Even rock stars have visa problems

Thu15Mar2007

Even rock stars have visa problems

13:46 H | Topics: Controversia - Immigration - Mexico - World

How hard is it for a Mexican citizen to get a U.S. work visa? Well, pretty hard, even if you are a rock duo with a number one hit currently residing in Ireland. That is the case of guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela who, as a result of their success in Europe, were invited to play several shows in the U.S.:

The duo canceled shows at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, and a festival in Florida, Tetzeli said. Their Web site said they have postponed upcoming shows in Atlanta, Nashville, Tenn., and Washington.

"There was a lot of anticipation going into these dates," Tetzeli said. "The timing is pretty rough."

Sanchez, who applied at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City to renew his papers, was told the request was on hold because officials had to verify that he wasn't the person with a similar name who is on a wanted list. Details on the identity of the wanted man weren't available.

It looks it might be a while until we see Rodrigo y Gabriela stateside. Which is sad, because their story is pretty fascinating: they met in Mexico City, went to Europe with virtually no money and played on the streets of Dublin, eventually finding fame there and reaching number one on the Irish pop charts. Sounds a bit like "The American Dream" to me.

Via / Yahoo! Entertainment