Establishing eligibility for a certain visa is a difficult task. It becomes even more difficult when you are applying for the O-1 Visa. Individuals with extraordinary ability in certain fields qualify for this visa. One of these fields is art – the motion picture and the television production industry.

Which individuals may apply under this category? You may be eligible for this visa application if you were a director, performer, set-designer, coach, choreographer, make-up artist of costume designer.

How do you establish eligibility? It is easy to establish extraordinary ability if you had a nomination for or an award (any of the renowned international or national awards, like the Academy Award, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, and so on).

If you do not have any such awards or nominations, you need to establish at least three of the following.

You played/are playing the lead in the production of a distinguished production house

You led/are leading a distinguished organization

You received recognition from government agencies, organizations, critics and experts in the relevant field

You received critical reviews for your work in the media

You hold record for commercial/critical success

You command a high salary for your work

Handling the application procedure and the following stages is a difficult task. It is better if you have competent legal counsel for this.