10 ms·
It's funny, early on it says > The O-1 category includes the O-1A, which is designated for individuals with extraordinary ability in the sciences, education, b
by superfrank 9mo ago
It's funny, early on it says
> The O-1 category includes the O-1A, which is designated for individuals with extraordinary ability in the sciences, education, business or athletics and the O-1B, reserved for those with “extraordinary ability or achievement”.
Then later it says
> The O-1B visa, once reserved for Hollywood titans and superstar musicians, has evolved over the years.
I understand those two aren't necessarily contradictory, but the wording of the first sentence paints a very different mental picture than the second one (at least it did for me), especially since they throw in the O-1A and then almost exclusively talk about people applying for the O-1B after that.
Personally, I don't want the US choosing to give visas to influencers over scientists, but if this visa was already being heavily used to bring in actors, musicians, and athletes I don't see what the hubbub is about. I don't use TikTok or OnlyFans and I don't find e-sports entertaining, but I have a hard time arguing that a screen actor, Victoria's Secret model, or soccer player should be worthy of a visa and a social media star, OnlyFans model, or a professional Counter Strike player shouldn't is not. It's all just entertainment.
- tonyhart7 9mo agobasically, US Gov want to tax these ultra rich OnlyFans "model" that's why they accept so much, the circulation of money would bring an enormous currency more than "traditional" job ever could
- petterroea 9mo agoI think it's fair to say with the newly evolving markets, governments are fighting to house them and tax them
- lanyard-textile 9mo agoEntertainment is an industry :) It would be unwise to filter out the fun people. We'd all become a bunch of unfun nerds.
- readthenotes1 9mo agoKinda funny this comment is downvoted!
- hamburglar 9mo agoSir, this is HN. Being an unfun nerd is practically a prerequisite.
- verst 9mo agoSpeak for yourself :)
- hamburglar 9mo agoDon’t worry. Self-awareness is not required. ;)
- throwaway2037 9mo agoWhile I know you wrote this in jest, you raise a very good point! A lot of people with STEM jobs unwind after a long day by watching or listening to comedy -- TV, film, stand-up, YouTube, whatever. I have no issue with it. Also, lots of them go home and play video games. That is another form of entertainment (fun).
- lanyard-textile 9mo agoThe latter part is in jest anyway. The former is true! It would be quite boring to live in a world without a proper entertainment industry -- agreed.
- shagie 9mo agoIt's the difference in difficulty for the criteria. https://www.pathlawgroup.com/o1b-visa-requirements/ https://www.pathlawgroup.com/o1b-visa-requirements/ For all other candidates, at least three of the following criteria must be met in order to qualify for the O1B visa: Having been or will be performing a lead or starring role in productions or events which have a distinguished national or international reputation (as evidenced by critical reviews, advertisements, press releases, publications contracts, or endorsements) Critical reviews or other published material in professional or major trade publications or in the major media by or about the applicant which show that the applicant has achieved national or international recognition or achievements Evidence of performance in a lead, starring or critical role for organizations or establishments with distinguished reputations Evidence of a record of major commercial or critically acclaimed successes in the performing arts, as shown by box office receipts or record, cassette, compact disk, or video sales Evidence of significant recognition for achievements from organizations, government agencies, or other recognized experts in the field Evidence of having commanded a high salary or other significantly high remuneration for services in relation to others Other comparable evidence (This category is not available for those in the motion picture industry) For traditional arts, you've gotta be good. For an influencer... some number of anonymous followers? There are certainly some that would qualify... but it they should be held to the same standards as others.
- erichocean 9mo agoSeeing as how it's is trivial to buy followers, that metric should be completely abandoned, it's not legitimate.
- smithoc 9mo agoIt's maybe slightly less trivial to do, but still incredibly common to buy awards, recognition, press releases, positive reviews and commentary in publications. You might be shocked to find out how much the performers being written about in magazines or discussed on TV shows is a direct line to the production company promoting them. Similar for awards.
- throwttt 9mo ago[flagged]
- hxugufjfjf 9mo agoCan you provide a source for this information?
- pixelpoet 9mo ago6 minute old account strikes again! HN is getting overrun, man.
- rtkwe 9mo agoIt'd be fun to see a filter similar to [dead] where you could just blissfully ignore these baity throwaway accounts. edit: ironically to the person using a throwaway to yell racial slurs under me I do browse with [dead] visible because I find some of them amusing, more amusing than most of the throwaways even, though the funniest ones have seemingly stopped posting.
- snskksks 9mo ago[dead]
- solumunus 9mo ago
- ndriscoll 9mo agoIt's not "just entertainment". We want extraordinary athletes and musicians to inspire people and show them what humans are capable of. Extraordinary prostitutes are generally not inspiring people in the way that most people probably would like society to move. It's fine to place different amounts of cultural value on these things and not remain neutral about the worth of all possible human endeavors. When someone describes themselves as an "influencer", it is entirely appropriate to ask what sort of influence they're having, and whether we want that.
- tehlike 9mo ago+1. While supreme court defines the likes of porn as freedom of expression, it's a different thing for a country to want different kinds of professions to be more common through its immigration system.
- throwaway2037 9mo agoLots of extraordinary athletes are not good role models, yet we still grant them O1 visas. Many of them have many children to different women and are terrible fathers. To me, influencers are like the athletes of the attention economy. In the old world (20+ years ago, before iPhones), media was much more tightly controlled. It was harder to get famous. Now with mobile Internet, a new, parallel fame hierarchy that appeared. To me, most influencers seem like popular people from high school, but they use social media to extend their reach and shelf-life.
- jll29 9mo agoFor what it's worth, as a O-1 scientist you have to provide evidence that you: ...are a member of scholarly/professional organizations; ...have published original research works scientifically and internationally (peer reviewed publications); ...that you have judged the work of others (supervised and/or examined Ph.D. candidates); ...that you have consulted to governments; ...that you have repeatedly been invited as guest speaker at conferences, trade fairs or universities; ...that you won major international scholarships and awards (e.g. best paper awards at conferences, Masters's/doctoral scholarships from prestigious universities like Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard or MIT; ...that three referees that are themselves O-1 level equivalents deem you worthy of receiving O-1 status; ...that you are a named inventor on patent applications and granted patents; ...that you have received media coverage; ...that you abilities are reflected in higher than typical compensation/salary/remuneration; ...that you won major international scholarships and awards (e.g. best paper awards at conferences, Masters's/doctoral scholarships from prestigious universities like Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard or MIT; or ...that you have published significant works (i.e., works that created impact through citations, business creation, or software systems using the methods described therein). Usually, from an official ist similar to the above (which I re-wrote from memory here), three out of nine or so checkboxes is the lowest bar for an O-1, and if you tick all of them and work with a specialist law firm, then it should be a slam dunk; my O-1 took about six months from application to grant back in 2008 (no payments of any "expediting fees" if they exist were made as far as I know).
- volkk 9mo agoAt what point do we ever ask ourselves -- "what kind of culture do we want to create for the future of our country?" I don't think a pro soccer player is comparable to an onlyfans contributor. I would much prefer my future kids to be inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo than someone baring themselves on camera.
- dylan604 9mo agoYet CR7 is routinely photographed baring himself on camera, which is one of the reasons he's so popular.
- pjmlp 9mo agoAlongside delivering in performance, and being a role model in pushing oneself to the limit in regards to training. Photos don't win matches.
- generic92034 9mo agoI am not an expert, but I would guess there is a lot of "pushing oneself to the limit" on OF...
- dylan604 9mo agoI'd be willing to bet that a vast majority of his "followers" are not because of his antics on the field but because of his thirst trap images
- hnlmorg 9mo agoIf what you’re just concerned about people “baring themselves on camera” then they can continue to do that without emigrating to America and it would still affect your culture. The internet is global after all. Also, it’s going to take more than a few thousand immigrants a year to affect the culture of a country as populous as America.
- NewJazz 9mo ago
- deleted 9mo ago[deleted]
- actionfromafar 9mo agoWhich one did Melania qualify for? Type O 1A or O 1B?
- ThinkingGuy 9mo agoE-1, according to Snopes, citing the Washington Post: https://www.snopes.com/news/2025/07/02/melania-trump-einstein-visa/ https://www.snopes.com/news/2025/07/02/melania-trump-einstei...
- onlyrealcuzzo 9mo agoTale as old as time. Dial M for Melania.
- mattfrommars 9mo agoI’ve been thinking lately a lot of female pornographic actresses on sites such as Brazzers don’t have US origins. Does anyone know on which work visa do models come in then? It can’t be H1B…
- aiauthoritydev 9mo agoO1. It was specifically designed for this sort of professions and sports. For example when Chess Grandmasters from India come to USA.
- onraglanroad 9mo agoBut many are. Stormy Daniels, for example, is American.
- shagie 9mo ago> Does anyone know on which work visa do models come in then? It can’t be H1B… The H-1B1 visa is the one that we're mostly familiar with. Specialist occupations that require "[t]heoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and [a]ttainment of a bachelor's or higher degree in a directly related specific specialty (or its equivalent) as a minimum for entry into the occupation in the United States." The H-1B2 visa is for DOD Researcher and Development Project Worker. The H-1B3 visa is for... Fashion Model > The position/services must require a fashion model of prominence. > To be eligible for this visa category you must be a fashion model of distinguished merit and ability. https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/h-1b-specialty-occupations https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/h-1b-spec... (expand the eligibility criteria) The specifics of the law are at https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/part-214/section-214.2#p-214.2(h)(4)(i)(A) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/part-214/section-214.2#... - subsection 1 matches H-1B1, 2 matches H-1B2, and 3 matches H-1B3 > 8 CFR 214.2(h)(4)(i)(A)(3) - Will perform services in the field of fashion modeling and who is of distinguished merit and ability.
- aiauthoritydev 9mo agoI am not a lawyer. But OF models using O1 visa is totally fine. It is the intended purpose. The visa itself is meant for researchers, scholars who have job offers, athletes, actors etc. it has no cap and clear criteria. OF models who make a lot of money should totally qualify for this. Also this visa in uncapped so giving visas to OF models does not take away anything from scientists and others. O visa's original intent was to help pretty ladies from Eastern Europe to be brought into the country as indentured workers. That is why it is so easy to get this visa for an actor or a fashion model but very tough to get someone for their research. So all this is working as intended.
- Jare 9mo agoI thought the reason for this to be a visa is because their fields' activities were in-person (acting in movies/plays/shows, academic life & research, sports training & leagues, etc). A streamer / OF worker is not like that as far as I know (but e-sports is). So this is purely to bring people with money and/or influence, nothing exceptional except the number of 0's.
- whaleofatw2022 9mo ago> A streamer / OF worker is not like that as far as I know (but e-sports is). Well Streamer vs Influencer can be different potentially, that said I can think of one example even for video game streamers, that being the AGDQ charity event where speedrunners/streamers do stuff live for charity at the event space.
- thaumasiotes 9mo ago> I thought the reason for this to be a visa is because their fields' activities were in-person (acting in movies/plays/shows, academic life & research, sports training & leagues, etc). A streamer / OF worker is not like that as far as I know An OnlyFans worker may make the bulk of her money by meeting fans in person for dates. That can't be done over the internet.
- t-3 9mo ago
- ReptileMan 9mo agoBeing able to shove 5 inch diameter dildo 12 inches up your rectum is extraordinary ability no matter how you slice and dice it. Useless - sure.
- anukin 9mo agoIf you slice and dice it, it’s not 5 inch or 12 inch. Sorry couldn’t help
- lenerdenator 9mo agoI think back when it was just actors, musicians, athletes, etc. it was in a time when there were gatekeepers for whether or not those people had any actual talent in an art. Whether or not those gatekeepers were right is another matter, but there was some guy in an office in a skyscraper who you had to impress, and if you did, you could get in. Now, that guy's effectively gone. Aiden Ross, Jack Doherty - that kind of guy - couldn't have impressed a big wig. But now, they don't have to. They have to make people pay attention to them on YouTube/Instagram/TikTok/Twitch, and that's it. And they do that and they can get people to give them insane money to do so because they want access to that audience. Quality doesn't matter anymore.
- apparent 9mo agoI guess the question is why do virtual/internet stars need to be in the US? Actors or musicians would have primarily performed live or been recorded live, in US cities. But an OF model? Why does this person need to be physically located in the US at all? What is the benefit to the person, or to the US?
- justinhj 9mo agoTax revenue
- apparent 9mo agoWhat is the average turnover/tenure of a camgirl? I'd think that most popular camgirls come and go pretty quickly, such that giving them visas that were formerly reserved for performing musicians would not necessarily make sense.
- throwaway2037 9mo ago> visas that were formerly reserved for performing musicians would not necessarily make sense I don't think the O1/2 visas in the United States are capped. There is no annual limit.
- xp84 9mo agoBenefit to the person is probably a path to citizenship and more economic opportunities (especially since being a camgirl is a young person’s career with almost no long-term prospects) Benefit to the USA, being generous, is that those earnings of the camgirl may then be spent in the US instead of flowing overseas. At least some of it will. Critics would rightly point out though that importing thousands of camgirls increases demand for apartments (and even more than the typical person because I bet they’re less likely to live with roommates than a typical woman of the same age) and we have a massive housing crisis in all cities. Maybe if the camgirls want to move to the rust belt or something, it could still work out net positive.
- 9mo ago
- 6r17 9mo agoThe painting of idiocracy hits hard doesn't it ?
- dnautics 9mo agoarguably the O-1B is more necessary than the O-1A. If you didn't have an O-1B you couldn't have a bjork come and give a concert in the US and get paid for it, you couldn't have an emma thompson come and shoot for a hollywood film and get paid for it, you couldn't hold ANY major international sporting events, etc.
- yowayb 9mo agoI personally find this opinion typical of HN readers, and I argue that successful influencers/pretty-people can easily beat more serious professions in terms of economic value, because the vast majority of people are more human than the average HN reader.
- protocolture 9mo agoJournalist see OnlyFans. Write about it. Click send. Make money.
- seanhunter 9mo agoI can think of maybe two musicians who might be said to fit in that tight intersection. Brian May (guitarist from Queen) who has an astrophysics PhD from Imperial College London Professor Brian Cox who teaches Physics at Manchester University and is a public face of science of tv here in the UK was keyboardist for one-hit-wonder band d-reem who had a hit in the 90s with “Things can only get better”. Brian May is really the only one who is a superstar musician but Brian Cox is a more significant scientist.