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Work Visas
P-2 visas
P-2 visas
The P-2 visa can be used for artists individually (unlike P-1) or as a group.
To bring musicians (or other entertainers) under the P-2 visa, an entertaining company must first establish or participate in a reciprocal exchange program with a US based organization.
The company must provide the name of such program and any other relevant documents.
The advisory opinion will be also required for a P-2 visa application from a labor organization or a peer group that was involved in the reciprocal exchange program.
The artists must be highly experienced and have skills similar to the U.S. entertainers in the reciprocal program. However, P-2 visa does require the same level of accomplishment as the P-1 visa, not the cultural unique nature of the performances required by P-3 visas. The reciprocal exchange program is the most important requirement.
What is a reciprocal exchange program?
It is a bilateral program negotiated between an organization in the US and an organization in another country. For example, there is an agreement between the American Federation of Musicians and the Department of Homeland Security that set up a cultural exchange program. Canadian artists may use this program to perform in the US.
Our Washington DC Immigration Attorneys are experts in the P-2 visas and can quickly access whether there is a reciprocal exchange program between the US and the country of origin of your prospective musicians. There private and public programs. The only public programs are signed between the US and Canada, Australia, New Zealand.
The program aims to maintain strict similarities regarding the artists’ scaled of fame and recognition, their terms of remuneration and other conditions.
The P-2 visa, just like the other P categories (P-1 and P-3 visas) can be granted for up to 1 year. The P-2 visa does allow the entertainers to stay and perform in the US indefinitely. If there is a need to schedule more performances and have the artists in the US longer, an request for extension must be filed.
The essential support personnel is allowed to enter the US along with the main group if a P-2 petition was filed on behalf of the latter.
