23 Feb 2016
Visas For Musicians? Plan Ahead, Not on Rock & Roll Time
Allissa Wickham, Law360, Feb. 22, 2016- "One of the most important things a musician seeking a visa can do is to allow plenty of time for gathering support materials, according to Daniel Kowalski, an attorney with the Fowler Law Firm and editor of Bender’s Immigration Bulletin. “If an artist or performer wants to get any kind of visa to work in the U.S., the key is lead time. ... I'm talking six months to a year,” said Kowalski, adding that every year, he has to turn away bands who contact him too close to the music festival South by Southwest. Because SXSW doesn’t pick its artists until fairly close to show time, it’s crucial that artists who are even considering the festival to start working with their management and attorney in advance and put something together in case they are selected, according to Kowalski. “So that when they are picked, they can — boom! — pull the trigger and get things going with immigration to try to get that visa as quickly as possible,” he said."