P Visas for Entertainment Groups, Athletes and Culturally Unique Artists
The P-1 visa is for individual athletes or athletic teams with international recognition or a person who performs with, or is an integral part of, an entertainment group that has been recognized internationally as being outstanding for a sustained period of time. Individual performers must show they have been with the group for at least one year. An entertainment group or athletic team may be as small as two persons.
The P-2 visa is available to artists or entertainers, either individually or as part of a group, who come to the U.S. to perform under a reciprocal exchange program between the US and one or more other countries.
The P-3 visa is available to artists or entertainers, and their technical associates and essential support personnel, who come to the U.S., either individually or as a group, to develop, perform, teach or coach in a program that is culturally unique. It is not limited to traditional art forms and may be a hybrid or fusion of more than one culture or region.
The sponsor for the P visa may be the U.S. employer, agent or foreign employer through a U.S. agent. An itinerary and contracts must be provided if the petitioner is an agent and the aliens will be performing for different employers.
Evidence for the P visas shall consist of contracts, awards, press, expert letters and other documentation showing past achievements.
P visas may be granted for up to 5 years for P-1 athletes. Other P visas are usually granted for one year and annual extensions may be filed. Dependents of P visa holders may obtain P-4 visas for the same period of time as the principal visa holder but are not work authorized.
