The P-1 is the visa for a band, a duo or an artist touring the United States as a group. Where the O-1 visa rests on one person's record, the P-1 rests on the group's: it has to have been together for at least a year and be recognised internationally.
What the petition needs
- A US petitioner to file it: the agent, a promoter or a visa firm.
- Proof the group has performed together for a year, and that most members have been in it that long.
- Evidence of international recognition: press, festival line-ups, releases, chart positions.
- The itinerary or contracts for the tour.
Who travels on it
Every performing member is named on the petition. Essential support staff, the sound engineer or the tour manager, come on a P-1S visa attached to it.
Timing and cost
Allow three to six months, or pay for premium processing and wait weeks. Fees run to thousands of euros once the petition, the consulate and the union letter are added up, which is why a single US date rarely pays for itself and agents route several together.