P Visa for the U.S.

The P visa for the U.S. is a nonimmigrant visa which enables individuals, team athletes or members of an entertainment group, as well as artists and entertainers to work on a temporary basis in the U.S. 

The P visa for the U.S. includes four classifications: the P-1, P-2, P-3 and P-4 visas. The family members of a P visa holder can also reside in the U.S. while he or she is in the U.S. and in order to do so they must obtain the P-4 visa. A US immigration lawyer is qualified to provide more information regarding the P-4 visa requirements. 

Individuals that offer essential suport services to athletes or entertainment groups can also be issued this type of visa for the U.S.

Qualification Requirements for the P-1 visa in the U.S.

P-1 visas in the U.S. are issued for athletes and athletic teams which have been internationally acknowledged with superior achievements over a continuous and long time, as well as for internationally acknowledged continuous and long-time entertainment companies. An immigration lawyer in Miami can provide more details on this matter. 

For entertainment companies, every performer who applies for the P-1 visa should have been a member of the group for at least 12 months. An exception worth mentioning is that 25% of the group members can be exempt from this requirement. This criterion can be also waived in certain cases, for example, if because of an illness or another unforeseeable circumstance, a critical team member cannot travel.

If you want to immigrate to Miami by other means, such as the L-1 visa for employee relocation, you can rely on our lawyer.

Extension of stay with the P visa for the U.S.

According to the current immigration legislation, with the P visa for the U.S., the visa holder can apply for an extension of stay to finish or continue the activity stated in the initial petition.

In this case, the company which hired the visa holder or the U.S. sponsor has to file a request to extend the validity of the employee’s or sponsored person’s P visa, as well as a request to extend the P visa employee’s authorized duration of stay in the U.S.

An individual P-1 athlete can extend their stay in the U.S. for maximum five years for each extension request, for a total of maximum 10 years; for athletic teams, entertainment groups and the other P categories, extensions are granted in increments of up to one year.

If you are interested in acquiring the P visa for the U.S., we recommend you to consult our immigration lawyer in USA for a complete personal eligibility examination, and for guidance on the application procedure; please do feel free to contact us.

We can also help you apply for a US L-1 visa for employee transfers.