New Philharmonic Official Gets Approval to Start Work
Willem Wijnbergen, the new managing director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, is free at last to assume his position--a week and a half late.
After months of waiting for his papers to be formalized, the 39-year-old Dutch national was informed Tuesday that the Immigration and Naturalization Service had issued a notice of approval.
“I half liked my illegal status,” Wijnbergen said from his Hancock Park home. “It enabled me to meet informally with a lot of people without being bogged down in administrative detail. I got an H-1B1 visa--not an O classification, which is awarded to people of extraordinary ability whose skills would benefit the U.S. I’m sure I wouldn’t qualify for that one--maybe in my next life.”
To obtain an H-1B1, the Philharmonic had to apply to the Department of Labor, which must certify that no American can fill the position for which Wijnbergen had been hired. Then, in order to get the visa, the Philharmonic had to show the INS that the post was a specialty occupation and that Wijnbergen had the necessary skills.
Why did it take so long?
“I’m not prepared to say that there was a mistake in filing,” said INS spokesman Bill Strassberger. “But going for an H-1B1 adds an extra step.”
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