U.S. VISA HIKE WOULD BE "CATASTROPHIC"

British musicians are facing a price hike of 251% for U.S. visas, with 70% of acts reportedly saying they would no longer be able to tour stateside.

The proposed increases would mean that petition fees for the P visa, required for acts to perform temporarily in the U.S., would increase to $1,615 (£1,352) from $460 (£385). The O visa, used for longer-term working visits, would climb by 260% to $1,655 (£1,375) from $460 (£385).

In a survey conducted by UK Music, the Music Managers Forum and the Featured Artists Coalition, 70% of members said the increased visa charges would prevent them from touring in the U.S. According to the Musicians' Union, 96% of members surveyed said that increased fees would impact the feasibility of touring, while 26% said they would lose money on tours.

UK Music has written to Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch, urging her to persuade her American counterparts to drop the “deeply damaging” hike.

Wrote UK Music Chief Executive Jamie Njoku-Goodwin in a letter signed by organizations throughout the British music industry: “These deeply damaging proposals would be catastrophic, both for U.K. artists and their American audiences, who have a huge appetite for British music. These plans must be scrapped. The U.K. and U.S. have enjoyed decades of mutually beneficial musical exchange that have strengthened our special relationship and brought huge social, cultural and economic benefits. We should be making it easier for musicians to tour the States, not harder. We call on ministers to urgently raise this issue with their U.S. counterparts and work with them to avoid an outcome that would be mutually detrimental to both our countries.”