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Entertainers, Artists, Althletes, and Temporary Workers
 

There are various categories of nonimmigrant visas for a person who wishes to work temporarily in the United States, based on U.S immigration laws, specifically the Immigration and Nationality Act. If you want to work in the U.S. temporarily, under immigration law, you need a specific visa based on the purpose of your travel and type of work you will be doing.

Review Temporary Workers on the USCIS website for more detailed information about each category, petition procedures and eligibility for each type of temporary worker below.

Types of Visas for Temporary Workers

Performing athletes, artists, entertainers

  • P-1 Individual or Team Athletes, or Members of an Entertainment group that are internationally recognized 
  • P-2 Artists or Entertainers who will perform under a reciprocal exchange program
  • P-3 Artists or Entertainers who perform under a program that is culturally unique

Note:  Groups containing five or more applicants need to contact the Consular Section to schedule a group appointment.  Please e-mail consularbamako@state.gov or call +(223) 20-70-25-05. 

Foreign nationals with extraordinary ability in Sciences, Arts, Education, Business or Athletics

  • O-1 Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, or extraordinary achievements in the motion picture and television field
  • O-2 Persons Accompanying an O-1 to assist in an artistic or athletic performance for a specific event or performance

Note:  Applicants applying for an O visa need to contact the Consular Section to schedule an appointment.  Please e-mail consularbamako@state.gov or call +(223) 20-70-25-05. 

Temporary workers

  • H-1B Persons in Specialty Occupation which requires the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge requiring completion of a specific course of higher education.  This category also includes fashion models and Government-to-Government research and development, or co-production projects administered by the Department of Defense
  • H-1C Foreign Nurses coming to perform nursing services in medically under served areas for a temporary period up to three years. The Nursing Relief for Disadvantaged Areas Act of 1999 (NRDAA) has been reauthorized for an additional three years, and will expire on December 20, 2009
  • H-2A Seasonal Agricultural Workers; Notice- USCIS revised H-2A program requirements and regulations, which applies to all petitions filed
  • H-2B Temporary or Seasonal Nonagricultural Workers. This classification generally requires a temporary labor certification issued by the Department of Labor
  • H-3 Trainees (other than medical or academic) This visa type also applies to practical training in the education of handicapped children

Intra-company transferees

  • L Intra-company Transferees who, within the three preceding years, have been employed abroad continuously for one year, and who will be employed by a branch, parent, affiliate, or subsidiary of that same employer in the U.S. in a managerial, executive, or specialized knowledge capacity

Application Procedures

Before applying for a temporary worker visa applicants must obtain an approved Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker from USCIS. This form must be submitted by your prospective employer at USCIS’s Temporary Workers webpage no earlier than 6 months prior to the proposed employment start date.

Employers should file the petition as soon as possible within the 6 month period to allow adequate time for processing. Should you need petition processing faster, see Premium Processing Service on USCIS website. Once approved, the employer will be sent Form I-797, Notice of Action.

Important Note: The Form I-797 is no longer needed for your interview. However, to verify petition approval we will need your I-129 petition receipt number so please make sure to have this available.

Required Documentation

Each applicant for a visitor visa must submit these forms and documentation as explained below.

  • DS-160 confirmation sheet (this is obtained after completing and submitting the form)
  • A passport valid for travel to the United States and with a validity date at least six months beyond the applicant's intended period of stay in the United States
  • One (1) 2x2 photograph. See the required photo format explained in Nonimmigrant Photograph Requirements.
  • BIM receipt showing payment of the NIV application fee.
  • Visa applicants included in L blanket petitions must provide Form I-129S, Nonimmigrant Petition Based on Blanket L Petition.


What are the Required Visa Fees?

  • Nonimmigrant visa application processing fee: Pay the Nonimmigrant visa application processing fee of $160 at any Banque Internationale pour le Mali (BIM).  You will need to provide a receipt showing the visa application processing fee has been paid, when you come for your visa interview.
  • Petition based visa fee:  Applicants applying for a petition based visa will be chaged an additional $10 fee will be charged at the U.S. Embassy before the Nonimmigrant visa interview.   Included in these visa categories: 

    H - Temporary Workers/Employment or Trainees
    L - Intracompany Transferees
    O - Persons with Extraordinary Ability
    P - Athletes. Artists & Entertainers
    Q - International Cultural Exchange
    R - Religious Worker
  • Visa issuance fee: Additionally, if the visa is issued, there may be an additional visa issuance reciprocity fee, if applicable. Please consult the Visa Reciprocity Tables to find out if you must pay a visa issuance reciprocity fee and what the fee amount is.
  • Other Fees for Certain L Visa Applicants: Visa applicants included in L blanket petitions must also pay a fraud prevention and detection fee and may need to pay the Border Security Act Fee. Select Fees for more information under Other Fees. 

Additional Documentation

Applicants must demonstrate that they are properly classifiable as visitors under U.S. law by:

  • Evidence which shows the purpose of the trip, intent to depart the United States, and arrangements made to cover the costs of the trip may be provided. It is impossible to specify the exact form the documentation should take since applicants' circumstances vary greatly.
  • Those applicants who do not have sufficient funds to support themselves while in the U.S. must present convincing evidence that an interested person will provide support.
  • Evidence to show that the applicant has a residence abroad to which he/she intends to return at the end of the stay in the U.S. This is generally established by evidence of family, professional, property, employment or other ties and commitments to some country other than the U.S. sufficient to cause the applicant to return there at the conclusion of his/her stay.

Do not have supporting documentation faxed, e-mailed, or sent to the Embassy; it will be thrown away. Bring all supporting documentation with you for the interview.