CoveyLaw’s base fees to prepare and submit a work visa petition (Form I-129) for performing artists and their essential support personnel are as follows:
For solo artists, groups, or support personnel, our legal fee is usually 2450USD, which does not include the government filing fee* or the union consultation fee of approximately 300USD. This applies to renowned solo artists (O-1 cases), ensembles (P-1 cases), traditional or “folk” performers (P-3 cases), and backing artists or crew members (O-2, P-1S, or P-3S cases).
For cases where a principal petition is filed simultaneously with a support petition (an O-1 with an O-2, a P-1 with a P-1S, or a P-3 with a P-3S) our legal fee is usually 4400USD, which does not include two government filing fees*, and two union consultation fees of approximately 300USD each.
*On January 30, 2024, the U.S. government announced increases to the petition filing fees, which took effect on April 1, 2024. A summary of those changes can be found at the bottom of this page.
Urgent Cases: If you need a visa in less than five months, chances are you will have to pay the government’s 2805USD Premium Processing expediting fee and a union consultation expediting fee, which usually ranges from 100USD to 500USD. These fees apply per petition, so costs will be doubled for cases where principal petitions are filed with support petitions. CoveyLaw also charges a 1000USD emergency processing fee for cases where a client needs the visa in hand in less than ten weeks (or six weeks for Canadians), but this fee is only charged per case, so principal and support petitions filed simultaneously only pay one CoveyLaw emergency processing fee.
Large Groups: There will be a fee of 100USD per person applied to your invoice for each individual more than ten on a petition. In addition, for any case with more than 25 performers or support individuals, there will be significant additional fees because of new limits imposed by the government on the number of individuals that can be included on single petition.
Student and Teacher Performers: In cases where a performing artist is in student visa status (or recently was) and is seeking O-1 status, CoveyLaw’s fee will be significantly higher. Similarly, if a performing artist is principally seeking an O-1 to allow them to teach, the fee will be significantly higher.
Tamizdat Acting as Petitioner: Starting February 1, 2022, CoveyLaw’s affiliated nonprofit organization, Tamizdat, charges a $50 fee to act as the petitioner for an artist visa petition. The fee covers Tamizdat’s liability costs, and will also help defray the expenses of the research, education, and advocacy that it does to promote international performing artist mobility. Note, however, that the government now offers a significant discount on its filing fees for nonprofit petitioners.
Union Member Discounts: Please let us know if the artist is a member of a relevant labor union (the American Federation of Musicians, for example) through the duration of the calendar year, in which case you might be entitled to a discount on the union consultation fee.
The Fine Print: CoveyLaw’s services include processing information provided by clients, preparing the necessary forms and supporting documentation, obtaining the necessary union consultations, submitting this material to the government, and ensuring that the petition is received and processed. CoveyLaw requires full payment in advance before submitting petitions. CoveyLaw may assist the client in obtaining visas from their local U.S. consulate or embassy, but it is the client’s responsibility to research and complete local procedures for obtaining physical visas from their local U.S. consulate or embassy. Clients should be aware that their local U.S. consulate or embassy will charge an additional application fee, which is usually 205USD per applicant.
Government Filing Fee Increases (Effective April 1, 2024):
- For O and P visa petitions, the old fee was $460 per petition.
- For P visa petitions where the petitioner is a nonprofit (including petitions filed by Tamizdat), the new fee is $50 more—$510.
- For P visa petitions where the petitioner is a small business (25 or fewer full-time employees), the new fee is $350 more—$810, which includes a $300 fee to subsidize asylum cases.
- For other P visa petitions the new fee is $1615, which includes a $600 fee to subsidize asylum cases.
- For O visa petitions where the petitioner is a nonprofit (including petitions filed by Tamizdat), the new fee is $70 more—$530.
- For O visa petitions where the petitioner is a small business (25 or fewer full-time employees), the new fee is $370 more—$830, which includes a $300 fee to subsidize asylum cases.
- For other O visa petitions, the new fee is $1655, which includes a $600 fee to subsidize asylum cases.
- The new regulations limit the number of individuals that can be included on a single petition to 25 beneficiaries. This 25-beneficiary cap applies to all O and P petitions, and will very significantly increase the costs for large ensembles that use P or O-2 visas, like orchestras and theater and dance companies.