U.S. Visas for Content Creators
The O-1B Visa: A unique solution for creators, influencers, and streamers.
Content creation is now an art form that is recognized by U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services as an occupation that can qualify top talent for the O-1B visa for individuals of extraordinary ability. This visa is generally good for 3 years and can allow content creators to live and work in the United States, the largest market for content creators with over 240 million unique visitors each month. To qualify for this visa, a content creator needs to show that they meet at least 3 of the below (highly paraphrased) criteria:
Have and will perform in a major production or event;
Have and will play a major role for a notable organization;
Have been written about in the news media;
Have achieved commercial success;
Have been recognized by other successful people in the industry; or
Get paid a lot compared to other creators.
Let’s do a deep dive and explore what these mean in practical terms.
(1) Have and will perform in a major production or event
If you have over 50K Twitch followers, your Twitch stream is probably considered a major production. If you have a YouTube Silver Award (or are close to reaching that 100K subscribers mark) then your YouTube channel is probably considered a major production.
If your own channels have not hit those numbers (yet) but you have co-streamed or joined another creator’s broadcast and they are at that level, you could argue that you performed in a major production.
(2) Have and will play a major role for a notable organization
Are you a member of a creator collective? Are you signed to a gaming organization? Have you done sponsorship activations for global brands? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you could be considered as having played a major role for a notable organization.
(3) Have been written about in the news media
Google yourself - are there any articles about you on the Internet? CelebrityBirthdays.com and iMDB don’t count; has someone written about what you do, and how you are amazing at it? If not, what are you waiting for - work with a publicist to generate some more PR regarding your amazing self!
(4) Have achieved commercial success
Are you a Twitch partner? Have you won a YouTube Silver Award? Are you able to support yourself financially with your streaming or content creation income alone? Again, do companies and brands reach out to you to do paid sponsorships? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you could be considered a commercial success.
(5) Have been recognized by other successful people in the industry
Have you won a YouTube Silver Award? Will other well-known creators or executives in the industry vouch for you by signing recommendation letters? Have you been nominated for a Streamy or Streamer Award? Or even better, did you win? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you could be considered a success by industry experts, giving you a leg up in applying for the O-1B visa.
(6) Get paid a lot compared to other creators
Are you able to support yourself financially with your streaming or content creation income alone? Again, do companies and brands reach out to you to do paid sponsorships? It’s OK if you’re not there yet - now is the time to grind, put yourself out there, and start making your dream a reality by monetizing your brand.
What next?
Maybe you only meet 1 of these right now–if you put in the hours and effort, it is not impossible to hit at least 3 or 4 within a year’s time. Get yourself a manager or publicist. Take initiative; reach out to do collaborations and be diligent about marketing your content. Go to networking events like TwitchCon and meet people who can give you advice or inspiration. If you want a reality check, contact us! We will Google stalk you and let you know where you stand. We’ll also give you practical pointers on how you can achieve your dream of moving to the USA.
