Brit DJs Face 3 Month Wait For US Visas

DJs and musicians hoping to work in America should expect the visa application process to now take at least 10 weeks, according to Immigration expert Andrew Osbourne.

"It is more expensive, complex and takes longer than ever," the legal expert revealed in an article published in the latest issue of UK trade magazine Music Week.

"Think how long you'll need to get the visa then double it."

His warning echoed the recent experiences of French superstar DJ Laurent Garnier, who encountered so many bureaucratic hurdles during his latest application that he abandoned a planned tour of the US altogether.

"I have paid 3,400 Dollars (yes you've heard right 3,400 Dollars) to the US embassy in December 2002 for a visa that they still won't give me yet," he complained in January (in a message posted on his website).

"They did not refuse it, it is more unclear than that, they are just making it impossible for me to receive it."

"I hope that one day artists will be free again to travel to the States, but until that date it doesn't look like I am going to be able to come over and play records for you," he concluded.
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