The English Chamber Orchestra has been forced to cancel next month US tour, after failing to obtain travel visas in time, local newspapers are reporting.
Nothing has yet appeared on the orchestra’s website.
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I wonder what’s going on; they (or their management) have gone through this process many times before. I’m guessing it’s held up in the petition-approval stage at DHS.
Have you seen how long the US services are taking to process visas – even the length of time to find an appointment for an interview is in the months…
I wonder … is it with travel visas that the Orchestra is having problems or with the Covid vaccination rules for entry into the USA … If it is the latter, maybe one could ask the ATP for a little advice …
Haven’t had Covid requirements for a long time now-
For heaven’s sake, just come over as a tourist visa free, what you think immigration agents patrol Carnegie Hall? they’re too busy rounding up families at bus stations.
You need a visa to work in the States anything else would be highly illegal!
Melania did it.
Great idea…. an entire orchestra plus instruments going through customs together all illegally declaring their purpose of visit is a ” holiday”
I love the great tongue-in-cheek idea. But you’d need to coordinate, right? Each member would have to enter the country via a different airport and airline, or via a different Canadian border crossing, and on different dates. Then travel by Greyhound to their first concert. Then perhaps the “vacation” argument might be plausible. Of course, the could be caught and do a life sentence in an American prison. Immigration, the police, perhaps even many Americans, might lack a sense of humour in this kind of situation.
The Hilliard Ensemble actually tried that once, many years ago, for a one-off concert in New York (as opposed to a multi-stop US tour arranged by an agent).
They got busted at the airport and sent home, and the poor presenter had to telephone each ticketholder the evening before the performance to say it had been cancelled.
Many years ago two singers from Canada were hired as short-notice replacements for sick singers at the Met. With not enough time to arrange a work visa, they decided to wing it in Toronto (where one goes through US Immigration) – after all, no visible instruments involved. The first went through just fine, but the second one made the mistake of tucking the score of the opera under her arm – a relatively unusual opera. Unfortunately for her, the US border agent was an opera lover, and he knew that that obscure opera was being put on at the Met, and he busted her. The other singer came back to see what was taking so long, and he busted too.
Terrible news for an orchestra that really needs the work. It’s in the local US papers at Fort Myers and Sarasota but as you point out, nothing on the ECO website. The players will be fuming, especially as it appears to be the fault of their admin. The late Quin Ballardie would never have tolerated such wayward behaviour.
That’s the Montréal airport
Why does the English Chamber Orchestra need to tour the United States?
And what’s the story with them going to some really small cities, like Zanesville, Ohio (population 25,000)? Is there a wealthy individual there who single-handily paid to bring the orchestra in? Or did the city pay for it? And however this was paid for, there were no ensemble in the region to invite to perform?
It’s a bad thing that they were going to play some small towns? Having a foreign orchestra is different from hiring some local freelancers. And they’re not a big symphony, probably don’t need a massive hall and the fee is probably more reasonable.
Isn’t this a true?
https://visaguide.world/us-visa/how-to-apply-for-us-visa/uk/
Nina, you need a visa to work in the States it is expensive and takes a long time to arrange. It’s nothing to do with going on holiday.
True for tourists or those going for a business meeting. Not applicable for touring musicians.
There’s an article in the Guardian today about someone having US visa problems. Apparently the waiting time for an appointment at the moment is 78 days in London.
It also depends on when DHS has processed the P-visa petition (known as an I-797); if the embassy hasn’t received it, they can’t adjudicate the visa application.
Perhaps could be some Russian born people among the staff…..
I bet it wasn’t visas but CITE paperwork. These are the rules about taking in ebony, ivory, animal skins (drums), mother of pearl, horsehair (bows) and more. Touring a group and CITEs paperwork is a nightmare.
I wasn’t aware that horsehair used to rehair bows was from an endangered animal? Touring musicians have replaced tortoiseshell, ivory parts etc on their instruments with modern replicas.
The visa situation for visiting artists is terrible and will only get worse if proposed DHS changes go through. https://www.artistsfromabroad.org/site/news/latest-dhs-proposes-fee-schedule-includes-steep-increases-artists-visas-harmful-policy-changes/