Information about visas for Artists, Entertainers and Athletes

Artists, Entertainers and Athletes interested in performing in the United States should thoroughly review these visa requirements.

A performer may travel on a B visa if travel meets ALL of the following requirements:

1. The program is a cultural program sponsored by the sending country’s government;
2. The performer will be presenting before a nonpaying audience;
3. The performer’s expenses will be fully paid by the member’s government and no other source.

A performer is INELIGIBLE to travel on a B visa if their expenses are supplemented or covered by a nongovernmental source, including the traveler. However, they may apply for a P-visa.

With a P visa, the traveler’s sponsor in the U.S. must petition the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services in the United States.  We recommend that you initiate this process earlier rather than later. There are several types of P visas. Please read the descriptions at these links carefully to see which one is the most appropriate for you.

P-A1 Internationally Recognized Athletes

P-1B Member of an Internationally Recognized Group

P-2 Individual Performer or Part of a Group Entering to Perform Under a Reciprocal Exchange Program

P-3 Artist or Entertainer Coming to Be Part of a Culturally Unique Program

Increase in visa application fees effective April 13, 2012

Effective April 13, 2012, the application fees for a U.S. nonimmigrant visa are as follows:

• $ 190.00 - H, L, O, P, Q, and R visas.
• $ 270.00 - E visas.
• $ 240.00 - K visas.
• $ 160.00 - All other categories, including B-1/B-2, F, and J visas.

This fee allows the Department of State to recover the costs of security and other enhancements to the non-immigrant visa application process. 

Changes to Visa Processing – In Effect Monday, September 26th

New procedure for applying for non-immigrant visas

The U.S. Embassy in Quito and U.S. Consulate General in Guayaquil are pleased to announce important new changes in the process for applying for a non-immigrant U.S. visa.  These changes will offer applicants cost savings and convenient new services and options.  The changes will not affect applicants who have already scheduled an appointment using the current system.

Among the changes:

• Applicants in Ecuador will no longer have to travel to a bank to pay the visa application fee. They will now have the convenience of paying online with a credit card at The U.S. Visa Service Website on a secure website at no additional charge.
• Those who wish to pay in cash after this change goes into effect will still be able to pay at a bank if necessary, but should first register at The U.S. Visa Service Website for information on bank locations and procedures.
• After paying the visa application fee, applicants will be able to schedule their interview appointments free of any additional charge.
  They will be able to do so online 24/7 at The U.S. Visa Service Website, or by contacting a call center at:
  
  In Quito: (2) 395-8770 (8 A.M. to 8 P.M.)
  In Guayaquil: (4) 259-6800 (8 A.M. to 8 P.M.)
  In the United States: 703-439-2331 (8 A.M. to 6 P.M EST)
  Skype: usvisaecuador
  
  There will no longer be a PIN or additional fee required for this service.
• General visa application information will also be available free of charge.
  This service will also be available online 24/7 at The U.S. Visa Service Website, or through our call center during business hours, in Spanish and in English:
  
  In Quito: (2) 395-8770 (8 A.M. to 8 P.M.)
  In Guayaquil: (4) 259-6800 (8 A.M. to 8 P.M.)
  In the United States: 703-439-2331 (8 A.M. to 6 P.M EST)
  Skype: usvisaecuador
• Delivery of the visa will be available free of charge to any one of 29 DHL offices located throughout Ecuador, or to the applicant’s home for an additional fee.
• Recipients will be able to track delivery of their visas online.  

Additional information can be found at:

The Visa Section in the U.S. Embassy Quito website and the U.S. Consulate Guayaquil website or on Facebook for fans of the US Embassy in Quito or the US Consulate in Guayaquil.

Important Notice Regarding the 2012 Diversity Visa Program

The results of the selection process for the 2012 Diversity Visa (DV-2012) program have been voided.  Results previously available via the Entry Status Check (ESC) function on the Department of State website, dvlottery.state.gov, were posted in error and are now invalid.  The results were not valid because, owing to a computer error, they did not represent a fair, random selection of entrants, as required by U.S. law. 

This means that we have rescinded all notices informing entrants that they had been selected for further processing in DV-2012; if you received such a notice via ESC on dvlottery.state.gov, it is no longer valid.

A new random selection process will be conducted based on the original entries for the DV-2012 program.  If you submitted a qualified entry from October 5, 2010, to November 3, 2010, you do not need to reapply.  Your entry will be included in the new random selection.  Your confirmation number, which is required to determine the status of your entry, remains the same.  We are not accepting new entries for the DV-2012 program.

We expect the results of the new random selection process to be available by July 15, 2011, via the ESC function on dvlottery.state.gov.

We regret any inconvenience this might have caused.

For further information and future updates on the 2012 DV program, please see:

Electronic Diversity Visa Lottery website

Diversity Visa (DV) Program Information page  in the Department of State website

ESTA Approval Now required for WVP Travelers

On January 20, 2010 (updated to March 2010), the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) program – an automated system created by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) used to determine the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) – became necessary for any VWP traveler before boarding an air carrier to the United States. Residents of Ecuador who hold a passport from one of the following 36 countries: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom must apply online for ESTA approval before traveling to the United States.

Travelers may apply for ESTA approval using DHS’ ESTA website. The information requested on the website is the same information as is requested on the I-94W form that VWP travelers currently fill out enroute to the United States. The help section on the ESTA web site features multiple languages, including Spanish. However, application responses must be provided in English. Travelers should be cautioned that third-party websites offering to submit ESTA applications on behalf of travelers in exchange for a fee are not endorsed by, associated with, or affiliated in any way with DHS or the United States Government, and use of a private service to apply for ESTA authorization will not expedite the granting of approval.

Upon completion of the online application, the traveler receives a response almost immediately and the information entered by the traveler is communicated directly to the traveler’s air carrier. It is recommended that travelers print their application response in order to maintain a record of their ESTA application number. It is also recommended that VWP travelers complete their ESTA application a few weeks before their intended date of travel. An ESTA approval is valid for 2 years or until the traveler’s passport expires, whichever date is earlier.