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P2 Visa Processing
Obtain a work visa to perform in the United States
United States Visa Requirements for Canadian Musicians
Canadian musicians who want to perform in the United States can legally enter the U.S. to work by obtaining a P2 Visa in advance. The P2 Visa is intended for artists, entertainers, and athletes, and by far the simplest way for a musician to obtain one is through the American Federation of Musicians (AFM). There is an agreement in place between the AFM and the Department of Homeland Security that allows us to petition on your behalf, streamlining the process enormously.
The P2 is not a temporary green card, and it doesn't allow you to add dates after it is received. It is a work visa valid only for the contracts that are submitted at the time of application. Once the P2 application is submitted no more dates can be added to it–you must apply for another P2 if you wish to add more performance dates. The maximum length of time given for a P2 can be up to one year, if there are no more than 30 days between contracted dates.
The current fee for applying for a P2 Visa is $320 USD, plus a token $35 CAD fee to AFM Canada for administration costs ($70 for musicians and technicians). You may also incur Fedex charges for shipping documents to Toronto.
P2 Visas should be applied for at least 120 days in advance (the wait time is 90-120 days). If this is impossible, you can apply for “Expedited Processing,” which unfortunately costs $1,000 USD, in addition to the $320 mentioned above.
AFM Canada provides an up-to-date package of P2 documents online in pdf format. These documents can be downloaded, printed and completed by the member before bringing them in to our office for final processing of the visa application. If you have any questions please contact us!