Tamizdat Brief: Major New Problems With U.S. Artist Visas
Dear Colleagues, We write you with an update on recent changes at USCIS that have significantly impacted processing times. For the full story, read on, and see our TLDR summary […]
US Visa Advocacy: Progress & Wins in 2023-24
Last February, we shared with you our brief explainer about the recent USCIS Fee Changes, in which we outlined the important points of the new rule and what it means […]
Tamizdat Submits Public Comment Regarding Extended Use of “Extreme Vetting” Form DS-5535
On May 29th, Tamizdat submitted our public comment to the Department of State on their proposal to extend the use of the form DS-5535, first introduced under former president Trump’s […]
Tamizdat Supports the Salzburg Statement on Supporting Artists on the Front Line
Last year’s prestigious Salzburg Seminar session ‘On the Front Line: Artists at Risk, Artists Who Risk’ saw more than fifty artists, activists and representatives—including Tamizdat’s Matthew Covey and Artistic Freedom […]
Tamizdat Update: U.S. Visa Fee Increases Announced
Many will remember that the government proposed significant visa filing fee hikes in January 2023. After considerable international outcry—especially from the performing arts sector—the hikes were successfully stalled… until now. […]
FAQ for people traveling internationally to SXSW 2024
Much of the international music industry is gearing up once again for SXSW, and as usual, industry professionals and musicians have a lot of questions about the legalities of entering […]
Has the New Texas Service Center Filing Location for O and P Visas Changed Anything?
As some of you know, as of October 1, 2023 there has been a change in filing location for the Form I-129 petitions for O and P visa applications. These […]
U.S. Artist Mobility Advocacy Update: Historic Interdepartmental Government Meeting with Performing Arts Visa Working Group
We are very excited to share our update on important U.S. Artist Mobility Advocacy Update in October 2023. On October 11th, a historic meeting took place that moved forward the […]
U.S. Artist Visa Fee Hike Postponed
It appears that our voices were heard. Last January, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a proposal to significantly increase fees, an increase that would massively impact touring performing […]
Visa Fee Increase – Consular Processing
U.S. Department of State (DOS) has announced it is raising the consular processing fee for O and P visa applications from $190 to $205. The final rule and fee increase […]
Update on the Proposed Fee increase for US Artist Visas
Update on the Proposed Fee increase for US Artist Visas In the past couple of weeks, there has been a lot of press coverage of USCIS’s proposed fee increases as […]
FAQ for people traveling internationally to SXSW 2023
SXSW will go live and in person in Austin this March. Unsurprisingly, international industry professionals and musicians have a lot of questions about the legalities of entering the U.S. This […]
FAQ for people traveling internationally to SXSW 2022
After two years online, SXSW is scheduled to finally go live and in person in Austin this March. Unsurprisingly, international industry professionals and musicians have a lot of questions about […]
The U.S.’s announces new policy about the waiver of visa interviews
On December 23, 2021, the U.S. Department of State announced an immediate expansion of its policy permitting U.S. consulates to waive in-person interviews for some visa applicants. When granted, the […]
U.S. reverses travel restrictions banning travel from some African countries
Effective midnight on Dec. 31, The Biden/Harris administration reversed restrictions imposed in November to combat the spread of the Omicron variant, banning air travel from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, […]
U.S. Announces New Travel Restrictions In Response to Omicron Variant
Effective November 29, 2021, the Biden Administration has announced a new travel ban restricting air travel from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi. In announcing the […]
White House to Ease COVID Travel Restrictions Starting in November
The Biden/Harris administration announced this morning that it will ease travel restrictions to the U.S. in “early November;” no specific date has been announced yet. The new rules will allow […]
Webinar: U.S. Artist Visas and International Travel in the Age of COVID
After more than a year of canceled, postponed, or reimagined performances, U.S. arts organizations, presenters, and agents have resumed programming and planning for the 2021-22 season, only to find […]
Good News! USCIS Rolls Back Anti-Artist Visa Rules
For once, we have good news! You may recall that in early 2019, the previous administration announced two deeply anti-artist visa rule changes: They cancelled the “traditional expedite,” a service that […]
Performing Arts Community Emphasizes International Cultural Exchange in response to the NEA’s Call for Public Comment on its Strategic Plan
We, the below-signed U.S. arts organizations, submit the following in response to the Call for Public Comment on the National Endowment for the Arts Strategic Plan FY 2022-2026: In redrafting […]
The Trump-era public charge rule is dead
Trump-era public charge rule no longer in effect, and foreign nationals in legal status in the U.S. may now make use of certain public assistance programs, including SNAP (“food stamps”) […]
Tamizdat’s Tax Policy Advocacy Pays Off – CWA Income Requirement Temporarily Lifted
Good news! (Go figure!) Two years ago, the IRS made a new rule, the impact of which was to hugely increase the effective tax withholding on low earning and independent […]
U.S. VISA FEE INCREASE BLOCKED BY COURT
It’s been a dizzying few months in the world of U.S. immigration. The latest whiplash-inducing event occurred last Tuesday night when a court blocked USCIS’s planned fee increases and other […]
UPDATE to Tamizdat’s Guide to New Public Charge Rules & Unemployment Benefits/Maintenance of Visa Status
What Artists Need to Know About the Status of the New Public Charge Rules & Unemployment Benefits/Maintenance of Visa Status 1.5 NOTE: This advisory, dated September 16, 2020, supersedes all […]
Update regarding US visa fee increases and travel restrictions
USCIS fee increases and other changes Effective October 2, USCIS is raising the filing fees for most visa petitions and applications. The fee for O petitions, which is currently $460, […]
Tamizdat creates Know Your Rights Guide to Protesting for Non-U.S. Citizens
In the U.S., the rights of freedom of speech and freedom to assemble are at the foundation of artistic expression, and at the core of our right to publicly protest […]
UPDATE to Tamizdat’s Guide to New Public Charge Rules & Unemployment Benefits/Maintenance of Visa Status
What Artists Need to Know About the Status of the New Public Charge Rules & Unemployment Benefits/Maintenance of Visa Status 8/19/2020 – this advisory supersedes all prior “public charge” advisories […]
New Public Charge Rules Suspended During Pandemic
The federal courts ruled that the use of public healthcare and other public benefits will not trigger the new “public charge” rules during the COVID-19 national health emergency. In his […]
Tamizdat publishes a guide to the legalities of live streaming.
In collaboration with JioSaavn, Big Room, CoveyLaw, and Folk Alliance, Tamizdat has published “The Legal Landscape of Live Streaming.” (click link to download PDF) This essential guide resulted from our […]
Tamizdat supports artists at risk under new public charge rules.
Last February the U.S. government implemented new rules expanding the its power to deny visas to foreign nationals who have used or whom they think are likely to become reliant […]
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