Pursue Your Dream Career in the U.S. with the O-1 Visa

The O-1 Visa is the primary means by which talented and accomplished individuals – from actors to academics – can be rewarded for their achievements with an opportunity to work in the United States. If you have ambitions to pursue your career in the world’s largest and most vibrant economy, keep reading to learn how you can benefit from O-1 Visa and how Jurado & Farshchian can help.

The Requirements of the O-1 Visa

The O-1 Visa category is available to individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds and professions. Depending on your field, you must either prove “extraordinary ability” (for the sciences, arts, business, athletics, or education) or “extraordinary ability” (for cinema or television). This requires that you submit documentation in your application that shows you have obtained national or international renown and acclaim for the accomplishments in your field.

To support your claim to extraordinary ability in the sciences, business, education, or athletics, you must include at least three of the following:

• Scholarly articles published in professional journals or major media outlets
• Proof of membership in associations in your field that require exemplary achievement for members
• Articles in major publications or professional journals about you and your work
• Evidence of major or novel contributions to your related field
• Proof of participation as a judge of other’s work in the field
• National or international awards, prizes, or other recognition given for accomplishment in your field
• Proof of employment in a distinguished organization in which you play a pivotal role
• Contracts showing that you command a high salary for your work

Individuals seeking to prove their extraordinary ability in the arts, cinema, or television must present a minimum of three of the following six types of evidence:

• National or international acclaim for your achievements (such as an Emmy, Academy Award, Grammy, or something equivalent)
• That you have or will be performing a leading or critical role for a distinguished organization in your field
• That you have or will be performing a leading or critical role in a major production or event
• A record of commercial or critical success
• Other organizations or governments have recognized your achievements
• Contracts or other documents showing that you are compensated highly for your artistic work

Also, note that you can only stay in the U.S. to work within the field for which you applied.

Applying for the O-1 Visa

Unlike some other nonimmigrant visas, the application for the O-1 Visa is made not by the person seeking the visa, but by an American sponsor who files on their behalf. Typically, this will be your U.S. employer or their agent, or your foreign employer and their U.S. agent. Your sponsor will have to fill out and file the requisite forms along with the documentation mentioned above. Once approved, you will be allowed an initial maximum stay of up to three years, with an indefinite number of one-year extensions based on how long you are needed to perform your duties and activities with the petitioning employer.