Have you ever thought to yourself, “I don’t know if I have enough evidence to get an O-1 visa?”

If you have ever worried that your current artistic portfolio is lacking, you are definitely not alone. O-1 visas have a seemingly long and complex set of requirements – it’s normal to think “I don’t know if I’m good enough” or even “There’s no way I can do this.” It can be overwhelming and make you want to give up before you’ve even applied.

Good news: There is an easy place to start.

The easiest evidence for you to get is the evidence you already have. That may seem like a no-brainer, but the truth is that many artists overlook potentially valuable and high-quality evidence that is perfect for their O-1 visa applications, simply because they don’t see that what they did was “any big deal.”

The key nuance is to ask yourself how what you’ve done was exceptional. Did you work with a famous artist/choreographer/composer/director? Did you perform on the same stage as other legends? Don’t put anything on the chopping block until you have explored every angle of how it might be considered extraordinary or prestigious.

Okay, I’ve got some good stuff. Now how do I prove that to U.S. immigration?

Once you start to see the true value of the work that you’ve already done, now you’re faced with the task of presenting it in a way that inspires an easy “yes” stamp of approval from U.S. immigration. A lawyer can often help with that, but there is also a lot of legwork you can do on your own. Below you will find our uber-helpful O-1 visa checklist to get your juices flowing as far as how to showcase your evidence in its best possible light:

Your O-1 Visa Checklist for Awesome-Looking, Well Presented Evidence

Use this checklist to help you figure out how to really make your portfolio shine on an O-1 visa application:

  1. Start with your biography. This can take a little time, but the best way to start your evidence gathering is to write your own artist biography. Not only will a lawyer likely want to see this, but it forces you to go back in time and think about everything you’ve done as an artist. Start with your very first gig, award, or accomplishment – it doesn’t matter if you were a young child at the time. This is not the time to start weeding out evidence; this is the time to brainstorm. Try to remember everything you’ve ever done and get it down on paper. This will provide you with the perfect place to start gathering the best evidence for your O-1 application.
  2. Get great gig posters. If they don’t look professional, neither will you. Hire a graphic designer if necessary, or use one of the many free tools to create an amazing poster with little to no design knowledge.
  3. Don’t use videos. Artists often wish they could use videos in their O-1 applications, the same way you might for an audition. Unfortunately, the person looking at your application isn’t going to open a YouTube link or pop in a DVD you made for them. Instead, grab the best screenshots of you looking amazing, professional, and extraordinary and label the image with the performance information.
  4. Snap pics of your awards. Don’t just tell U.S. immigration about your awards – show them off! Whenever possible, use pictures to show the awards you’ve earned, along with any documentation. The best awards will have your name on them. Make sure the picture uses good lighting, is crisp-looking, and that any text on your awards is easy to read.
  5. Use color photocopies and nice, thick paper. If you are sending in copies of things like newspaper articles, CD liner notes, or something similar, don’t just go for the 5-cent copies at Staples. Get nice, high-resolution color copies and be sure they are printed on thick-stock paper. Presentation definitely counts!
  6. Print out anything you find online. Whenever any of your O-1 evidence is online, make sure you get a hard copy for yourself by printing it out (again, high quality printouts are ideal). Don’t make your lawyer or the U.S. immigration offical looking at your package go scouring the Internet for the information you told them was there. Instead, print it out and include it in your package.
  7. Avoid any evidence that makes you look like a “student” instead of an artist. It’s okay to use evidence from your student days, but the key here is that any evidence you include should prove how you are extraordinary as an artist, instead of proving that you showed a lot of promise as a student. Remember that this visa is for artists of top-tier ability and everything you include needs to be showcased in this way. Remember, it’s fine to include accomplishments from your student days as long as you can place the focus on you as an artist instead of just a student.
  8. Revisit any evidence you discarded as “not good enough.” It’s easy for artists to discount their work. You may think, “Oh, I was just the understudy, not the star,” or “Oh, I got that gig because of my uncle, it wasn’t that big of a deal.” This kind of thinking is a big mistake. Remember to ask yourself, “HOW is my evidence extraordinary?” Instead of “Is my evidence extraordinary.” Dig deep.
  9. What to do when you’ve done something extraordinary, but don’t have the evidence (or don’t have it anymore): The good news is that you don’t have to have the original documentation for everything you’ve ever done. If you’ve lost something or never had good documentation to begin with, don’t give up hope! In this case, letters of participation from whoever organized what you did are going to be your best bet. (Just make sure the letters are written in the correct way so that U.S. Immigration sees that they satisfy their requirements.)
  10. What to do when you’ve gathered all of your evidence, but you still need more: The American Artists Council exists for this very reason. Our aim is to help foreign artists showcase what they’ve done the best way possible and show them the easiest, fastest ways to develop their portfolios in a way that inspires an easy “yes” to your O-1 visa application. If you need help getting enough of the right kinds of evidence together for your O-1 visa, contact us to see if you qualify for a free Artist Visa Strategy Session-($500 value).
WANT MORE O-1 VISA TIPS, TRICKS, AND TOOLS?
Visit the AAC’s O-1 Visa Blog for more tips, tools, and strategies for getting together the strongest possible O-1 visa portfolio and maximizing your chances of getting your O-1 visa on the first try.
 
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If you are an artist who wants to take their career to the next level by pursuing an O-1 visa, but are worried that your O-1 visa portfolio is not strong enough, the American Artists Council can help. Get your free “O-1 Visa Action Plan in 3 Easy Steps” to get O-1 visa ready faster than you ever dreamed possible at www.AmericanArtistsCouncil.org.