PR for O-1B visa applicants in the arts.

Short answer: one way to qualify for an O-1B visa in the arts is to show national or international recognition through critical reviews or other published materials about you in major newspapers, trade journals, magazines or other publications. We write and place articles about you and your work for that evidence, timed to your filing date. Your attorney decides how they are used, and we never promise a visa outcome.

What does the rule say?

An O-1B petition in the arts needs either a significant national or international award or nomination, or at least three of six forms of evidence. One of them, in the words of USCIS:

"Evidence that the beneficiary has achieved national or international recognition for achievements, as evidenced by critical reviews or other published materials by or about the beneficiary in major newspapers, trade journals, magazines, or other publications"

Source: USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 2, Part M, Chapter 4, based on 8 CFR 214.2(o)(3)(iv). Film and television work is judged under a stricter standard, extraordinary achievement. Your attorney will tell you which one applies to you.

What makes an article count?

• It is about you and your work, not only about a product, a show or a venue.
• It appears in a publication with real reach. USCIS has rejected published materials when the petition didn't show how widely the outlet is read, so keep the readership figures for every outlet.
• It shows a title, a date and an author.
• If it isn't in English, it comes with a full English translation, certified by the translator.

Which outlets fit artists?

For creative work, culture and lifestyle publications often fit better than business news. We place clients in outlets such as WWD, Elle Canada, OK! Magazine and Men's Journal, and in business titles such as Entrepreneur when the story is about building a creative business. Your attorney decides which ones to present.

How do we plan around your filing date?

We talk to your attorney before writing a word. The attorney decides what each article must say about you and which outlets to aim for. Then we plan backward from the filing date, so the last article is live two weeks before it.

An example from our work

One of our case studies is an O-1A petition, the O-1 category for sciences, business and technology: 3 articles about an AI engineer in 2 months, all live before his filing date. The steps for an O-1B are the same. Read the case study →

What to ask before you hire anyone

• Which outlets, by name, and would your attorney accept them?
• Will each article be about you, with a title, date and author shown?
• Is it an editorial article or a press release? Ask your attorney how each one would be treated.
• What happens if an article isn't live before your filing date?

Other visa pages: PR for O-1 and EB-1 visa applicants · PR for EB-1A green card applicants · PR for EB-1B researchers and professors

Questions applicants ask

How many articles do I need for an O-1B visa?

The rules don't set a number. Published material is one of six forms of evidence, and your attorney decides how many articles, and in which outlets, based on the rest of your case.

Does a blog or a small website count?

Usually not much. The rule speaks of major newspapers, trade journals, magazines or other publications, and USCIS looks at how widely an outlet is read. Ask for readership figures for every outlet.

Will the articles get my visa approved?

No one can promise that. We deliver the articles; your attorney and USCIS decide.