O-1 Visa to the U.S.: Who Qualifies?

What is O Visa in the USA?

O visas are non-resident US work visas for people who demonstrate outstanding skills in their field of action. This scope includes arts, the motion picture or TV industries, sports, education, business, or the sciences. If everything is represented correctly, you can receive an O Visa, including the O1 Visa PHD, the O1 Visa for startups, and others, by proving you have risen to the top of your profession.

Even though the O1 Visa requirements have a high standard, it’s easier to get than you might think.

When you write an event press release you’ll add more info here and there, or make an accent on some part. Yet, we recommend you follow a standard template format of an event press release template:

Different Types of the O Visas

According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, O visas has four types:

1. O1A: People with extraordinary skills in the education, sciences, business, or sports (except the arts, motion pictures, or TV industry);

2. O1B: People with an extraordinary ability in the arts or motion picture or TV industry;

3. O2: People who will go with an O-1 artist or athlete to assist in a specific event or performance;

4. O3: People who have family ties or children of O-1 and O-2 visa applicants.  

The good news, that there are no extension limits, hence skilled non-residents may apply for extensions on their O1 visas without having to worry about exhausting a maximum limit.

As the types O2 and O3 depend on the O1 Visa applicant, I’ll explain below all important information about obtaining O1 visas.

Who Can Apply for O1 Visa?

It is necessary to present high achievements in one of the following areas: business, sports, science, education, art, as well as the movie and photo industry.

Evidence of the achievements:

• international or national prizes and awards;

• membership in organizations that require outstanding achievement to be admitted;

• significant contributions to science, research, or business;

• a high salary or other kinds of rewards;

• boarding or judging other people's work;

• proven work experience in reputable organizations or institutions;

• authorship of scientific articles published in professional media outlets;

• publications.

Direct your attention to the last two points from the list above for a reason. Are you already there? If not, there are a number of ways to get featured about your idea or merits. The PRNEWS catalog contains more than 23,000 media outlets from all over the world. If necessary, we will not only publish but also write an article, news, or press release about your achievements.

Which publications are right for you?

Above is the official list of selection criteria for candidates for the O1 visa. Of course, the context of the articles will depend on which category you are applying for. If this is science and education, then scientific articles in specialized journals will be of primary importance. But for most categories, you will need mentions of you and your accomplishments in the mass-media and industry-specific publications. It will be perfect if you provide mentions in local and specialized media about the all important for you events: receiving awards, activities within professional communities, judging in competitions, business achievements, etc.

Wrapping Up

Creating the O1 Visa success stories might seem like a long-term and expensive process. While this’s probably true, it’s still worth it, if it’s the most suitable way for your needs. All the more, you may significantly speed up this process with help of lawyers, media agencies, and consultants.

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