IDM Mailing Archive

2001-05-25 17:05Matthew KorfhageOK, so here's a political post that I figure at least some people here can get behind. I'm

From:: Matthew Korfhage <pomomofo2000@hotmail.com>
To:: <idm@hyperreal.org>
Date:: Fri, 25 May 2001 10:05:40 -0700
Subject:: [idm] friggin' INS

OK, so here's a political post that I figure at least some people here can get behind. I'm a little bit angry. The A.D.D. trio (jazz, non-idm), who was going to be playing in Portland tomorrow night, had to cancel because the friggin' INS wouldn't give them a work permit. This is more than a little upsetting. I know as well that all sorts of Canadian artists (see: Vote Robot) often aren't able to tour the U.S. because they get stopped up at the border, presumably because they're taking away jobs from hard-working U.S. artists who would have otherwise filled those performance slots. Does anyone know enough about U.S. work and immigration policy to post the general legalities/precedents in this area? As in: Does U.S. law allow specific work-permit exceptions for performing artists, or has it been considered in the past? Also: Are there hairy legal areas to worry about in that regard? Why do I ask? Because, putz though he may be, I'm writing a letter to my Congressman. I know, I know, of all the two-bit, bouge-wah causes I could have picked.... But there you go. Other, possibly more prominent examples of this type of occurrence could also be helpful, for persuasive force. I'm thinking this is one area where the "jobs for U.S. citizens" approach just seems a little bit silly, even to arch-conservatives and union activists. M. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

2001-05-25 18:36Jeff/Ninja TuneYou got to have work papers to get in. It take 6 sometimes 8 weeks to process US work pape

From:: Jeff/Ninja Tune <jeff@ninjatune.net>
To:: Matthew Korfhage <pomomofo2000@hotmail.com>, <idm@hyperreal.org>
Date:: Fri, 25 May 2001 13:36:29 -0500
Subject:: Re: [idm] friggin' INS
Reply to:: [idm] friggin' INS

You got to have work papers to get in. It take 6 sometimes 8 weeks to process US work papers. Canada takes about 2 weeks (horay!). It's very expensive unless you join a US Musicians union, about $1500 for the process plus another $1500 to get non-resident tax waivers. Sometimes you get lucky and get booked for a show that is put on by a non-profit festival or by a city then it makes life a little easier. It's a pretty tedious process overall and makes things like one-off shows very tricky and expensive unless you just try and take your chances at the border. The whole "taking jobs away" thing is pretty bogus. People want to see "that band", not a band that "sounds like that band". People have been lobbying for easier access to work papers for awhile but nothing has really changed. As a scary aside...we once had to almost cancel an entire Coldcut tour because INS just suddenly shut down for 2 weeks with no warning for an audit. Fortunatly they came through at the last minute (literally a run for the border once we got the papers), but we could have been really fucked. Jeff on 5/25/01 12:05 PM, Matthew Korfhage at pomomofo2000@hotmail.com wrote:

quoted 36 lines OK, so here's a political post that I figure at least some people here can

> > OK, so here's a political post that I figure at least some people here can > get behind. I'm a little bit angry. The A.D.D. trio (jazz, non-idm), who was > going to be playing in Portland tomorrow night, had to cancel because the > friggin' INS wouldn't give them a work permit. This is more than a little > upsetting. I know as well that all sorts of Canadian artists (see: Vote > Robot) often aren't able to tour the U.S. because they get stopped up at the > border, presumably because they're taking away jobs from hard-working U.S. > artists who would have otherwise filled those performance slots. > > Does anyone know enough about U.S. work and immigration policy to post the > general legalities/precedents in this area? As in: Does U.S. law allow > specific work-permit exceptions for performing artists, or has it been > considered in the past? Also: Are there hairy legal areas to worry about in > that regard? > > Why do I ask? Because, putz though he may be, I'm writing a letter to my > Congressman. I know, I know, of all the two-bit, bouge-wah causes I could > have picked.... But there you go. Other, possibly more prominent examples > of this type of occurrence could also be helpful, for persuasive force. I'm > thinking this is one area where the "jobs for U.S. citizens" approach just > seems a little bit silly, even to arch-conservatives and union activists. > > M. > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org > For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org >

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2001-05-25 18:45tweibrecht@juno.comOn Fri, 25 May 2001 10:05:40 -0700 "Matthew Korfhage" <pomomofo2000@hotmail.com> writes: >

From:: <tweibrecht@juno.com>
To:: <pomomofo2000@hotmail.com>
Cc:: <idm@hyperreal.org>
Date:: Fri, 25 May 2001 14:45:21 -0400
Subject:: Re: [idm] friggin' INS

On Fri, 25 May 2001 10:05:40 -0700 "Matthew Korfhage" <pomomofo2000@hotmail.com> writes:

quoted 26 lines OK, so here's a political post that I figure at least some people

> > OK, so here's a political post that I figure at least some people > here can > get behind. I'm a little bit angry. The A.D.D. trio (jazz, non-idm), > who was > going to be playing in Portland tomorrow night, had to cancel > because the > friggin' INS wouldn't give them a work permit. This is more than a > little > upsetting. I know as well that all sorts of Canadian artists (see: > Vote > Robot) often aren't able to tour the U.S. because they get stopped > up at the > border, presumably because they're taking away jobs from > hard-working U.S. > artists who would have otherwise filled those performance slots. > > Does anyone know enough about U.S. work and immigration policy to > post the > general legalities/precedents in this area? As in: Does U.S. law > allow > specific work-permit exceptions for performing artists, or has it > been > considered in the past? Also: Are there hairy legal areas to worry > about in > that regard?

there's too many reasons to go into, but: did they apply for the correct type of visa? most artists enter on an H2, i.e. "persons of exceptional merit" do these guys fit the description? are they admitable, or are there incidents in their past that make them excludable? did the consular officer see evidence that their intent was not to return to their homeland? without more specifics, its a difficult question to answer and its not always the INS... tom w np: cornfield ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

2001-05-26 05:10Digital Cutup LoungeMatthew Korfhage wrote: > OK, so here's a political post that I figure at least some peopl

From:: Digital Cutup Lounge <johnvon@digitalcutuplounge.com>
To:: Matthew Korfhage <pomomofo2000@hotmail.com>
Cc:: <idm@hyperreal.org>
Date:: Sat, 26 May 2001 13:10:57 +0800
Subject:: Re: [idm] friggin' INS

Matthew Korfhage wrote:

quoted 9 lines OK, so here's a political post that I figure at least some people here can

> OK, so here's a political post that I figure at least some people here can > get behind. I'm a little bit angry. The A.D.D. trio (jazz, non-idm), who was > going to be playing in Portland tomorrow night, had to cancel because the > friggin' INS wouldn't give them a work permit. This is more than a little > upsetting. I know as well that all sorts of Canadian artists (see: Vote > Robot) often aren't able to tour the U.S. because they get stopped up at the > border, presumably because they're taking away jobs from hard-working U.S. > artists who would have otherwise filled those performance slots. >

Other countries are sometimes worse...for a long time (possibly still now) Australia had a 'local content' law for live performances which involved hiring at least one Aussie musician for each foreign musician in the show...this led to crazy things like Hong Kong pop groups hiring Aussie bands to open for them (scheduling them to play as soon as the doors opened, before there were many people there), or one of the top female singers from the Arab world hiring a bunch of local musicians' union types to back her up... John -- John von Seggern DJ/producer Digital Cutup Lounge Hong Kong http://www.digitalcutuplounge.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

2001-05-26 06:52Andrew Hime>> OK, so here's a political post that I figure at least some people here can >> get behin

From:: Andrew Hime <hime1@gte.net>
To:: Inebriated Dancing Monkeys <idm@hyperreal.org>
Date:: Sat, 26 May 2001 01:52:40 -0500
Subject:: Re: [idm] friggin' INS

quoted 1 line OK, so here's a political post that I figure at least some people here

>> OK, so here's a political post that I figure at least some people here

can

quoted 1 line get behind. I'm a little bit angry. The A.D.D. trio (jazz, non-idm), who

>> get behind. I'm a little bit angry. The A.D.D. trio (jazz, non-idm), who

was

quoted 4 lines going to be playing in Portland tomorrow night, had to cancel because the

>> going to be playing in Portland tomorrow night, had to cancel because the >> friggin' INS wouldn't give them a work permit. This is more than a little >> upsetting. I know as well that all sorts of Canadian artists (see: Vote >> Robot) often aren't able to tour the U.S. because they get stopped up at

the

quoted 1 line border, presumably because they're taking away jobs from hard-working

>> border, presumably because they're taking away jobs from hard-working

U.S.

quoted 4 lines artists who would have otherwise filled those performance slots.

>> artists who would have otherwise filled those performance slots. > >Other countries are sometimes worse...for a long time (possibly still now) >Australia had a 'local content' law for live performances which involved

hiring

quoted 1 line at least one Aussie musician for each foreign musician in the show...this

>at least one Aussie musician for each foreign musician in the show...this

led

quoted 1 line to crazy things like Hong Kong pop groups hiring Aussie bands to open for

>to crazy things like Hong Kong pop groups hiring Aussie bands to open for

them

quoted 1 line (scheduling them to play as soon as the doors opened, before there were

>(scheduling them to play as soon as the doors opened, before there were

many

quoted 1 line people there), or one of the top female singers from the Arab world hiring

>people there), or one of the top female singers from the Arab world hiring

quoted 1 line bunch of local musicians' union types to back her up...

>bunch of local musicians' union types to back her up...

It's crazy to have a local band opening for a touring band? I wasn't aware. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

2001-05-26 08:14Digital Cutup LoungeAndrew Hime wrote: > >Other countries are sometimes worse...for a long time (possibly stil

From:: Digital Cutup Lounge <johnvon@digitalcutuplounge.com>
To:: Andrew Hime <hime1@gte.net>
Cc:: Inebriated Dancing Monkeys <idm@hyperreal.org>
Date:: Sat, 26 May 2001 16:14:06 +0800
Subject:: Re: [idm] friggin' INS

Andrew Hime wrote:

quoted 14 lines Other countries are sometimes worse...for a long time (possibly still now)

> >Other countries are sometimes worse...for a long time (possibly still now) > >Australia had a 'local content' law for live performances which involved > hiring > >at least one Aussie musician for each foreign musician in the show...this > led > >to crazy things like Hong Kong pop groups hiring Aussie bands to open for > them > >(scheduling them to play as soon as the doors opened, before there were > many > >people there), or one of the top female singers from the Arab world hiring > a > >bunch of local musicians' union types to back her up... > > It's crazy to have a local band opening for a touring band? I wasn't aware.

It's crazy when the main performer is a Hong Kong pop star, 100% of the audience are screaming Chinese girls, and the opening band selected by the Musicians' Union was a 20-piece jazz orchestra doing 'It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing' and so on...I guess the Musicians' Union just randomly assigned the opening acts or something? Bizarre. John -- John von Seggern DJ/producer Digital Cutup Lounge Hong Kong http://www.digitalcutuplounge.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

[idm] friggin' INS