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Touring in another country ain\u2019t low-cost, and it’d quickly change into much more costly for artists to convey their music to the United States. The Department of Homeland Security has proposed important value will increase for the O-type<\/a> and P-type<\/a> visas granted to performers. Under the proposed change, the price of an O-type visa petition would improve from $460 to $1,655 \u2014 a rise of 260%. The payment for P-type petitions would rise from $460 to $1,615 \u2014 a 251% bump.<\/p>\n This potential change has triggered concern amongst many musicians in Canada. The nonprofit group Folk Music Ontario has posted a name to motion<\/a> linking to the US federal register<\/a>, the place involved events can register a touch upon the proposed rule change. Americans wishing to hold forth on the coverage should remark on the hyperlink on or earlier than March 6.<\/p>\n Canadian musicians together with the Weather Station (pictured) and Tess Roby have additionally raised the alarm. \u201cHoly shit,\u201d Roby wrote on Twitter, sharing Folk Music Ontario\u2019s submit. \u201cThey want to triple the cost of US touring Visas for Canadian artists. PLEASE make your voice heard and share this widely!\u201d The Weather Station\u2019s Tamara Lindeman amplified Roby\u2019s tweet, including, \u201cIf you are a US citizen or Organization, please make an official comment on this \u2013 instructions below \u2013 For context we already spend thousands of dollars just on visas to enter the US; it\u2019s the only country we tour to with these prohibitive visa costs.\u201d In a subsequent tweet, Lindeman continued, \u201cIt\u2019s a huge hardship to pay such high visa fees, in addition to a 30% withholding tax when we play in the US. It is hard enough to make money on tour as it is.\u201d<\/p>\n In an e-mail to Stereogum alerting us to the scenario, Tom McGreevy of Ducks Ltd. wrote, \u201cThis is a pretty big deal for bands from other countries, as it\u2019s a significant burden on newer bands especially, but is also something that would impact American audiences in a significant way, as it\u2019s going to discourage an awful lot of bands from touring and taking the first steps in building an audience here.\u201d<\/p>\n