Earlier I shared the story of the K-Pop group which was supposedly detained at US immigration for 15 hours this past Wednesday, after landing from Seoul. Their management firm claimed the 16-21 year old girls were mistaken for "working women" due to a language barrier, and were then sent back to Korea. Via LA Weekly,…
Continue reading: K-Pop Group Lied About Problems With US Immigration
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Why would they have tourist visas, as your post states? If management wanted to try and take a shortcut, South Koreans are eligible for the Visa Waiver Program, if they meet the criteria. Since they were coming for work though, they would not meet the criteria.
This song was big when I was in Seoul last fall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PrNPhVexE4&autoplay=1
Point being the group itself is called "Sistar."
My friend brings Asian musical groups from Thailand for many years and he experience that getting the proper visa is usually very difficult. Many performers overseas need to prove that they have a financial incentive and reason to return to the home country. US immigration has seen too many "performers" overstay their visa and not return home. If this K-pop group was truly not that well known then that would explain their management group probably booking the gig here in LA way before they were able to obtain the necessary visa.
@ Unhoeflich tourist visas... visa waiver.. same shit.. the point is they did not have visas to work/perform which was not problem.
This is so stupid! US allow terrorists to come in and reject performers who speak little English. Stupid!
Yea, saved from cute performers by the ever vigilant border guard. I'll bet if they were a bunch of guys, nobody would have noticed.
It reminds of the Denver Airport Video from Japan.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSoZzDWgrgo
"Allegedly lied" would seem to be a more accurate heading/claim even if you believe unnamed Officials always tell the truth!
Do US VWP countries nationals require a visa for a "promotional appearance"? For concert performances, it's needed, but the promoters had earlier said that they were just coming to the US for "promotional appearances" and not putting on a concert. True or not?
They were not there to perform.
If they were booked to perform, they can EASILY get the work/business/performance visa.
They were NOT there to perform... show me the venue with them on the playlist!
I am the only reader that feels that this piece is a low punch in the face to a group of girls already hurt. Raising the problem with wrong visa types is fine, but there is no need to suggest that the girls were trying to exploit an airline.
@Lucky: the humour was apparent, but quite dry. Some people don't do dry.
Ask a Monty Python fan what it's like when people don't get the humour. Nothing more depressing. Sigh, chacun a son gout...
Unless, of course, Carsten Varming is even dryer than Lucky. Or me.
Yikes! I've been upstaged!
Immigration agen was probably very proud they solved a big problem that day...