Important Things You Need to Know About O1 Visa

Do you have incredible talent in arts, science, business, education, or athletes? Or have you achieved or recognized in any national or international motion picture industry? Then, you are eligible to obtain an O1 visa to live and work in the US. Moreover, your spouse and children may also be eligible to accompany you. 

In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about the O1 visa, its eligibility, and how to obtain it. Let’s start with the different categories of the O1 visa.

Categories of O1 Visa

There are broadly four categories of O1 visas such as O1A, O1B, O-2, O-3.

O1A: You can obtain an O1A visa if you have extraordinary skills in arts, education, athletics, science, and business. 

O1B: It is suitable for people with ability in the television or motion picture industry. 

O-2: The supporting personnel of an O1 visa holder can obtain this visa. 

O-3: It’s granted to those who are the spouse or children of an O1 or O2 visa holder. 

Now, let’s discuss the benefits of an O1 visa. 

Benefits of an O1 Visa

With an O1 visa, you can stay and live in the United States for an extended period of time. Additionally, there are no restrictions for the extension of your status. You have a 3-year lawful status in the USA once you get the approval of an O1 visa. After that, you can extend your status up to one year, and you can do this unlimited times. 

Along with that, your spouse and children can also accompany you. Your children should be unmarried and under 21 years. Your children and spouse cannot work, but they can attend schools. With an O1 visa, you can work with multiple employers in the USA. Next, know about the essential requirements of an O1 visa. 

Requirements of O1 Visa

You need to fulfill the following requirements to obtain an O1 visa.

• First of all, you need to prove that you have extraordinary skills in the specified fields mentioned above. You need to meet the respective standards to prove your ability in different fields. You should consult an experienced legal professional if you need O1 Visa lawyer assistance. 
• Your national or international achievement or acclaim must be maintained throughout the year. 
• Next, you should work in the same field in the United States as the area of your extraordinary skills. You must show that you will continue to work in the same or as close as possible to your talent you have shown to obtain the O1 visa. 
• Along with the above requirements, you need to show that you are applying it to participate in an event. An event is very broad in this context that represents a lecture, conference, studies, or an employment opportunity. Self-employment or freelancing are not considered a valid event in this regard.
• A US employer or agent should file your petition, and self-petition is not valid for an O1 visa. 
• You must show that you are pursuing this based on an advisory opinion from a peer group or management organization. 

Fees for an O1 Visa

There are two ways you can obtain your O1 visa. If you opt for the ordinary process, you will have to pay only $460. However, you need to pay an additional $1410 for premium processing. It will take around three to six months in ordinary processing, but it will only take 15 days in the premium processing. 

The Bottom Line

Hopefully, the above article has helped you to know the essential things about the O1 visa. Hiring an immigration lawyer can help and guide you to easily obtain your visa. If you have any queries or need any assistance, please mention them in the comment section.