The boy band that's pushing the boundaries of immigration law

In their first TikTok video, Boy Throb came in hot.

"We're gonna win a Grammy," its four members say in unison, wearing hot pink tracksuits.

There's just one problem: Without a U.S. visa, band member Darshan Magdum says he's "stuck in India."

Accompanied by a heart-shaped framed photo of Magdum, the three state-side band members ask viewers to follow their TikTok account to help them bring Magdum to the U.S. This first video sets the tone for the boy band's oddball underdog mission to get the attention of both the music industry and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

A real band or an internet gag? 

Boy Throb has recorded and released four singles.

But on TikTok, many of their videos are absurd pop-music parodies about their quest to obtain a visa for Magdum. They sing "Give Darshan a visa for the USA," to the tune of Estelle's "American Boy" – and "Darshan is all we need" to the tune of Olivia Dean's "Man I Need."

Sandy Honig /

In some videos, a cardboard cutout of Magdum stands in for him. In others, he is superimposed into videos to either hit a high note or give updates on his immigration status.

These antics have earned the group 1.3 million followers on TikTok, but have also raised eyebrows. Some commentators speculate online that Boy Throb was orchestrated by the actor and elaborate prankster, Nathan Fielder. The band has repeatedly insisted they are not affiliated with Fielder and that their musical ambitions are genuine.

Band member Evan Papier says they can be a serious band with some not-so-serious marketing strategies.

"Two things can be true," he says. "We can be having fun and doing something different, but also being pursuing artists in this music industry."

Magdum says he's never felt that he isn't part of a legitimate band. "This is 100% real," he says.

A different kind of immigration case

Immigration lawyer Jonathan Grode helped Magdum file an O-1B visa application, a non-immigrant work visa designed specifically for artists and entertainers with "extraordinary ability."

Grode says the band's application was unconventional, since they became popular online before releasing original music.

"They were changing the orientation of the way fame is formed and, in exchange, how extraordinary ability can be proven to the government," Grode says.

Every step of the way, the band has been updating and educating their fans. In one video, they break down the visa application steps to the tune of Lou Bega's "Mambo No. 5."

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services declined to comment on Magdum's case.

After Magdum and the band's initial filing, the U.S. government requested further evidence to prove his extraordinary ability.

The band responded with more music. They organized a sold-out live show they called Throbcella, with Magdum appearing through Zoom.

They also scored a big-name collaboration with the pop star Kesha, who says she was immediately captivated by their videos.

"As someone who's kind of built a career on riding the line between seriousness and play, game respects game," Kesha says.

Kesha and Boy Throb put out a single on the pop star's record company, Kesha Records, called "DJ Turn it Down."

A big win 

Their growing momentum appears to have paid off. Ten months after they posted their first TikTok, Boy Throb announced that Magdum's work visa had been approved.

As international artists seeking to perform in the U.S. have recently faced higher fees and extra hoops to jump through, Magdum's case is a very public win.

Magdum says he plans to come to the U.S. in October. It's still unclear as of now what the band will do with all their cardboard cutouts of Magdum, now that he can soon sing and dance with them on U.S. soil.

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