About two weeks ago to that day, I asked the question, “Will the festivals see many international artists drop out because of visa problems?” – and Never seems to be the first group to answer this question with ‘yes.’ When they announced via social media yesterday that the band would be unable to appear at September’s ProgPower USA festival, they said it was taking longer than usual to get a work permit for their new artist. Berzan Önen (Internal Influence, My Torture). One from Istanbul, Turkey.
The new addition to the Seattle progressive group isn’t the only new member (guitarist Jack Cattoi), not only a new member from Turkey (bassist Polish Özerkan) – However, he is the only one who does not seem to have lived in the US for some time before working with Never.
The group’s statement reads:
“A MESSAGE TO US OUR LOVERS
We hear your requests for US tourism are sound, and we want them to happen as much as you do. The reason has not been easy – getting a work permit for our artist is taking longer than expected. We will do it, but unfortunately we are not there yet.
Unfortunately, it also means we won’t be able to work on ProgPower USA this year.
Sincere apologies to GlennProgPower USA employees and our US fans, and we appreciate your understanding.
New music is coming, and we’ll finally be back on stage playing it in 2027. We owe it to you all, and we promise to wait for it.
Because of all this, we are booking more international shows for later this year. Their announcements will happen soon. ”
Next to Education is an alt-EDM producer and musician Branches of FKAwho had to cancel his shows this time last year. He originally posted a video on TikTok: “Today, I was informed that the production did not fill out the correct paperwork in time for us to get our visas to come to the USA to play. Without a choice, I will have to withdraw from my shows in New York, Chicago and Toronto.”
However those two artists are just the tip of the iceberg – indie rockers Cancel Kellyan alt-pop group PONYANEand others who wish to remain anonymous as they proceed with their visa applications and fear retribution if they speak out in the face of visa delays, sometimes lasting months, as travel time elapses before their application is processed.
While the original application fee for performance-based travel visas was $450 and has risen to $1,615 under the Biden administration in 2024, the Trump administration since taking office in early 2025 has made it a point to have background checks on potential visa applicants by using their online and internet searches to identify people. of “high risk” by the State Department. This type of research has lengthened the visa process, with wait times ranging from a few weeks to a full month, for many Canadian cities.
An immigration attorney on behalf of Matthew Covey spoke to The New York Times about the possible effects of the new visa guidelines and how he expected international experts to respond to this issue – he expected a 30% drop, and although there are no exact figures, he does not seem to be completely absent. As festival season approaches, and many if not hundreds of foreign artists, from all kinds of genres, will be traveling to the US to play at said festivals, will we start hearing more cancellations and artists dropping out? Most likely. Will we see fewer announcements overall? Maybe.
Between the uncertainty of visas and the rise of application fees – with the already added option to expedite your visa application for $2,805 with a “premium process”, added during the Trump administration as Rolling Stone’s. Alex Ashley points out – along with the unpredictable nature of the Trump administration and their subsequent performance, there is a great deal of financial uncertainty still in the air. Added to the fact that the IRS takes 30% of the income from each show and every dollar made by international artists, there is little financial incentive for artists to travel to the US in such a way, not to mention the current visa and immigration issues.
Imagine spending at least $5,000 on visas – before lawyers, hotels, flights, luggage, staff, equipment – and then being denied at the US border, arrested, and sent home. That was it for UK Subs in March 2025, when The Guardian reported that the group was denied entry into the US, with doubts about the reason for their refusal to prosecute the bassist. Alvin Gibbs‘ criticism in the voice of the current president.
Now, Education is in the same situation – although I can’t say that I fully sympathize with their management regarding this situation – but to ask a growing question… Will the festivals see more international artists drop out due to difficulties in obtaining visas? Most likely.
Taken From DOGMA Had To Cancel Their US Trip Due To Visa Issues; Is This The New Normal? What’s going on?
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