Declassified SCAD Survival Guide
Pages
O-1 Visa
How to O1
Desmond Du
Introduction
This is a brief guide to navigating the O-1 visa process, based on my experience with SC Law Firm and insights from successful applicants. Steps may overlap and should not be taken as legal advice. Working on an O-1 visa petition is a long and tedious process, but it typically includes preparing :
Always consult your attorney and follow their specific guidelines when preparing your materials. This guide is meant to provide a foundational approach to applying for the O-1 visa.
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Prepare/update your CV
Start by creating a detailed CV—not a resume—ideally following the College Art Association’s . Your attorney will use it to assess your O-1 eligibility, and it’ll serve as a foundation for your portfolio.
Try creating your CV in Google Docs—it’s easy to update and will evolve with your creative career. You can check out my guide here:
Step 2: Consult an attorney
You should seek out an immigration attorney experienced with O-1 visas; recommendations from your network or peers are a great place to start. Below is a short list of lawyers to consider:
Firm
URL
Email
Fees
There are no rows in this table
Step 3: Letter of Recommendations
Depending on your attorney’s requirements, you may need 8–12 letters of recommendation from industry professionals. These don’t have to be from the exact same field—for instance, someone in VFX can write for a Motion Designer. People you can consider for letters include your supervisors (e.g., senior designer, art director, creative director), as well as alumni/peers/collaborators/industry mentors with significant industry experience and recognized credibility in the field. While a teacher can write a letter, it’s generally not recommended.
Your attorney might request your contacts' information and draft these letters on your behalf, but it will be your responsibility to obtain their agreement and signatures. Information about your recommenders you should provide to the attorney can include:
- Full name (or a stage name, if they go by a different name)
- Job title
- Company they work at or field of expertise if they are a freelancer/independent
- What collaborations you have had together, if any, or how you know each other
Other helpful, but optional, information about your recommenders:
- A LinkedIn page, their personal website, or their CV
- Any awards that the individual has received
- Notable exhibitions, clients, or published material
Templates for reaching out
Below are quick message templates to request, follow up, and collect signatures for the letters:
1. Sending Request
I'm in the midst of applying for an O-1 visa so I can stay and have better opportunities in the US. Part of the process requires me to list people down as a referral to serve as testimonial to my abilities. The referral role would be to just sign a letter of recommendation prepared by my immigration lawyer. Would you be okay with me listing you as one of my referral🙏🏻?
2. Response (If you don’t have the letters prepared yet)
Awesome, thank you very much ❤️! Let me followup with you in a week or two with letter of recommendation to sign. And just confirming, what name should I use in this letter?
3. Response (Asking for signatures)
Hey [Person]! As mentioned previously, regarding listing you as a referral for O-1 work visa, my immigration lawyer has prepared a letter of recommendation for you to sign using your company letterhead.
Can you please send it to me when you can? Thank you very much for your help!
Step 4: Portfolio
Just like your CV, your portfolio should be built in Google Docs for easy editing and sharing.
Here are examples of the requirements (from SC Law) for your O-1 portfolio
Below is a template that you can use:
Template: [WIP]
Helpful Tools
Tips
You can use ChatGPT Plus to search the internet to find articles for things you worked on:
Step 5: Deal memos
A deal memo is a letter showing a company’s intent to work with you—it doesn’t guarantee work, and the government doesn’t verify its fulfillment. Still, it’s a key part of your O-1 petition.
You can collect deal memos from any U.S.-based individuals or organizations, as long as they collectively:
Miscellaneous
Visa Agents
Your LLC can sponsor your visa petition, as long as you own a 50% or less interest in the business (not revenue).
Who can qualified to be an agent
A U.S. agent may be your actual employer, the representative of both you and the employer, or a person or entity authorized by the employer to act for, or in place of, the employer as its agent. Detailed information regarding USCIS policy relating to agent petitioners can be found in the USCIS Policy Manual Volume 2, Part M, Chapter 3.
Filing as an agent is not the same as filing as an employer. You will be required to present additional evidence to the USCIS in order to establish your legitimacy and your role as an agent. For example, you will need to show under section 8 CFR 214.2(o)(2)(iv)(E) whether you are filing as the beneficiary’s functioning employer, whether you are filing on behalf of multiple employers that you represent for one beneficiary, or whether you are filing for a foreign employer. Speak with your immigration attorney to ensure that you are adhering to the requirements.
Visa sponsorship companies
If you find yourself stuck on the sponsor question, it is worth noting that there are companies that exist solely to sponsor visa applicants. They neither help nor harm the chances of your petition, and can be an easy option if you're looking for something with minimal fuss. However, they do charge an annual fee for the service.
Service center
.FAQs
How much does the O-1 visa process cost?
How long before my OPT ends should I ideally start preparing to apply for my O type visa?
4 to 6 months talk to the lawyer
Is there any specific number requirements of artwork for O1 applicators?
No, there’s no set number. Focus on meeting the O-1 criteria; quality and significance of the work matter more than quantity. I would recommend not stressing about this one too much, focus on preparing your CV and portfolio and let your attorney evaluate the strength of your case as they are experts at this.
How to prepare for O-1
Preparing an O-1 visa petition can be challenging and detail-heavy, but you can start making small, steady progress while still in school or during the early stages of your OPT.
If you’re still in school, here are some steps you can take now:
If you're working but don’t need an O-1 yet, you can:
your role
date and
duration of the project
description of the projects
images of the projects/evidence
Getting letter of attestation
It's possible that you may not receive proper credit for projects you've worked on within the company. However, you can request a signed letter from your supervisor or director to ensure proper recognition and documentation of your contributions.
For example, I participated in CoMotion for five years with different level of contribution, so I sought out the club faculty advisor to signed a letter attesting on the things I done.
You can also get letter of experience verification from your company in case someone want you to prove that you worked at a place.
Closing thoughts
As internationals, we faced hardships, especially with visas and immigration. It's daunting for sure. But if it were easy, everyone will be working and relocating to the US. I
In my experience with O-1 visa petition, it turned out to be unexpectedly valuable. For example, reworking my CV using the CAA visual artist guidelines helped me understand what makes a creative professional stand out; things like press coverage, awards, impact.
Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.
This is not the way.
Try clicking the ⋯ next to your doc name or using a keyboard shortcut (
CtrlP
) instead.