Influencers and OnlyFans models are dominating U.S. O-1 visa requests
by superfrank
20 subcomments
- It's funny, early on it says
> The O-1 category includes the O-1A, which is designated for individuals with extraordinary ability in the sciences, education, business or athletics and the O-1B, reserved for those with “extraordinary ability or achievement”.
Then later it says
> The O-1B visa, once reserved for Hollywood titans and superstar musicians, has evolved over the years.
I understand those two aren't necessarily contradictory, but the wording of the first sentence paints a very different mental picture than the second one (at least it did for me), especially since they throw in the O-1A and then almost exclusively talk about people applying for the O-1B after that.
Personally, I don't want the US choosing to give visas to influencers over scientists, but if this visa was already being heavily used to bring in actors, musicians, and athletes I don't see what the hubbub is about. I don't use TikTok or OnlyFans and I don't find e-sports entertaining, but I have a hard time arguing that a screen actor, Victoria's Secret model, or soccer player should be worthy of a visa and a social media star, OnlyFans model, or a professional Counter Strike player shouldn't is not. It's all just entertainment.
by areoform
10 subcomments
- Such articles are interesting because they're tacit disapproval, but I would argue that this use of the O-1 is the most American way to use it.
There's a reason why Hollywood became the Earth's center of cultural gravity post-WW2, https://goldenglobes.com/articles/exiles-and-emigres-hollywo...
You may argue that these people aren't of such import, but I would beg to differ. This is the future of culture. These people shape the culture that the young people around you consume. They create the memes of six-seven-ification.
- The title is misleading. It says “dominating” however no sources or percentages are provided. And later in the article it only says “increasingly applying”, with just two examples.
I do have a friend (very popular drummer-YouTuber who makes covers, has millions of subs) who did get an O visa because he actually is a, kinda, celebrity, so I guess this is indeed happening occasionally. But nothing is being “dominated” here.
- One of my past manager was on a O-1 (in a tech company); he was from india.
So, it goes like this, you register to be a presenter in a conference, copy some material from another tech talk and (re-)present it there as a novelty (rince and repeat). Pretty Simple. Step #2, create your facebook, youtube channel (etc.) and buy subscribers (from mediamister.com, getafollower.com, views4you.com, socialwick.com, buzzoid.com, etc) which is perfectly legal; he must have spent 10% of his salary to buy millions of subscribers; and that's how he's been working in tech for the past 10+ years.
- Most of the scientists and engineers I know are on different visas. The US has gained a ton from being largely the cultural center of the world so it's good that there's a visa to take in cultural figures (even if I don't personally connect with influencer culture). As social media is new and fairly spread out, especially compared to traditional recipients like models and actors, it seems really unsurprising they are a ton of these now. I would say the problem is less we are taking in influencers and more we aren't accepting other people.
by thisisauserid
1 subcomments
- Immigrants are taking American handjobs!
- > The O-1 category includes the O-1A, which is designated for individuals with extraordinary ability in the sciences, education, business or athletics and the O-1B, reserved for those with “extraordinary ability or achievement”.
> My whole thing is being the funny Jewish girl with big boobs.
- Actually, it falls under OF-1 visa category.
by bubblethink
0 subcomment
- People are getting hung up on definitions of extraordinary. The thing you need to understand is that US immigration is a political blackhole. The main pathways to immigrate to the US are family, misery (asylum, refugee, tps), or luck (diversity). Employment or economic immigration is frowned upon and visas like H-1B are limited and exploitative and still ultimately politically unpopular as the masses don't want to compete. So, that leaves O-1 as an escape hatch for a basic economic immigration visa that won't rile up the masses. Afterall, a chud does not reasonably believe that an influencer or a pornstar is stealing his job. So it goes.
by codyklimdev
2 subcomments
- I wonder how much "OnlyFans models applying for O-1 visas" is just sex trafficking with a thin veneer
- Is an O-1 the "model visa"?
Because OF models are models... so I wonder if model management companies are upset about folks selling content directly to consumers without abusive middle management and drumming up outrage to protect their shitty business model.
Say what you want about sites like OF, but at least the performers get a huge chunk of the earnings.
by LudwigNagasena
1 subcomments
- If you are a professional in a sphere like engineering, then getting eg 10k views on your videos is very remarkable and acts as a indirect proof of acclaim. But when it is the whole metric, then it just overvalues public professions where in itself 10k views is nothing remarkable. That's the core issue as far as I understand.
(But even for professionals, it's a very gameable metric. There is a whole industry that helps getting published material and appearances for O-1 applications.)
- By 1994, I was in triumphant optimism. I was young-ish, my country was in for its most beautiful decade ever, and the internet seemed to herald a time of final Liberation, with the Earth becoming home to a single, global scientist-philosopher society.
And so, suddenly, we find ourselves mired between traditionalist discomfort and pragmatic acceptance, an unglamorous terminus for earlier dreams of Human synthesis.
- fun-fact: Melania got an "Einstein Visa" shortly after she started dating the president
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43256318
and the owner of the modeling agency she came from "committed suicide" in prison
- Celebrities are getting visas instead of celebrities? Ok. I don't see the issue.
- Interestingly, the O-1 can also be used for Software Engineers.
Given the amount of unemployed Software Engineers, it makes sense to reduce H1-Bs in that category.
Companies can still hire exceptional people from overseas using this O-1 visa.
by phantom784
0 subcomment
- How is "extraordinary ability" defined? At what point does an influencer or OF model (or a traditional actor for that matter) have enough "extortionary ability" to get the visa?
- Why do they need a visa for remote work?
by psychoslave
0 subcomment
- Ok, but who else still want to go to USA lately?
I hope the best for every people out there, including every usa citizen, but money alone won't attract every human profile under the sun, and unleashed imperialism which don't even pretend to export democracy anymore is doing nothing good for the the image of the country I'm afraid.
What a world really! Take care everything, might safety and peace remain on you and your relatives.
- It is for this reason I am grateful to be a gen xr. I was at the end of my 20s when social media blew up, so it wasn’t a meaningful part of my personal development. I cannot bring myself to look at IG and the hot mess it serves up daily. A hyper focused lens on the potential of human desperation and stupidity.
I don’t hate on the younger generation, I feel bad they grew up with this shit and try to be a positive influence.
I see people of legit talent from doctors, to chemists and musicians dedicate themselves to posting content. What people don’t understand is survivor bias. For every success story you read about, how many people are going in reverse and not experiencing social mobility (and get depressed from it).
by twobitshifter
0 subcomment
- How do you know that the followers are not bots? It seems that on platforms with a clear bot problem like X, it would be relatively easy to hit that 1M target if you are willing to pay a bot farm.
by blackswan101
0 subcomment
- America becoming the physical and virtual brothel of the world.
- And before that it was DJ's and "Dancers", btw.
- OK I've got to know...which of these does OF fall under
>extraordinary ability in the sciences, education, business or athletics
by strongpigeon
1 subcomments
- I mostly don’t care about influencers and OnlyFan, but that… Seems fine to me?
If you managed to amass 1M followers you clearly have strong abilities as an entertainer. The fact that the medium is different than what used to be the norm shouldn’t have an impact.
- Hardly a surprise considering how much more people have entered OF in the last few years.
by TheAlchemist
0 subcomment
- I struggle to understand who pays for OF content and who follows them ? From what I've read 99% of OF is porn in some form or another. So there are millions of people who create accounts and pay for it - linking their personnal info to this thing ?
As for the visa, it's not surprising and obviously idiotic for the society, but from the 'merit' standpoints it feels about right - if somebody has 10M followers, it's not that different from a radio or tv star.
- just make it $ contingent OF models make ordinary income if someone is pulling in several million USD a year they are going to be paying a ton of taxes here. What is the downside?
by password54321
1 subcomments
- Remnants of a late stage empire. The US peaked out over 20 years ago.
- Golden age!!
Try now to convince a young person to become a doctor or an engineer, when an OF individual can make in a day what they will make in 40y, assuming they found a job anyway. Idiocracy was a glimpse into the future, not a movie.
- Good, EU/AU are playing dirty when it comes to the fight between traditional social media. I'm glad the best talent continues to come to America.
by oompydoompy74
4 subcomments
- Good lord at some of these comments. Sex work is work. Stop imposing your personal morals on others. You sound like a bunch of incels.
by krautburglar
0 subcomment
- The hole-one visa... how fitting.
by testfrequency
1 subcomments
- Says a lot about who actually wants to and is willing to relocate there…
- > “I don’t think [people] realize how much work actually goes into it,” she said. “You might not agree with the way the money is being made, or what people are watching, but people are still watching and paying for it.”
by eli_gottlieb
0 subcomment
- Oh lovely, we're becoming a Grifters' Republic of Social Media.
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by robinsoncrusue
1 subcomments
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- "Whoever knowingly transports any individual in interstate or foreign commerce, or in any Territory or Possession of the United States, with intent that such individual engage in prostitution, or in any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both"
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