Music knows no borders, except for Canadian performers trying to access temporary U.S. visas amidst backlogs

Stephen Lewis and the Big Band of Fun was on a roll in 2020.

The musician’s high energy, funk and hip-hop style was capturing fans across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom after playing in some of the world’s most notable music festivals, including Glastonbury and Burning Man.

Then the pandemic hit.

“We had six figures of income in festival and venue offers in the U.S.,” Lewis recalled in an interview with CTV Atlantic. “We obviously couldn't do those shows. Everyone cancelled. Roll to 2021, and we were going, we were getting ready to do those shows, on this very big climb for our career. And then because of the border remaining closed, we couldn't go and do those shows either.”

After that, the band had trouble booking because festivals were concerned about further border hurdles.

“So fast forward now, I'm obviously working in a million different spaces to come good on the debt that I incurred from all of this. And now I still get offers in the U.S., and I'm trying to rebuild that big up climb,” he said.

But he’s facing another international barrier.

Canadian musicians need a P-2 temporary visa to perform in the U.S.

Lewis applied for his back in April. He’s been approved nine times before and has never waited longer than 40 days to get approved.

He paid a fee of about $2,000. Almost four months later, he’s still waiting. Lewis says he was told he will have to pay more in order to expedite his application.

With shows booked in the U.S. over the coming months, he does wonder about the best route.

“You can't make good relationships when the biggest part of the relationship is out of your control. And then if it doesn't go the way that it's supposed to, that it comes at an astronomical fee when the fees associated with touring already are astronomical,” he said.

The Canadian Federation of Music confirmed to CTV Atlantic that “various and sporadic delays” have had some artists waiting much longer than normal for their visas.

“Not all files are being impacted, and we have no way of knowing which of our files will be impacted by lengthy delays until at least a month after the petition has been submitted,” said executive director Liana White in an email.

White said they had a meeting on the issue last week, and are hoping their U.S. lobbying group will find ways to address the issues – that appear to be both “general administrative as well as lengthy processing.”

“The delays are not in keeping with the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) promise that once the recent fee increases were implemented that petitioners could expect better and more expedient service, so in our communications we are holding them to their promise,” she said.

It's affecting many musicians, and makes trying to set tour dates south-of-the-border extremely difficult, says a Fredericton-based industry promoter and manager.

“I just think it's really ironic that, you know, a band from Fredericton, New Brunswick, it's easier for them – cost aside, but legally – it's easier for them to play a show in London, England, than it is Bangor, Maine, three hours down the highway,” said Rob Pinnock, who co-owns Music Runs Through It, an agency that manages and promotes artists and live events.

He's also a host on Fredericton’s Bounce 105.3 radio, a station owned by Bell Media, which also owns CTV News.

Pinnock and Lewis are hoping this is an eye-opener for industry organizers on both sides of the border.

“Really what needs to happen is that Canadians need the same access that Americans have to Canada,” Lewis said. “I write letter of invitations for U.S. artists once a week for Harvest (Harvest Music Festival) or the venues that I manage. That's all they need. They need a letter of invitation to prove that the venue or the festival is legit, it’s noteworthy, and they can come on in and that really needs to be the same for us.”