Practically two weeks in the past to the day, I requested the query, “Are festivals going to see extra worldwide artists dropping out of the lineup as a result of troubles securing visas?” – and Nevermore seems to be the primary band to reply this query with a convincing ‘sure.’ Asserting by way of social media yesterday that the band could be unable to look in September’s ProgPower USA competition, they stated that it was taking longer than regular to get a piece allow for his or her new vocalist, Berzan Önen (Interior Urge, My Torment). Önen originates from Istanbul, Turkey.
The latest addition to the Seattle progressive unit isn’t the one new member (guitarist Jack Cattoi), and never the one new member who originates from Turkey (bassist Semir Özerkan) – he’s, nonetheless, the one one who seems to haven’t resided within the US for a time frame forward of working with Nevermore.
The band’s assertion reads:
“A MESSAGE FOR OUR US FANS
We hear your requests for a US tour loud and clear, and we wish it to occur simply as a lot as you do. The explanation it hasn’t but is easy – getting the work allow for our singer is taking for much longer than anticipated. We’ll get it carried out, however sadly we aren’t fairly there but.
Sadly, it additionally implies that we gained’t have the ability to carry out at ProgPower USA this yr.
Honest apologies to Glenn, the ProgPower USA crew and our US followers, and thanks for understanding.
New music is forthcoming, and we’ll lastly be again on phases within the states performing it dwell in 2027. We owe it to all of you and promise we’ll make it well worth the wait.
In gentle of all of this, we’re actively reserving extra worldwide reveals for later this yr. Bulletins for these will occur quickly.”
Alongside Dogma is alt-EDM producer and singer FKA Twigs, who needed to cancel her personal reveals this time final yr. She initially posted in a video to TikTok: “At this time, I used to be knowledgeable that manufacturing didn’t fill out the right paperwork in a well timed method for us to have our visas to return to the USA and carry out. By no selection of my very own, I must pull out of my New York, Chicago, and Toronto reveals.”
But these two artists are simply the tip of the iceberg – indie rockers Shred Kelly, alt-pop group PONY, and others who want to stay nameless as they proceed with their visa functions and concern retribution in the event that they had been to talk out have all confronted visa delays, typically spanning months, with the timeframe of journey passing earlier than their software is even checked out.
Whereas the unique software payment for performance-based journey visas was $450 and raised to $1,615 underneath the Biden administration in 2024, the Trump administration since taking workplace in early 2025 has made some extent to change into extra thorough of their background searches of potential visa candidates by combing by their social media and search their web footprint so as to establish ‘excessive danger’ people as deemed by the US State Division. This type of analysis has in flip lengthened the visa course of, with the wait time ballooning from a couple of brief weeks to full on months, within the case of most main Canadian cities.
An immigration lawyer by the identify of Matthew Covey talked to The New York Occasions concerning the potential impacts of the brand new visa tips and the way he anticipated worldwide artists to reply to the problem – he anticipated a 30% drop, and whereas there aren’t precise figures, he would not appear completely off. With competition season developing, and dozens if not tons of of worldwide artists, stemming from all different genres, will probably be travelling to the US to carry out at stated festivals, will we begin to hear of extra cancellations and artists pulling out of line-ups? Most probably. Will we straight-up see much less bulletins normally? In all probability.
Between visa uncertainties and the spike in software charges – with the now added choice to expedite your visa software for a jolly $2,805 by “premium processing,” added throughout the Trump administration as Rolling Stone’s Alex Ashley factors out – in addition to the unpredictable nature of the Trump administration and their subsequent transfer, there’s an excessive amount of monetary unreliability lingering within the air. Added onto the truth that the IRS taking 30% gross earnings on each present and each greenback made by worldwide artists, there’s little or no monetary incentive for artists to journey to the US as is, not to mention with the latest visa and immigration points.
Think about spending a minimal of $5,000 on visas – earlier than attorneys, inns, flights, baggage, crew, gear – after which being denied on the U.S. border, detained, and despatched house. That was the case for UK Subs in March 2025, when The Guardian reported the band had been denied entry into the US, with suspicions across the purpose for his or her denial being casted in direction of bassist Alvin Gibbs‘ vocal criticism of the present president.
Now, Dogma is in the identical place – despite the fact that I am unable to say I am completely sympathetic for his or her administration concerning the state of affairs – but it surely begs the rising query… is that this going to be the brand new regular for this summer time? Are festivals going to see extra worldwide artists dropping out of the lineup as a result of troubles securing visas? Most probably.
Taken from DOGMA Has To Cancel Their US Tour Due To Visa Points; Is This The New Regular? What’s Occurring?
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