Immigration Lawyer Blog
Welcome back to the Immigration Lawyer Blog, where we discuss all things immigration. In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick answers one of your frequently asked questions: can a TikTok star or social media influencer apply for a U.S. Visa?
Keep on watching to find out more.
Overview
TikTok has quickly become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, with many finding success by attracting the attention of thousands and even millions of the site’s visitors. This has led many successful social media personalities to ask: Is it possible to work in the United States as a social media influencer? What are the steps involved? What type of U.S. visa is right for me and what are the requirements?
The reality is that the U.S. immigration system is extremely outdated with most visa categories passed by statute in the early 1990’s. As a result, there is no designated visa classification for social media influencers per se. Luckily, the O-1B visa category for individuals of extraordinary ability or achievement in the arts, is flexible enough to apply to social media influencers who have received employment opportunities to collaborate with brands in the United States.
As more and more U.S. companies have come to rely on social media influencers to elevate their brand and market their products and services, immigration has come to recognize the importance of their contributions to the U.S. economy, and has increasingly allowed social media influencers to demonstrate their extraordinary ability by way of the O-1B visa.
