Artists And Entertainers In A Cultural Program Per 8 CFR 214.2(p)(6)
Portions of the content on this page are available as public information on the USCIS website.
Criteria for Eligibility
Per 8 CFR 214.2(p)(6), the P-3 allows foreign nationals to come to the United States either individually or as a group to develop, interpret, represent, coach, or teach a unique or traditional ethnic, folk, cultural, musical, theatrical, or artistic performance or presentation. The foreign national must be coming to the United States to participate in a cultural event or events that will further the understanding or development of the art form and the program may be of a commercial or noncommercial nature.
The application must include evidence of the authenticity of the foreign national’s skills in performing, presenting, coaching or teaching the unique and traditional art forms or documentation that the performance is culturally unique as evidenced by reviews in newspapers, journals or other published materials.
Application Process
The petitioning employer must file a petition for a nonimmigrant work visa with USCIS. The petition must include a detailed explanation of how the beneficiary meets the requirements.
If the P-3 petition is approved, USCIS will issue an I-797 Approval Notice. If the foreign national is inside the United States in another nonimmigrant status, they can file their P-3 petition as a change of status petition. This means that upon approval of the P-3 petition, the foreign national will automatically be in P-3 status.
Applying for a Visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate
If the foreign national is outside of the United States, they will need to apply for a P-3 visa in their passport before they can enter the United States to work in P-3 status. To apply for the P-3 visa, the foreign national will need to complete the U.S. Department of State’s online visa application—DS-160, pay the visa fee, and schedule the visa appointment with a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad. If the visa appointment is successful, the foreign national will receive the P-3 visa in their passport. They will be able to enter the United States using the P-3 visa in their passport and the I-797 Notice of Approval from USCIS.
Validity Period
Initial: The P-3 status will be approved for the time needed to complete the event, activity, or performance, not to exceed one year.
Extension: The P-3 status can be extended in increments of up to one year in order to continue or complete the same event, activity, or performance for which the foreign national was admitted.
Change of Employer
P-3 visa holders may file an application to change employers, but they may not start employment with the new employer until the new application has been approved.
Family of Visa Holder
Dependents of P-3 visa holders (spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21) may apply for the P-4 visa. The P-4 visa status allows dependents of the P-1B visa to live in the United States and attend school, but not to work.
Essential Support Personnel
Essential support personnel who are an integral part of the performance of a P-3 artist or entertainer and who perform support services that cannot be readily performed by a U.S. worker, and which are essential to the successful performance of services, are eligible for P-3 classification. A separate petition is required for any support personnel.
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