Julien Doré is not the first to face administrative difficulties in performing in the United States. FKA Twigs, Cat Stevens, Soko, and the Belgian band Tukan have all been in the same situation. This is because artists must have a temporary work visa to earn money from activities in the Uncle Sam’s country.
To obtain this visa, they must go through a long and costly administrative procedure. This includes approximately $1600 per person, legal fees to create a file, and taxes imposed by the concert venue, which amount to 30% of the revenue. In the end, hundreds of thousands of dollars are required.
Moreover, in addition to the money, artists must also provide proof of reputation. In other words, they must prove they are well-known enough to perform in the US. Some have even tried to use recommendation letters from teams of other artists familiar with the US to try to obtain the visa.
All of this is combined with a very strict immigration policy and much tighter controls regarding temporary work.
In short, the United States imposes a headache on European artists who are deprived of a portion of their American audience.
