US denies singer entry to perform at festival
A WELSH singer songwriter has missed out on a “huge opportunity” to break into the American market after he was denied permission to travel.
Dan Bettridge from Ogmore-by-Sea hoped to fulfil his ambition of performing at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas.
Having been championed by Radio 2 DJs Bob Harris and Jo Whiley, Dan was due to perform for record labels and publishers from all over the world.
But six days before he was due to fly out on Saturday, he received an email stating that the status of his ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) had been changed to “Not Authorised to Travel” with no explanation.
An ESTA is not a Visa, but permits entry to the US for residents of countries which are part of the official visa waiver program, like the UK.
The 23-year-old’s manager Charlotte Final said they were baffled by the decision by US Customs and Border Protection as Dan’s ESTA was valid until October 2017 and his passport is valid until 2019.
She said: “We attempted to reapply and it was declined within 10 minutes of submitting the new application online.
“When we contacted Customs and Border Protection they weren’t able to disclose the reason for this and we were told he had to apply for a B1 Visa, but with no expedited appointments at the US Embassy until Wednesday, March 15 it was too late.
“We’d made certain Dan was performing all official SXSW showcases to ensure he doesn’t breach the his festival performance contract and only planned to be in the US for one week.
“We’ve had everyone we know working on it to try and shed some light on the matter – Musician’s Union, PRS, Viva La Visa, British Underground, local Members of Parliament, Wales Arts International and have even contacted SXSW direct – but unfortunately the consensus is that he would need to apply for a B1 visa last minute as the US Embassy will not re-authorise an ESTA once revoked.
“Due to the circumstances, we have regrettably had to cancel Dan’s SXSW showcases. This was a huge opportunity for Dan to enter new markets and to play his music to music industry from all over the world.
“Dan had record labels and publishers booked in to see him perform, and we’re devastated that he has now missed out on this opportunity and that the US system has failed him.”
A spokesman for the US Embassy in London said it would not comment on individual cases.