O-2 Visa Essential Support Workers

O-2 Essential Support Workers

Criteria

The O-2 visa is available for Essential Support Personnel that seek to work temporarily in the U.S with an O-1 artist, film/television professional, or athlete.

An O-2 visa petition can contain multiple support personnel. For example if a singer has an O-1, all her backup singers and/or dancers can file a single O-2 petition to come work for the O-1 singer in the U.S. O-1 athletes can also have a coach or trainer as O-2 support personnel.

If a Director or Producer has an O-1 and has started filming a TV show or movie abroad, one O-2 petition can be filed to cover the entire film or TV crew to come support the O-1 director or producer in the U.S.

O-2 visas can be issued to those working closely with a specific O-1 visa holder. O-2 visas can be issued on 2 grounds:

1)    Having a close and longstanding working relationship with the O-1 visa holder, which makes the O-2 irreplaceable by a US worker; OR

2)    Production on a film or TV show has already started abroad, and the O-2 visa holder(s) are needed in the US to ensure the successful completion of the production.

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O-2 visas are not available to support O-1 visa holders in the fields of business, science, or education.

O-2 visa holders must be able to demonstrate that they maintain ties to their home country and do not intend to immigrate to the United States.

Global Talent has helped hundreds of support staff obtain O-2 visas to support O-1 visa holders in the U.S.