Yes, you can absolutely file your P-1 petition now, even before competing in the Abu Dhabi World Pro. USCIS allows for pre-event filings when you have specific upcoming international competitions. This is actually a smart approach that gives you enough processing time before the event.

For your petition, we’ll need to create a…

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Your situation is quite common for avant-garde artists, and I’ve successfully represented many clients in similar circumstances. For O-1B visas in the arts, you only need to satisfy three out of the six available criteria, and there are several strong approaches we can take even without major awards.

First, let’s focus on documenting…

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Your fusion dance style creates an interesting situation for the consultation letter requirement, but I’ve handled similar cases successfully. Since traditional performing arts unions like SAG-AFTRA or AGMA might not have clear jurisdiction over your Afro-Cuban and hip-hop fusion style, we have several practical options.

First, I recommend…

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Your international fighting experience is definitely a great start for your P-1 visa. To really strengthen your case, let’s gather a few key documents that USCIS finds particularly convincing. First, we should get official letters from the sanctioning bodies that oversaw your fights in Dubai and Tokyo. These letters should specifically…

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GitHub contributions and open-source work can provide compelling evidence for your O-1 petition if we properly document their impact and recognition. We’ll need to gather concrete metrics like star counts, fork statistics, and download numbers for your repositories. Even more valuable is evidence showing how your code has been incorporated…

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Your media coverage can be a powerful component of your O-1 petition, especially if you don’t have traditional awards. USCIS specifically recognizes “significant recognition in major media” as evidence of extraordinary ability. We’ll need to compile all your media mentions in prominent publications and create a well-organized exhibit…

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Don’t worry about having mainly collaborated on multi-author papers—this is completely normal in scientific fields and USCIS understands this reality. You absolutely don’t need to be the sole author or even first author on your publications to meet the scholarly articles criterion. What we’ll need to do is clearly document your specific…

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USCIS views NIL sponsorships positively, especially if they reflect substantial industry recognition or compensation above average market levels. Clearly document such deals with contracts, financial statements, and evidence of the athlete’s prominence (media attention, endorsement by well-known brands), thus substantiating claims of…

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The athlete should file Form I-129 with detailed evidence of international-level competition, such as NCAA varsity records, expert letters from sports authorities, schedules of upcoming international competitions, and evidence of professional-level engagements. It’s critical to remain in lawful status (not working unlawfully) throughout…

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Yes. The key issue is not where payment originates but that the athlete receives compensation while in the U.S. An O-1 visa explicitly covers multiple income streams, including international sponsorships. Remaining on an F-1 visa under these conditions risks violating immigration law, which can severely impact future U.S. immigration options.