Music

Canadian musicians petition to get rid of U.S. touring visas

by Jeremy Mersereau

There’s a ton of tasks any band has to check off before heading out on a multinational tour – fixing up the gear, making sure the GPS is loaded with Arby’s locations, and, oh yeah, paying reams of cash for a P2 work visa so they can legally perform and get paid in the States.

A new Change.org petition aims to change that last one. Started by Waterloo’s Omar Khatib, the petition’s goal is to completely abolish the need for performers to apply for a visa, and in the process save touring musicians quite a few loonies. As it stands, it costs a band $325 USD to apply for a P2, plus a $100 CAD fee to the Canadian Federation of Musicians, plus an additional $20 for each additional musician in the group, a fact which must particularly irk Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

Hold on, we’re not done: it also costs an additional $100 CAD per crew member traveling with the band. And, of course, you’ll need to fork over 30% of your gross tour earnings to the U.S. government before you can go home. Hmmm, touring the States seems like it’s definitely worth it, after all, what small-time noise-rock band doesn’t rake in thousands for a house show in rural Oregon?

“The P2 Visa has become known as a nightmare for Canadian musicians trying to tour the United States,” the petition states. “For some, going through the process of booking a whole tour and applying for a P2 Visa is enough to just give up on the idea of a tour in the States. While the concept of work visas in general is understood, Canadians are not stealing American jobs or taking advantage of the system. There is no need to create a barrier for the work of Canadian artists.”

Well, at least we must have a similar arrangement in place for American bands who want to play here, right? Nope: our own (comparatively meagre) fee requirements for U.S. musicians were lifted in 2014.

Khatib lists some well-thought-out reasons why the U.S. should lift the visa requirement:

When Canadian bands enter the States for tours (which usually last for weeks on end), we are doing the following:

– Enabling cash-flow in American music markets.
– Giving American bands more opportunities to play shows and promote themselves.
– Supporting and buying American products from American businesses.
– Paying American taxes for the duration of the tour.
– Building a great relationship between the music communities in both countries.

Something tells me that last one will mean approximately jack and shit to the U.S. government, but maybe I’m pessimistic. Sign the petition here and join over 5,000 supporters, if you’re so inclined.