Influencers and OnlyFans Models Are The Majority Among Extraordinary O-1 Visa Applicants

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The O-1 visa, or more specifically, the O-1B visa, is reserved for artists with extraordinary ability. However, recent reports show that the influencers and OnlyFans models are dominating among the successful applicants for this visa category.

A report by the Financial Times has recently unveiled a strong contemporary tendency in the O-1 visa applications: many influencers and OnlyFans models are applying in this visa category, and often with success.

Though this trend sounds a little out of the box, it highlights an important socio-cultural transformation in the wider U.S. visa and immigration landscape. And, likewise, our EB-1A consultants have dissected this news with critical and curious eyes.

The popularity of the O-1 visa among influencers and models

Online reach can’t be discarded as part of your success portfolio anymore. The recent story by the Financial Times has shown this trend in glaring presence. They reported that immigration attorney Michael Wilde commented on how the rising number of those contacting him seeking visas are social media influencers and models. A lot of these individuals maintain their social presence on Instagram and OnlyFans, the latter being a streaming platform for sex workers and celebrities alike.

Interestingly, Wilde’s father represented the late Beatles frontman John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono when the duo were threatened with deportation back in the 70s. Wilde himself has represented iconic names like Boy George and Sinéad O’Connor. However, he lamented that the days of such glories might already be over, and there is a clear shift towards what he called “Scroll kings and queens.” Wilde is not the only one. Many other immigration lawyers have also pointed out this trend. They are getting increasingly more clients like these since the COVID-19 pandemic. Some immigration consultancies and attorneys have also remarked that influencers now make up more than half of their clientele.

There is a big underlying reason behind this. The number of ‘Likes’ and ‘subscribers’ is often easy to quantify and use as supporting evidence for one’s extraordinary ability. Hence, the consultants and attorneys can use the client’s influential digital presence to strengthen their O-1 profile. In this context, immigration lawyer Elektra Yao has remarked: “A lay person is often very easily impressed by a large number of followers.” Hence, online presence is becoming a supporting metric for extraordinary ability visas, more specifically, the O-1 category visas.

The steady growth of the O-1 visa awarding

The O-1 visa has two different subcategories: O-1A (Made for remarkable abilities in science, education, business, or athletics) and O-1B (Made for contribution in the arts). The number of O-1 visas awarded each year has shown a steady increase of more than 50 percent between the years of 2014 and 2024. Though O-1 visas make up only a tiny share among the non-immigrant visas awarded each year, there is a steadier increase in comparison to the other categories. Below is a chart to illustrate this steady growth:

How does the criteria for O-1B fit the social media influencers?

The main tenets of the O-1B visa requirement are: performing in a leading role for a distinguished production, a clear record of commercial success, or significant recognition from several experts in the defined niche. Several of these categories sit extremely well with the social media influencers. For instance, it is possible to legally use high follower counts and big earnings to establish commercial success and significant impact.

Influencers often land a contract to promote certain brands. They are also sought in events of product launching or store openings. These achievements and practices can help the candidate qualify for several O-1 criteria by default, including starring in a distinguished production and major influence in the niche. In other words, O-1 visas might be closer to many influencers than they would otherwise assume.

However, many immigration experts and attorneys, like Protima Daryanani and Shervin Abachi, are also not ruling out the uncomfortable other side of such metric-based convenience. Traditional artists who do not leverage social media for revenue may fall victim to wider dispossessions and find it harder to qualify for the criteria.

All in all, this trend is clearly showing how opportunities are being allocated and evaluated in our times. And, this is certainly promising news if you are a social media influencer aspiring to qualify for the O-1 visa. At GCEB1, we provide detailed mentorship to create a digital portfolio and social presence that can strengthen your extraordinary ability profile.

For more tips and insights into the current immigration landscape, stay tuned to our blog section. We wish you a smooth and stress-free immigration journey.