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Advocacy Work Continues!

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Please continue to speak up to let your members of Congress know the ways in which COVID relief is supporting your orchestra and your community. While much attention has been given to COVID relief legislation, there are other bills that will need support in the coming weeks and months as well.

New Visa Fee and Forms on Pause, but Congress Approves PPS Hike

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Orchestras that engage international guest artists should be aware that the new forms and fees that were to go into effect October 2 have been paused due to a nationwide preliminary injunction issued by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Petitioners should continue to use the current version of the Form I-129 (dated 01/27/20) and $460 filing fee for O and P visas for the time being.

Universal Charitable Deduction and the Latest Giving Trends

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Building on years of advocacy by orchestras in partnership with the broader nonprofit sector, a new universal charitable deduction was created under the CARES Act in March, allowing the growing number of taxpayers who do not itemize their returns to receive a tax deduction of up to $300 per tax return for cash charitable donations to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations during calendar year 2020.

Visa Petition Fee Increases Next Week

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U.S. petitioners that program international guest artists should prepare for steep fee increases in filing visa petitions with USCIS, effective next Friday, October 2, 2020. New versions of the Form I-129 were to have been released well in advance of this date, but as of September 23, the public is still awaiting approved versions of the new and I-129 forms.

Steep Artist Visa Fee Increases and Policy Changes to Take Effect October 2, 2020

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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has denied the requests outlined in detailed comments (PDF) submitted by the League and national nonprofit arts stakeholders in response to the DHS December proposal to impose very steep increases to some of its filing fees, including for O and P artist visas applications. DHS finalized (PDF) its fee increases and policy changes, to take effect beginning October 2, 2020

Ask Your Senator to Cosponsor Universal Charitable Deduction Bill

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Some good news, as the League and orchestras join the broader nonprofit sector in seeking increased incentives for the charitable giving that supports communities nationwide: Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Chris Coons (D-DE), Mike Lee (R-UT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tim Scott (R-SC), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) have introduced the bipartisan Universal Giving Pandemic Response Act (S. 4032) (PDF) to expand the current above-the-line deduction for charitable giving made available by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in March.

Trump Administration Extends and Expands Certain Immigration Restrictions through 2020

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This week the President announced an extension through December of his executive order from late April that had, at that time, suspended new immigration for 60 days. Effective immediately, individuals outside the United States who do not currently have an immigrant visa or official travel document other than a visa will be barred entry into the U.S. through December 31, 2020 “and may be continued as necessary” along with the possibility of “any modifications as may be necessary.”