 2020 By Brian Taylor Goldstein Shocking as it may sound, USCIS has passed a tiny wind of hope in the direction of artist visas during this coronavirus pandemic. The Department of Homeland Security (which sets the policies for USCIS) has confirmed that applying for unemployment […]

Depending on the consulate and a person’s nationality, a “renewal by mail” option is “sometimes” available for artists who are applying for the same visa (O, P, F, etc) within 1 year of the last one. For example, a famous conductor who comes to the U.S. each year on O-1 visas and who gets approved […]

By Brian Taylor Goldstein, Esq., Robyn Guilliams, Esq., and Christopher Dowley, Esq. I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer…because we are just about the ruin it. So be prepared for some serious sunburn, chiggers, sand fleas, and food poisoning as we give you the latest updates:     I.    NEW USCIS POLICY ALLOWS VISA PETITIONS […]

By Brian Taylor Goldstein Dear Law and Disorder: I am a musician on an O-1 visa that my agent got for me. It covers multiple engagements. Last September, I was hired to be a section musician with an orchestra. They have been paying me up until now, but now they are saying that legally they […]

By Brian Taylor Goldstein, Esq.    By now, you should all be aware that the incidents of artists and performers from a wide range of nationalities arriving in the United States as visitors (either on visitor visas (B-1/B-2) or through the visa waiver/ESTA program) and being refused entry are growing at an alarming rate. These […]

By Brian Taylor Goldstein, Esq. Here we go again… On March 6, 2017, President Trump issued a new Executive Order regarding US immigration to replace the previous Executive Order of January 27, 2017. The new Order takes effect on March 16, 2017 and expressly revokes the January 27, 2017 Order (which had been subject to […]

By Brian Taylor Goldstein The following situation was recently brought to our attention and we felt obligated to comment: http://www.avclub.com/article/sxsw-threatens-international-artists-deportation-p-251394?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=ShareTools&utm_campaign=default https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2017/mar/02/sxsw-immigration-told-slant-contract-trump-travel-ban http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/sxsw-responds-to-artist-immigration-controversy-w470167 Since this issue arose, the festival’s Managing Director has issued multiple “updates” and “clarifications” that are disingenuous or, at best, ill-informed. First, he contends that the contract provision regarding non-work visa violations is […]

By Brian Taylor Goldstein, Esq.    On January 30, 2017 we posted an update to clarify what was going on (at least as of Sunday, January 29, 2017) with regard to President Voldemort’s now infamous January 27, 2017 Executive Order and how it impacts the arts. As you may imagine, as the result of lawsuits […]

By Brian Taylor Goldstein, Esq. Except for those of you who may have been exploring other dimensions for the past few days, almost everyone else on the planet has been following the flurry of recent developments in the US as our country falls into the slipstream of chaos. We felt it was important to clarify […]