Speech #1100107684

ARTS. Act. The ARTS Act would reduce the current processing times for "0" and "P" artsrelated visa petitions filed by. or on behalf of. nonprofit artsrelated organizations to a maximum of 45 days. Unfortunately. delays by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services are making it increasingly difficult for international artists to appear in the U.S. Nonprofit arts organizations confront long waits and uncertainty in gaining approval for visa petitions for foreign artists. Most nonprofit arts cannot afford the Premium Processing Service. guaranteeing processing within 15 days upon payment of an additional $1.000 fee per petition. This is burdensome for many nonprofit arts organizations leaving them to await the unpredictability of the regular visa process. Performances and other cultural events are date. time and locationspecific. The nature of scheduling. booking. and confirming highly soughtafter guest soloists and performing groups requires that the timing of the visa process be efficient and reliable. There is a continuing risk that foreign guest artists will be unable to enter the U.S. in time for their engagements. causing burdens on nonprofit arts organizations. international artists. and the local artists who were scheduled to perform alongside the international guest. In my home State of Utah. the Utah Symphony & Opera has witnessed firsthand how delays and unpredictability in artist visa processing have denied Utahns the opportunity to experience international artistry. To make matters worse. cancellations create high economic risks for these nonprofit arts institutions as they must sell tickets in advance. creating a financial obligation to their audiences. Congress has already indicated strong. bipartisan support for the ARTS Act. In fact. the provision enjoys support from key House and Senate Judiciary Committee members and it was included in the 2006 Senate comprehensive immigration reform bill. I agree with Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff when he said. "Our heritage and our national character inspire us to create a more welcoming society for those who lawfully come to our shores to work. learn. and visit." Indeed. this noncontroversial improvement to the artist visa process will strengthen our ties with other countries. enrich our Nations culture. and provide a wonderful opportunity to learn from foreign artists. I encourage my colleagues to support the ARTS Act. By Ms.