Italian opera star cannot get US visa
OperaThe renowned Italian bass Ferrucio Furlanetto has been unable to get a visa to give a recital at the Opera Festival of Chicago.
The festival says: ‘Due to an extraordinary delay from the U.S. State Department, the Opera Festival of Chicago has been forced to cancel the ‘Ferruccio Furlanetto in Concert’ presentation previously scheduled for Thursday, July 13, 2023 at the Harris Theater.’
And we all thought it would get better when Trump was gone……..
Everything is Donald Trump’s fault. Or Joe Biden’s.
It did get better. The extent to which the US immigration system was crippled by the previous administration was such that it takes that long to get it back to even its previous level.
Why?
Aren’t there any people-in-power with real “pull” anymore? I bet if he were a famous pop-star, there would be no visa problem!
In part, because pop-stars have larger teams that handle visa applications MANY months in advance and pay thousands of dollars to expedite the process, something few opera companies can afford to do. It’s a shame, as I adore Furlanetto and I think he still has more to offer than many basses half his age.
Ferruccio (not Ferrucio)…
It’s paradoxical that Italians need visas to enter the USA.
They don’t for non-work reasons. If one needs to work in the US, then a work visa is needed, of course. The same is true if a US citizen needs to work in Italy.
American opera singers can work visa free in the Schengen area for up to 90 days within 180 days. And they walk into the UK with a certificate of sponsorship or a letter of invitation. European singers have to jump through a million hoops for US work visas.
US citizens require a visa to work, as an artist, in Italy specifically. It’s called ‘Lavoro Autonomo’. Every country in the EU has slightly different rules for Americans. Some do not require a visa. For example France.
To work yes !
This is probably due to a processing backlog caused by understaffing at US CIS. Furlanetto has performed in the States countless times over the years.
You don’t need a visa. Just walk into the US at the southern border. It’s so easy. Really. Millions and millions of people have done it. I am sure some are opera singers.
I wonder which method he should pick to cross? Roe vs. Wade.
Let’s abort the idea of him crossing. I’ve only had the opportunity of seeing him perform once. He sang the role of The Grand Inquisitor in Don Carlo at The Met. Hvorovstovsky played Rodrigo and YNS conducted. YNS and The Met Orchestra shined that afternoon. A superb performance all around. The above photo appears to have Furlanetto in the attire of King Philip II, ready to sing “Ella giammai m’amo…?”
Furlanetto last sang the Grand Inquistor at the Met in 1983 a decade and a half before Hvorostovsky’s Met debut. Ever since he performed the far more appropriate role (for him) of King Philip.
This is the most ignorant comment on the subject. Btw, one doesn’t get the right to work in the US even if one can cross the border, which is very difficult to do (if you have any idea what’s actually going on there). Unless you suggest that the singer should work illegally for an employer who will hire him illegally. What a bold suggestion.
And now for an opinion from the far right. #sad
Things don’t automatically get better when a new president comes in. Trump did his best to destroy every aspect of government during his disastrous term. He had what, 4 or 5 Secretaries of State? Every department was in shambles and rebuilding doesn’t happen overnight.
I’m no fan of Trump’s but for the sake of accuracy he had exactly 2 Secretaries of State, the exact same number Obama had.
You are right. It’s the secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security that was a revolving door.
Correct, Pres. Obama had two Secretaries of State (Clinton/Kerry) during his eight year tenure and Pres. Trump had two Secretaries of State (Tillerson/Pompeo) during his four year term.
Obama was in office for 8 years (2 terms) rather than 4 so the comparison is apt.
We saw the light and could walk on water since, thanks Biden!
Could it be that fault lies with the singer’s team for not applying for the visa in a timely manner?
Seems like a phone call from the Lyric should be able to fix it. I would try calling the Kennedy Center, ask for the general manager and ask them the name of someone in the State Department who could help. Worth a try.
These stories make for easy fodder (political and otherwise), but the details, which – as here – are rarely included are crucial. When was the visa petition first filed with USCIS? If less than 6 months, why was premium processing not considered? Or perhaps the delay is at the US consulate in whichever city the artist is attempting to pick up the visa?
While inexplicable delays can occur, they are actually quite rare. Assuming the visa application is handled by someone with long experience, there is almost always a way to successfully navigate the process.
He should show up at the southern border. No problem entering there and you even get a goodie bag full of free things!
There is no problem with US visas for performers if the paperwork is filed sufficiently in advance. Yes, it used to be faster, but it is common knowledge that the processing times have gotten longer. The last performance visa I handled for a musician took about 6 weeks to process. Plus the consular processing time which is not that bad in Italy for Italians. There is also premium processing available, for a (hefty) fee the USCIS will respond in 15 calendar days. It looks like someone might have screwed up the visa application process or was not willing to accelerate for an additional fee.
These foreign worker visas are intended for positions for which Americans can not be recruited.
There isn’t an American bass of similar heft that they could not have planned the event around instead?
No, O-1 visas for performing artists do no require a showing you are referring to. Your statement is factually incorrect. Moreover, H-1 visas, the other type of non immigrant visa for workers in specialty occupations, don’t require that showing either. You are confusing temporary visas with immigrant visas (aka green cards), I wonder if you have been banned from Google.
“An extraordinary delay”??!!! Most government agencies in the US are barely functioning these days.