This workshop will provide an introduction to the immigration visa process for artists and arts organizations and answer these fundamental questions:

~ How does the basic immigration system work for visual and performing artists who are foreign nationals?

~ What are the major changes in visa processing both inside and outside the U.S. that are having an impact on costs and time frames?

~ What are the obligations of a sponsoring arts organization and what is the best way to add additional events to an itinerary or extend a visa?

~ What are the main temporary visa categories for artists and what is “extraordinary ability” in the arts?

~ What is a “dual intent” visa and what are the steps to apply for permanent residence and U.S. Citizenship?

~ What low-cost resources are available to arts organizations and when is it advisable to consult an immigration attorney?

Presenter: Ann Kanter, Esq. Ann Kanter is a State-certified specialist in Sacramento, California with concentration in employment-based and family-based immigration law, and the managing partner of Kanter & Romo Immigration Law Office, PC. She has been chosen by her peers as a Northern California Super lawyer annually since 2006 and has been practicing immigration law continuously since 1975. She is a past national board member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and a former Visiting Professor at U.C. Davis Law School. The author of numerous legal articles, she is also a creative nonfiction writer and was selected for the Squaw Valley Writers Conference. Ann is a longtime supporter of California Lawyers for the Arts and an advisory board member.