Immigration Attorney Breaks Down Visa Challenges Impacting Regional Mexican Musicians: ‘The Burden Is on the Artist’

Immigration attorney Lea A. Salama DiMitri of Behar Law Group joined Billboard’s senior editor of Latin, Griselda Flores, during a panel discussion at Billboard Latin Music Week 2025 on Tuesday (Oct. 21). The pair unpacked the increasingly complex realities of immigration policies and visa restrictions for international musicians, particularly the alarming trend of visa revocations among regional Mexican artists and beyond.

The conversation, which reflected the challenges Latin artists face when navigating U.S. immigration procedures, highlighted the stringent requirements for O and P visas — non-immigrant visas specifically designed for artists, athletes, and entertainers — as well as the growing risks tied to delays and denials. Salama DiMitri, a seasoned immigration attorney, emphasized the difficulty and multilayered process of securing these visas for international performers.

“Immigration structure is a multi-agency, multistep process. It’s not for the faint of heart — it’s complex, very daunting. It’s not like filling out a tax return; the slightest misstep can lead to a gargantuan process being enforced,” DiMitri explained. “Enforcement is the biggest trend right now.”

Flores, who has extensively reported on the wave of visa revocations targeting regional Mexican musicians, asked DiMitri to provide insight into musicians performing narcocorridos — songs with themes of organized crime or drug trade — and whether their lyrics might be scrutinized under U.S. national security policies. “Singing narcocorridos can be seen as a way of impeding their freedom of speech,” Flores noted. “It’s timely how these visas have been revoked, especially for regional Mexican artists.

DiMitri acknowledged this possibility, elaborating that multiple factors, including an artist’s social media activities or perceived political affiliations, can now factor into the visa approval process. “The U.S. Department of State recently began requiring both O and P visa applicants to disclose their social media handles,” she said. “With evolving technology and AI, algorithms analyze people’s online presence as part of the vetting process. These measures can be used to assess whether someone’s views — or even their artistic content — pose a perceived threat to national security.”

“For an O-1 visa specifically, applicants must prove ‘extraordinary ability,’ which can be demonstrated through national and international acclaim — for instance, if an artist has won a Grammy Award or achieved a significant one-time accomplishment. But even with that level of recognition, there is a discretionary factor,” DiMitri emphasized. “Any minimal violation — whether related to criminal activity, insufficient evidence, or even incomplete itineraries — can be grounds for denial or revocation.”

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With current visa challenges in mind, DiMitri offered sobering advice to her clients. “Minimize international travel. If you leave the U.S. to visit your home country, you increase the risk of being denied re-entry, even if your visa was initially approved. The burden is on the artist to prove their extraordinary ability and ensure compliance on all levels.”

Spanning more than 30 years, Latin Music Week is the single-most important and largest gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. Latin Music Week coincides with the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards, set to air Thursday, Oct. 23, on Telemundo and Peacock, where Bad Bunny will be honored as Top Latin Artist of the 21st Century.