US Visa Problems For UK Bands

[Frank Gallagher]

Originally posted by Jaguar:
  Crap. This is so frustrating! A friend of mine's band is going through this same shit trying to get in for one measly show. They aren't British but from Ireland so same issues really. The show is only a week or two away and they are getting rather antsy about everything now since they have yet to get approval, if that ever comes through. It costs them something like $3,500 just to apply!!! And that's with no guarantees! (Sounds like extortion to me...but that's just my opinion.) They've got the best booking agency in the US working on it so things should work out but if they had to do it all on their own, they wouldn't even bother.
 
 Maybe we need to go over to the Home Depot to go learn a few tricks. Comprende?

Tell them to give Ted Kennedy a call.
 
 OR
 
 All these bands could just fly into Mexico then walk across the border.
 
 OR
 
 Call themselves Mohammed and register for flight school in FL.

[930clubber]

I remember Ted Kennedy making exemptions for the Irish in some ridiculous bill that sought to tax people who gave up their US citizen.
 
 Sucks for the Pipettes, who put on a good show, and their fans.  Did the INS find them less worthy since their Black Cat performance?
 
 Thanks for INS for being our cultural guardians!

[sweetcell]

mostly on topic:  9/11 Is Over

[brennser]

not sure if it was Ted but I know that I and many friends/countrymen owe their visa status/citizenship to Congressmen Morrison and Donnelly who carved out gobs of visas for irish folk in the 90s
 
 

Originally posted by 930clubber:
  I remember Ted Kennedy making exemptions for the Irish in some ridiculous bill that sought to tax people who gave up their US citizen.
 
 Sucks for the Pipettes, who put on a good show, and their fans.  Did the INS find them less worthy since their Black Cat performance?
 
 Thanks for INS for being our cultural guardians!

[Frank Gallagher]

Originally posted by brennser:
  not sure if it was Ted but I know that I and many friends/countrymen owe their visa status/citizenship to Congressmen Morrison and Donnelly who carved out gobs of visas for irish folk in the 90s
 
   

Originally posted by 930clubber:
  I remember Ted Kennedy making exemptions for the Irish in some ridiculous bill that sought to tax people who gave up their US citizen.
 
 Sucks for the Pipettes, who put on a good show, and their fans.  Did the INS find them less worthy since their Black Cat performance?
 
 Thanks for INS for being our cultural guardians!

[/b]

Yes - Ireland got 40% of Europes allocation when they were handing visas out by lottery. Didn't really add up if you look at the size of Ireland, not exactly 40% the size, or population of Europe is it? More like a boil on the arse of Europe.
 
 It worked out well for me though, because that's how my wife got her visa, so I probably would never had met her if it wasn't for the biased allocation.