Home Office backtracks over huge visa increase for overseas artists

Published Tuesday 19 June 2007 at 16:15 by Nuala Calvi

A crippling increase in the cost of visas for visiting artists has been reversed by the Home Office.

The price of visas rose from £85 to £200 in April, leading to fears that venues with strong international programmes would be forced to cancel events.

But following campaigns by industry groups, the figure has been reduced to £99 for artists who do not require a work permit to enter the UK, with immediate effect.

National Campaign for the Arts director Louise de Winter said: “We are delighted the Home Office has partially reversed its decision. We understand that the intention was not to target artists, but they were caught up in large-scale changes when they should have been treated as a special case.

“The decision establishes an important precedent that a negative economic impact on the arts can have an effect on how visa prices for artists are set and recognises the international environment in which artists work.”

The change will particularly benefit performers at permit free festivals such as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where many performers this year will require visas.

A spokeswoman for the Home Office explained: “We have announced that we will change the visa fee for applications made under the sports, entertainment and voluntary worker concessions. This will mean that the fee for applications under these routes will be £99, with immediate effect.

“We always said we would monitor the impact of the new fees and take appropriate action. By making this change now, we are confident that this summer’s planned festivals and sporting events can take place as planned.”

Arts organisations are still campaigning against aspects of a new points-based immigration system being introduced next year, which will expand entry clearance requirements for everyone outside Europe and require each artist to apply individually for a visa, giving biometric data.

Graham Sheffield, artistic director of the Barbican Centre, told The Stage: “We’re still concerned about the issue, because of the large number of people that come over in organisations such as orchestras.

“It would lead to a massive increase in cost and bureaucracy and make certain tours by international musicians who are not from the EU financially impossible.”

The Home Office will be consulting on fees under the new points based system later this year.