US visa costs 'impossible' to afford, say artists

For many musicians, making it big in the industry means making it in the US.

But some artists say they're losing money by going on tour there due to the rising costs of getting a visa.

Overseas performers and the support staff they travel with must apply for special types of visas for professional artists and entertainers.

From April, the cost has in some cases more than doubled to over $1,000 (£800) per person - and that's before additional fees.

The US Embassy has told BBC Newsbeat it doesn't make any money from visa charges and the price hike is down to its own rising expenses.

But artists like Irish singer-songwriter CMAT say that even before the rise, getting to the US was "extremely expensive" and now it risks being ruled out for some musicians.

"Every time I go over there, I'm losing money," she says.

"We're never making money, it's not a possibility.

"I'm lucky enough that I'm signed now and I've made two albums so I have the money to lose in America."

But CMAT, whose real name is Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, fears less established artists trying to break through won't be so lucky.

"It's a lot more difficult now than it would have been for me five years ago to get my foot in the same door," she tells BBC Newsbeat.

"It's terrible and it's a really important market to crack, especially if, like me, you're an Irish person doing country music - it's probably the most important."

Tour manager Nathalie Candel also worries the increasing costs will put artists off travelling to the US, which she agrees is still "a really important market".

"There are so many legendary venues and festivals, all these late-night TV shows that have music as part of them," she says.

"And the industry has changed so much over the past few decades, because you used to be able to earn a living as a musician from selling records and that's not the case anymore.

"So touring is just super, super important. That makes an artist able to have a career."

BBC Radio 1's Sound Of 2024 winners The Last Dinner Party are among the acts trying to replicate their UK success across the Atlantic.

The London group are currently on tour in North America, finishing with a set at Coachella later this month.

But bassist Georgia Davies says it's "becoming increasingly impossible for independent and indie label artists to get out to America, which is an absolute travesty".

"There should be more funding of arts in this country to enable artists be able to do that."

There are two types of visa that artists are likely to have to apply for - O or P visas - depending on whether you're a solo artist with "exceptional ability" or a band of "international renown".

Before the changes, both visas cost $460. The new prices vary based on factors like who artists will be working with when they get to the US, but can be more than $1,000.

Additional expenses like legal costs and processing fees can add to the total bill.

The US embassy says it has been facing rising costs for things like rent, staffing and the technology it uses, as well as a backlog in handling applications after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Applications have taken longer to process as a result of that backlog, leading some artists to pay up to $2,805 in extra fees to speed it up.

For The K's guitarist Ryan Breslyn, soaring costs have put him off returning to the US after his last tour seven years ago when the group supported The Who.

Ryan, 29, describes the cost to artists as "silly money".

He says his indie rock band from Merseyside would be looking at spending thousands per person "before you've even stepped on the plane".

"It puts people off because they simply can't afford it," he says.

"It's just a whole headache, and especially after Covid and Brexit. It's making it difficult for everyone."

The rising cost of visas is the latest hurdle artists say they have to overcome, with many previously raising concerns about the impact of Brexit and the cost of living crisis.

Ryan says something needs to change soon to make it easier for acts to tour.

"It's just a minefield and a headache for the band and management arranging it," he says.

"It just puts people off doing it.

"Hopefully, someone will start to listen and try and make it a little bit easier for people to play where they want to play."

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