Artistic Exchange (P-2) Visa

P-2 visa covers artists and entertainers who perform individually or as part of a group, pursuant to a reciprocal exchange program between one or more US organizations and one or more such organizations in other countries that provides for the temporary exchange of artists and entertainers. The coverage of this category extends to those aliens who are an integral part of the performance of a group. The aliens for whom the P-2 category is being sought and the U.S. artists and entertainers subject to reciprocal exchange agreement must be experienced artists or entertainers with comparable skills and the terms and conditions of employment must be similar.

P-2 visa extends to aliens who are essential support persons based on their support relationship to a P-2 artists or entertainer.

The I-129 petition must be filed by the sponsoring organization, an employer in the U.S., or the U.S. labor organization that negotiated the agreement. The petition must be filed with:

• A written consultation by an appropriate labor organization

• A copy of the formal reciprocal exchange agreement between the U.S. organization or organizations which sponsor the foreign nationals and an organization or organizations in a foreign country which will receive the U.S. artist or entertainers

• A statement from the sponsoring organization describing the reciprocal exchange of U.S. artists or entertainers as it relates to the specific petition for which P-2 classification is being sought

• Evidence that an appropriate labor organization in the U.S. was involved in negotiating, or has concurred with, the reciprocal exchange of U.S. and foreign artists or entertainers

• Evidence that the foreign nationals for whom P-2 classification is being sought and the U.S. artists or entertainers subject to the reciprocal exchange agreement are artists or entertainers with comparable skills, and that the terms and conditions of employment are similar

P-2 aliens are admitted for a period that is required to engage in the performances for which admission is sought, up to one year.