U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced a series of fee increases for immigration applications and petitions. One of those increases applies to petitions for nonimmigrant workers, which are required for musicians, artists, actors, athletes, and others who travel to the United States to work. On December 23, the fee for Form I-129, the Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, will go from $325 USD to $460 USD whole act (no matter how many people that comprises), a 42% increase. A separate fee, which will increase the same amount, also applies to the crew, again regardless of the number of people.
The Canadian Federation of Musicians (CFM) has responded to the increase, as Billboard reports: “A fee surge of this kind adds an additional and unacceptable financial burden on our members,” said executive director Liana White.
