The P and O categories of visas are for non-immigrants that will be visiting the United States to perform in athletics or entertainment.
Attaining a P or O visa may require several months. Luckily, expedited processing is available. The visa applicant may have to use "expedited processing" in order to be able to make it to the competition or event in time. As such visas are not issued overnight, it is recommended to plan ahead in order to attain one.
For how long are visa holders admitted to the US?
Visa holders are usually admitted only for the duration of a specific competition, event or performance. Consequently, it is very vital to have a comprehensive schedule of events. Please take note that the lengthier the schedule of events, the lengthier the admission will be.
What happens if your visa is suspended?
If the visa holder is suspended, and not voluntary resigned, the U.S. employer must fund the costs of transportation to return the person or people back to their native countries.
O Visa vs. P Visa
Standards of eligibility for the O visa are higher than that of the P visa. This is because the P visa is limited to certain artists, entertainers and athletes. However, O visa holders may engage in a wider range of fields such as athletics, arts, education, business, science, or in media productions.
In addition, O visa workers don't have to sustain a residence abroad. However, P visa workers are required to maintain a residence abroad. This is to assure that they will return to their country of origin once their work in the U.S. is complete.
Request an extension of stay:
As an O or P visa holder you are able to file an extension while completing or continuing the activity or event specified in the original petition.
To request an extension of stay the sponsor or employer must file the following:
· A request to prolong the visa worker's authorized duration of stay
· And an application to extend the validity of the visa worker's original petition.
To submit such a request the visa holder must be present in the U.S. when the time comes to file for the extension of stay. The sponsor or employer will send Form I-797, Notice of Action.
In addition, Form I-129 must be filed and it must be submitted with a statement explaining the reasoning behind the extension request.
A visa holder can attain an extension up to 5 years per request. However, the total period of stay must not exceed 10 years.
Support personnel are eligible to get an extension with increases of 1 year to resume or conclude the event or activity for which they were issued the visa initially.
