EXTRAORDINARY ABILITY (O VISA)

The O visa is a nonimmigrant visa given to foreign nationals who possess extraordinary talent or knowledge in the arts, the sciences, business, education, or athletics, or have a proven record of exceptional accomplishments in cinema or television. This person must have received national or international recognition for their achievements in their field.

There are multiple subcategories of O visas available to meet a variety of different needs. The subcategories include:

• O-1A- for foreign nationals who demonstrate exceptional talent or knowledge in athletics, business, education, or the sciences
• O-1B- for foreign nationals who possess extraordinary ability in the arts or exceptional achievement in cinema or television
• O-2- for persons who will assist the foreign national in their endeavors or performances while in the U.S. Specific criteria apply to assistants in each of the visa subcategories
• O-3- this subcategory allows the spouse and/or children of the primary visa holder to accompany him or her to the U.S.

 

Also read about O-VISA APPLICATION PROCESS OVERVIEW

Related form: I-129, PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER 

Who is Eligible?

To qualify for an O-1 visa, you must be coming to the U.S. temporarily to continue your endeavors in the specified field that you have a record of extraordinary ability in and have been nationally or internationally recognized for. By USCIS definition, extraordinary ability for:

• Athletics, business, education, or science, is an exceptional level of expertise that places the foreign national in the top 1 percent of their field.
• Arts, is distinction demonstrated by a high level of accomplishment in the field due to exceptional skill and recognition.
• The company you will help establish in the U.S. must be affiliated with the foreign company, and the foreign company must continue to do business
• Cinema or television, is an exceptional level of achievement and recognition accomplished because of significant skill and talent.

Becoming a US citizen entails specific rights, duties and following benefits: consular protection outside the United States; ability to sponsor relatives living abroad; ability to invest in US. real property without triggering additional taxes; transmitting US citizenship to children; protection from deportation and others. U.S. law permits multiple citizenship. A citizen of another country naturalized as a U.S. citizen may retain his previous citizenship