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O-2 Visa (Essential Support Personnel)
The O-2 Visa is a non-immigrant work visa designed for individuals who provide essential support services to an O-1 visa holder who has extraordinary ability or achievement. It is granted to the support staff whose skills and experience are critical to the success of the O-1 principal’s specific event or performance.
What is an O-2 Visa?
The O-2 Visa allows foreign nationals to enter the United States temporarily and work solely in direct support of the O-1 visa holder’s activities. It is a strictly dependent visa category, meaning the O-2 holder cannot work independently or for any other employer.
This visa is generally restricted to essential support for O-1 visa holders in the fields of:
Athletics (O-1A support)
The Arts (O-1B support)
Motion Picture or Television Production (O-1B support)
It is generally not available for support personnel of O-1 visa holders in the sciences, education, or business.
Key Features of the O-2 Visa
Integral Part of Performance: The applicant must be an “integral part” of the O-1 principal’s performance or event.
Critical Skills and Experience: The applicant must possess critical skills and experience with the O-1 visa holder that are not of a general nature and cannot be readily performed by a U.S. worker.
Long-Standing Relationship: For O-1B (Arts, Film, TV) support, there often needs to be a pre-existing, long-standing working relationship between the O-1 and O-2 individuals.
Sponsorship: A U.S. employer or agent must petition for the O-2 visa holder by filing Form I-129.
Duration and Extensions
Initial Stay: The O-2 visa is granted for the duration of the specific event, performance, or activity for which the O-1 principal is admitted, typically up to three years.
Extensions: Extensions can be granted in increments of up to one year at a time, for as long as the O-2’s assistance remains essential to the O-1’s continued work.
Validity is Tied: The O-2 visa status is directly linked to the O-1 visa holder’s status; if the O-1 status ends, the O-2 status also ends.
Dependents (O-3 Visa)
The spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21 of the O-2 visa holder are eligible to accompany them to the U.S. under the O-3 dependent status.
O-3 dependents are not authorized to work but are permitted to enroll in full-time or part-time study in the United States.