US Artist Visa...............? -

A friend of mine is from Northern Ireland UK so he willbe here in Boston for music meetings. He is about to be signed to a US music indie label with Major distributions but here is the QHe wanted to take a flight to Boston on a one month ticket validity its cheaper but in a month he has to go home ( his commonwealth passport allows him to be in US for 3 months Visa Waiver Programmes)But my other friend suggest he take a one year ticket or 6 months in case he got signed and does not have to go home yetIf he signed to a label here HE NEEDS a US Artist Visa to perform and earn money, Question is Does he need to go back to his home country to get the US Artist Visa processed or the INS can process or change visa status in Boston itself?According to some legal friends people under Visa Waiver Passport ( Entry to US without Visa , UK, Singapore, Ireland , NZ ) Cannot change their visa status!Anyone can share/adviced before he bought a one year ticket?

The loop-hole going to Canada and return to get a new 90 day stay has been closed. Visits to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the islands of the Caribbean do not prolong the authorized stay.The status of a visitor on a 90 days stay under the Visa Waiver Program cannot be changed or extended in any way; he would need to go back home or to a country outside of the Western Hemisphere.http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_vis�� ..However he could travel to the United States on a B-2 visitors visa and declare on entrance that he is planning to change his status should the contract get signed.http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/m�� ..

I have been speaking with a friend who is Irish and has been thinking of coming to visit the US. She has mentioned visiting Canada for a few days then re-entering the US.with a fresh 90 day visa. I am not sure about the requirements but I know going to Canada is a lot easier than flying back to Ireland and returning. Plus the record label if he is signed would have a legal department and probally would do their best to change his Visa from a visitor to a Artist visa.