House Passes Bill to Reduce Processing Times for O and P Visa Petitions

On April 1, 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Arts Require Timely Service (ARTS) Act (HR 1312). The bill seeks to reduce the processing time for O and P nonimmigrant visa petitions by requiring U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to adjudicate them within 30 calendar days of filing. If USCIS fails to adjudicate an O or P petition within the 30 days allotted and the petitioner is a 501(c) nonprofit organization, USCIS would be required to provide premium processing services at no additional charge. The bill excludes athletes seeking admission as P nonimmigrants from the expedited adjudication process.

The bill will now go to the Senate for consideration.The O nonimmigrant visa provides admission into the United States for persons deemed to possess extraordinary ability in the arts, sciences, education, business, or athletics, or to those persons with extraordinary achievement in motion picture or television production. The P nonimmigrant visa classification provides admission into the U.S. for persons who are internationally recognized as athletes or entertainers, and for those who perform as artists or entertainers in culturally unique programs.