Rose Immigration Law Firm and other law firms around the country that do a lot of work with artists have noticed a sudden and pronounced change in the amount and tone of requests for evidence
(RFEs) we are receiving from the immigration service for O and P petitions for artists. The O-1 visa category is for artists of extraordinary ability who can show they are esteemed in their field. The P-1 is for artists who have achieved international recognition. RFEs received in the last couple of weeks reflect a higher standard than usually applied to these cases. The immigration service is expressing they want more evidence than usually required about the nature and quality of work planned in the United States, among various areas of concern.
We are working on individual cases to push back against the incorrect standard being applied. In addition, Linda Rose, through her work on the American Immigration Lawyers Association committee on the arts, is part of the bar association response to this systematic issue. Some artists may decide to wait a while to file an O or P petition if travel can be delayed.