Statement on USCIS’s Announcement Regarding O Visa Consultation Process

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Katie Barrows
Communications Manager
P: 202-549-5991
Kbarrows@dpeaflcio.org

WASHINGTON, September 19, 2018 – Last week U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that labor unions can directly send consultation letters to USCIS in instances when unions are not providing a letter that is favorable to an O-1 or O-2 nonimmigrant visa petitioner. The O visa category is used by artists, entertainers, and support personnel seeking to work temporarily in the United States. A petitioner applying for an O visa must submit a consultation letter from the appropriate labor union in its application materials to the U.S. government. Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) President Jennifer Dorning issued the following statement in response to this USCIS directive:

“DPE’s affiliate unions in the arts, entertainment, and media industries commend USCIS and Director L. Francis Cissna for taking this important first step to strengthen the integrity of the O visa program. Unions serve a vital advisory role in the O visa petition process as their expertise helps maintain standards and educate USCIS adjudicators about industry nuance. Unscrupulous visa petitioners have sought to thwart the union advisory role by altering consultation letters and creating fraudulent consultation letters on a union’s letterhead. USCIS’s September 14th announcement is a start to strengthening the integrity of the O visa consultation process, and we look forward to additional reforms that will further safeguard a process that ensures talented foreign professionals have the ability to work in the United States. We also urge USCIS to extend its reform initiative to the P visa consultation process, another visa category available in the arts and entertainment industry.”

DPE unions in the arts, entertainment, and media industries include:

Actors’ Equity Association (AEA)
American Federation of Musicians (AFM)
American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA)
American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA)
Directors Guild of America (DGA)
Guild of Italian American Actors (GIAA)
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts (IATSE)
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU)
SAG-AFTRA
Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC)
Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE)

About DPE

The Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) is a coalition of 24 unions representing over four million professional and technical union members. DPE affiliate unions represent professionals in over 300 occupations in education and healthcare; science, engineering, and technology; legal, business, and management; media, entertainment, and the arts; and public administration.