MAY 2009 - New UK Immigration Requirements for Visiting Musicians

This in from Jacey Bedford nr. Huddersfield, UK:
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Dear Mapleposters,
My thanks to Hugh McMillan for passing this on. There seems to be some concern about the new requirements for sponsorship certificates for Canadian (and American) musicians coming to work in the UK. Anyone who regularly works in the UK knows that there has always been a requirement for visiting musicians to obtain a work permit. This new sponsorship certificate replaces that requirement.
Anyone who has previously been coming into the UK to work without a work permit has _always_ risked deportation. This is nothing new.
If you think of the new 'sponsorship certificate' as the equivalent of the old work permit, then that's pretty much all there is to it.
However... In order to apply for sponsorship certificates a person has to be a licensed sponsor - which I am. (Hence it's unlikely that venues will be able to make the application on your behalf as only the biggest venues will go through the process of becoming licensed.) To become a licensed sponsor we have to jump through a few hoops, agree to specific legal requirements, and pay out £400 for a licence, but once we are licensed the applications for certificates are relatively simple - just some online form-filling and a payment.
A sponsorship certificate is not actually a piece of paper, it's a number which you present at immigration upon landing. The immigration officer then checks the number against the computerised system and okays your entry to the UK. It generally takes about 15 minutes and there's no hassle.
I am happy to apply for sponsorship certificates for legitimate Canadian and American musicians who wish to contact me, but though I have pulled rabbits out of hats and got certificates through in less than a week, I'd really prefer a six week lead time if possible. I make a charge of course, but it's actually less than the old work permit costs.
Cheers
Jacey Bedford
agency@jacey-bedford.com
www.jacey-bedford.com
PS, for those of you who remember me as 1/3 of Artisan, we're doing a 5-year reunion visit to Lunenburg Folkharbour Festival in 2010, so we might see some of you on that trip.
Www.artisan-harmony.com