Visas & Advice Detail
Extraordinary people flocking to USA
Over the past few years the number of people being awarded the O-1 visa increased by 40 per cent. This visa class is reserved for people with ‘extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business or athletics’, and 2008 saw 9,014 immigrants awarded an O-1 visa.
O-1 recipients include Nobel Prize winners, but although the standard of applicant is high, and the USCIS must deem the talent held by the visa applicant to truly exceptional - 94 per cent of O-1 applications have been successful in the four years between 2004 and 2008.
There is no limit to the number of O-1 visas granted each year, and they may be renewed indefinitely, so it is worth checking with immigration professionals to see if your specialist experience, professional awards or level of expertise qualify you for an O-1 visa, before you apply for a visa in one of the other employment visa categories.
The O-1 visa is also known as the 'artists' visa' as it enables people to enter the US who may be excluded from qualifying for other visas because of the level of experience and training required.