The [url="https://www.usimmigrationplan.com/o-1-visa"]O1 visa[/url] is for nonimmigrant individuals who possess extraordinary ability in any field which typically includes arts, science, education, business, athletics, motion picture or television. The O1 Visa is further categorized into O1A and O1B. The O1A is granted to individuals who possess extraordinary ability in the field of science, education, business or athletics; on the other hand, an O1B visa is granted to individuals who possess extraordinary ability in the field of arts, motion pictures or in the television industry.

What are the general eligibility criteria for O1 Visa?

To qualify for O1 Visa, one must demonstrate extraordinary ability (demonstrating a high level of achievement) in any of the above-mentioned fields by a sustained national or international acclaim and must be visiting the US temporarily, to work in the same field. However, it must be noted that the O1 visa is not the “freelance” work visa, it can neither be sponsored itself. Rather, O1 visa requires a sponsor or a petitioner who intends to work with the beneficiary and assist him/her in order to acquire valid working status in the US. The sponsor can be any organization or even an individual, provided that it must be associated with the same field as that of the beneficiary.

Different types of O1 sponsors

Broadly there are two types of sponsors for your O1 visa:

Direct employer[: The direct employer could be any organization or an individual who agrees to be your sponsor to whom the beneficiary would be providing service. However, it is to be noted that in this case, the beneficiary can only work for the direct employer or that particular organization and cannot work for any other individual or organization.

An agent: The other way to get a sponsor for you O1 visa is through an agent or a manager, who represents the beneficiary and get the work on their behalf. In this scenario, the beneficiary need not stick to one employer, rather he/she enjoys to work for different employers or organizations as long as the agent agrees to represent him/her.

Sponsorship requirements for O1 Visa

Also mentioned above, the sponsor of the O1 visa beneficiary must be in the same field as that of the beneficiary. To understand better, film industry can sponsor an actor or an actress from a foreign national but cannot sponsor anyone outside the film industry. In a setting where the sponsor of the beneficiary is a U.S. corporation, the petition must show in the documents that the employment offered is absolutely real.

The petition must also include the history of the company, tax identification, total number of employees, revenue and other related information which is presented to USCIS. Additionally, the sponsor must also clearly state the current or future employment proof in could be in an oral contract form or a written contract. This contract should lay the employment agreement clearly and mention the wages and other terms. Labor certification is also necessary to file the petition. In smoothly file a petition and get through the process, an experienced immigration law firm can help you file the petition easily and represent you to acquire your O1 visa with almost no difficulty.

Getting a Sponsor for your O1 Visa

If you possess the extraordinary talent and wish to work in U.S. O1 visa is obviously a great choice for you. If you succeed in getting a job in the U.S. or you have a set of jobs lined up for few years, it is certainly not tough for you to find a sponsor and acquire the O1 visa. Whether you have one official employer (in case of a direct employer), or you decide to work with multiple employers and work at different locations within the country (in case when an agent represents the beneficiary), you can file a petition for the visa.

In certain cases where you are not sure as to go for which sponsorship program for your visa, it is recommended that you take expert advice from an experienced [url="https://www.usimmigrationplan.com/"]Immigration Lawyer[/url]. A law firm or an attorney, will not just help you find the right sponsor for your case, but can also help you in filing your paperwork and documentation to file an application and represent you throughout the entire process.