Performers, entertainers, and artists worldwide come to the U.S. to perform in concerts, exhibitions and shows for American audiences. While their visits are much welcomed, foreign nationals are not exempt from entering the U.S. without a legal visa status. A common visa status for an entertainer coming to the U.S. from a foreign country for a paid performance or training is known as a P-3 nonimmigrant visa.
P-3 Nonimmigrant visa holders come to the U.S. to develop, interpret, represent, or teach a unique group of aesthetically minded people or to give a performance or presentation. Unlike other visa programs, the P-3 term is limited to the time it takes to complete their contracted or scheduled event.
Whether performing a concert or presenting cultural information, applicants and their sponsors must work together to apply for the P-3 visa program. However, obtaining a P-3 visa should not stop artists and entertainers from presenting at a U.S.-based event.
Singh Ahluwalia Attorneys at Law can provide a California P-3 visa lawyer to guide you through the application and interview process. We provide confidential and no-obligation case reviews to discuss the options available for international entertainers coming to perform in the U.S.
Call (559) 878-4958 or Contact us online to schedule your appointment today.
How Can a California P-3 Visa Attorney Help?
Singh Ahluwalia Attorneys at Law know that P-3 visa recipients have worked hard to receive national recognition for their talents in their home countries. This recognition makes them perfect candidates to perform or teach at events on U.S. grounds.
Working with a P-3 Visa attorney guides applicants throughout the process to help them successfully attain legal entry to the United States.
Our P-3 visa lawyers in California will also help you with every stage of the process. From determining if the P-3 visa is most-appropriate to helping you submit paperwork to preparing you for your interview, we have established a proven process that gives our clients the highest possible chances of achieving their goals in coming to the U.S.
We also provide legal support and representation whenever you face possible issues, such as problems with entry, changes to your schedule, and any complications that may threaten to invalidate the terms of your visa.
Look to our experience and services to help give you peace of mind, as we have helped companies and individuals across hundreds of thousands of cases achieve their goals.
Who Is Eligible for a P-3 Visa?
Applicants of P-3 visas tend to be artists, teachers, and coaches. Artists come in groups or individually to the U.S. to develop, teach, or represent an artistic or ethnic group through a performance or presentation.
For applicants to be able to qualify for a P-3 nonimmigrant visa, they must meet the following criteria apart from being a performer:
- Must be participating in a commercial or non-commercial cultural event.
- Teaching a cultural, ethnic, or folk presentation can also apply
- Skill or talent should match the event’s purpose and will further the understanding or development of an art form
Many non-immigration programs are offered for foreign individuals visiting the U.S. for business, travel, or performance purposes. Identifying which program works best for the applicant can lead them in the right direction toward receiving approval to enter their planned event.
Working with a California P-3 Visa Attorney can help you navigate this process to receive the best visa for your objectives.
Requirements for Applying for a P-3 Visa
Those seeking to apply for a P-3 nonimmigrant visa must have a sponsor — also known as a petitioner — who will submit Form I-129, which formalizes a request to allow the applicant to receive a P-3 visa.
In addition, sponsors must be authorized to act as an agent representing the applicant:
- The sponsor must complete and submit Form I-129, a Petition of a Nonimmigrant Worker
- Provide a written consultation letter from the appropriate labor organization. This letter discusses the applicant’s qualifications to join the event.
- Provide an explanation of the event and its itinerary
- Affidavits confirming the performer’s authenticity and credentials
- Newspaper articles or journals show that the applicant is qualified and skilled
- The sponsor and the applicant must be in contract to receive the services. They must be able to provide a copy of the contract as part of the P-3 application.
- Provide all other required evidence and supporting documentation
- Pay any applicable fees, including all filing fees
When the application is submitted, the applicant will receive a confirmation of submission and a notice of a decision. While not applicable to all, an interview and biometrics service may be required with an application.
Applications for any visa program have caveats, but P-3 visa lawyers can help throughout and after an application is filed.
How Long Is the Term of a P-3 Visa?
P-3 visas are meant to grant temporary entry to the U.S. for events and performances with the expectation that the artist will return to their home country after their performance.
Generally, P-3 visa holders can remain in the U.S. long enough to complete an event. However, some tours and conferences will last longer than a week or a month.
A P-3 visa lasts no more than one year. If an applicant requires an extension, it must be requested annually and before the expiration of their current visa.
When applying for an extension, they work with a P-3 visa attorney. Applicants can add a maximum one-year extension to an active P-3 visa.
Can a P-3 Applicant Bring Any Essential Support Personnel?
Applicants must determine essential support personnel to be an integral part of the performance of a P-3 visa holder. For essential support personnel to accompany the P-3 to the U.S., they must be responsible for a task that a U.S. worker cannot complete in their stead.
U.S. Customs and Immigration Services grants qualified essential support personnel a P-3 visa. While the process and requirements are similar to that of entertainers, support personnel must also provide a statement describing their critical skills and experience with the performer, a consultation from an appropriate labor organization, and a copy of the written contract.
In addition, the provided statement must clearly describe how a U.S. worker cannot perform the applicant’s purpose and skills.
What About an Applicant’s Immediate Family?
Similar to other visa programs, immediate families are welcome to accompany the applicant while they are in the U.S. so long as they have legal visa status. Spouses and children under 21 can accompany a P-3 visa holder in the United States if they have a valid P-4 nonimmigrant visa (or another appropriate visa) status.
If any of the immediate family is of school age, they may attend a public school or college program during the term of their P-4 visa. Additionally, the term of a P-4 visa is granted to match the term of the P-3 visa holder.
Unfortunately, this nonimmigrant visa program does come with its limits. Unlike other temporary visa programs, the P-4 visa does not authorize holders to work legally in the U.S.
If a spouse were to come to the U.S. under a P-4 visa status, they would need to ensure that they have the financial means to support themselves since they cannot legally work under this visa program.
Applicants working with a California P-3 visa lawyer will find answers to the processes and limits in bringing their immediate family during the term of their P-3 visa.
What if There Is a Change of Employer?
A P-3 applicant’s sponsor is their employer. When the employer changes, the new employer must file Form I-129 to receive approval and an extension of the applicant’s stay.
Unfortunately, submitting a new application means that the P-3 visa cannot work as they were contracted until the new sponsor receives their approval. Once the new Form I-129 is approved, the contracted P-3 visa holder can commence their performances or presentations.
Now Call Your California P-3 Visa Attorney–Singh Ahluwalia Attorneys at Law
Applying for a P-3 visa allows performers and artists to come to the U.S. to attend events that will further the development or understanding of their art form here in the States.
Singh Ahluwalia Attorneys at Law offers prospective performers a California P-3 visa attorney who can answer any questions throughout the application process. We have years of combined experience in guiding and assisting applicants. Call (559) 878-4958 or Contact us online for a no-obligation consultation over the phone or in person at our local office.
