Call to the European Commission

Alongside more than 190 cultural organisations, JMI is calling for the Commission’s support and attention on a US proposal for change in immigration rules which will impact heavily the European cultural sector and jeopardise the EU-US cultural relations by increasing the filing fees for artist visas, lengthen processing delays and limit the number of beneficiaries per petition.

There are intense and significant cultural relations between the United States and the European Union. It is an important aspect of EU cultural policy to facilitate the mobility of artists and cultural professionals. On the other hand, US imports of 'personal, cultural and recreational services' are ranked as one of the top three imports of the US into the EU, demonstrating the US' advantage over the EU.

Additionally, US performing artists benefit from a competitive advantage compared to European performers due to the US double tax treaty. This allows easier travel for artists based in the US and a proportionately higher level of traffic from the United States to the European Union without incurring additional costs.

US visa rules and procedures, however, have been complicated and costly for several decades, putting European artists at a continuous competitive disadvantage. Introducing the newly proposed visa rules will certainly result in an increase in this already great imbalance. Read here the official Call to the European Commission on US artists' visas costs increase for further information.