How to Apply for O1 Visa to Work in the US

Good news for those trying to get a work visa to the US. Now you can apply for O1 visa.

Individuals with extraordinary abilities in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, or who have a demonstrated record of extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry and have been recognized nationally or internationally for those achievements, are eligible for an O1 non-immigrant visa from the United States.

Non-IT workers who intend to work in the United States on a temporary basis should apply for the O non-immigrant visa.

O1 Visa Types

Visas in the O category come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Individuals with exceptional ability in the sciences, education, business, or athletics (not including the arts, motion pictures, or television industry);

O1B: Individuals with exceptional ability in the sciences, education, business, or athletics (not including the arts, motion pictures, or television industry).

Individuals with a remarkable talent in the arts or extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry; O-1B: Individuals with extraordinary ability in the arts or extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry;

O2: Individuals who will accompany an O1 artist or athlete to help with a specific event or performance;

O3: Spouses and children of O1 and O2 visa holders.

O1 Visa time and extension

You may be accepted to the United States for a three-year period as an O1 nonimmigrant. Based on USCIS examination, the application may be prolonged for up to a year.

Eligibility for O1 Visa

To be eligible for an O1 visa, you must have the extraordinary ability as evidenced by sustained national or international acclaim, or a track record of extraordinary achievement in the motion picture and television industries, and you must be coming to the United States temporarily to continue work in the field of extraordinary ability.

According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, extraordinary talent in the disciplines of science, education, business, or athletics indicates a level of skill showing that you are one of the small fraction of people who have risen to the very top of their industry (USCIS).

Your help must be an “integral part” of the O1A visa holder’s performance, and you must have important skills and expertise with the O1 visa holder that are not of a generic character and cannot be readily performed by a U.S. worker to qualify for an O2 visa.

In the case of an O2 visa holder in the motion picture or television industry, you must have skills and experience with the O1 visa holder that are not of a general nature and are critical either based on a pre-existing long-term working relationship or, with respect to the specific production, because significant production (including pre-and post-production work) will take place both before and after the O-1 visa holder arrives.