Archive for the ‘Visas’ Category

IS IT TIME FOR ARTISTS TO RETURN TO THE U.S.?

Thursday, May 20th, 2021

The COVID Travel Ban, Significant Consulate Backlogs, and Other Current Issues For Non-U.S. Artists By Brian Taylor GoldsteinSorry for the long delay since my last post, but, well…it’s been an interesting year, to say the least. Things are improving, but 2021 still needs more rehearsal time to work the kinks out. Here in New York […]

Read the rest of this article »

USCIS Has Officially Raised Premium Processing to $2500 EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 19, 2020… and an update on National Interest Waivers while we’re at it.

Friday, October 16th, 2020

The Screaming Demon Pumpkin and his festering goblins of anal carbuncles JUST announced TODAY that it was raising the premium processing fee from $1440 to $2500 effective this Monday, October 19, 2020. Any petitions postmarked after October 19, 2020 will be returned if they do not have the higher fee. Whilst I expect this to […]

Read the rest of this article »

USCIS Furlough-Nado UPDATE!

Wednesday, August 26th, 2020

GOOD NEWS: USCIS has agreed to call off its planned furlough of 13,500 employees which had been scheduled for this weekend. BAD NEWS: In exchange for this, the U.S. House of Representatives has unanimously agreed to let USCIS raise the premium processing fee from $1440 to $2500 for O and P petitions and cancel the […]

Read the rest of this article »

TODAY’S USCIS FORECAST: A Storm of Travel Ban Issues with a Cold Blast of COVID-based RFEs, and a Looming Furlough-Nado!

Saturday, August 22nd, 2020

I. Consulates Are Open, But Now Refusing To Issue Visas To Applicants Who Have Been In Certain Countries For artists who have been approved for visas, but have been waiting months to apply for them at a U.S. Consulate, many U.S. Consulates have re-opened and are beginning to issue visas. But not so fast…there continues […]

Read the rest of this article »

…And They’re Not Done Yet! USCIS Has Just Imposed New Filing Fees and Forms!

Saturday, August 1st, 2020

On July 31, 2020, DHS (The Department of Homeland (In)Security) issued a “Final Rule” confirming that USCIS (Unconscionable, Shameful, Callous, Immoral, and Sinister) will be imposing steep fee increases for visa petitions as well as creating new forms. Assuming that the many lawsuits and injunctions that are already in the works don’t stop this, then […]

Read the rest of this article »

USCIS May Be Coming After Unemployed Foreign Artists

Thursday, July 30th, 2020

We have seen two Requests for Evidence (RFE) this week for foreign artists who are currently in the U.S. with O-1 classification (both of whom have been previously approved for O-1 classification multiple times) and who filed new O-1 petitions to extend their status and remain in the U.S. In each case, neither artist has […]

Read the rest of this article »

Trump Punishes Students For Taking On-Line Classes

Tuesday, July 7th, 2020

Last night, July 6, 2020, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that all F-1 (student) visa holders attending schools that have decided to operate entirely on-line for the fall 2020 semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic will not be permitted to take a full online course load and remain in the U.S., forcing schools and […]

Read the rest of this article »

DECODING TRUMP’S JUNE 2020 NON-IMMIGRANT VISA BAN (DO NOT PANIC!)

Monday, June 22nd, 2020

As you are doubtlessly aware by now, the Dark Lord has just issued a new immigration proclamation. IT WILL HAVE LITTLE, IF ANY, SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON ARTISTS! Now, take a breath and read on… Fresh from his triumphant campaign rally before a crowd of several dozen (including a frightened family of squirrels trapped in the […]

Read the rest of this article »

DECODING TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION BAN

Thursday, April 23rd, 2020

By Brian Taylor Goldstein To those of you wondering what is happening with The Screaming Carrot Demon’s immigration ban, his Executive Order slithered out of the White House today. Here’s the deal: Today’s spewage only addresses immigrant visas (green cards). Though there is a fairly long list of exceptions, for the next 60 days people […]

Read the rest of this article »

USCIS JUST THREW ARTISTS A CRUMB!

Tuesday, April 7th, 2020

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 […]

Read the rest of this article »