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.
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