Recap: Press Here's First Online Event — O-1 Visa Info Session with Feng Xia, Esq.

Last week, Press Here hosted its very first online event — and we were blown away by the response.

Over 51 attendees joined us for a focused, practical look at the O-1 visa process, hosted in partnership with immigration attorney Feng Xia, Esq. of Feng Xia & Associates, who brings more than 10 years of hands-on experience in O-1 and EB-1 cases. Attendees came from a wide range of fields — fashion, fine art, music, film, tech, and more — and they came with serious questions.

Feng Xia walked through what it takes to build a strong petition, from eligibility criteria to deal memos to what happens if you get an RFE. Press Here gave a live walkthrough of how media coverage fits into the O-1 journey, and what the platform actually looks like from the inside.

The Q&A was lively, honest, and full of questions we hear all the time. We've pulled the most important ones below.

First: What Is the O-1 Visa?

The O-1 is a nonimmigrant U.S. work visa for individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary ability in their field. It has no annual cap, no lottery, and — with the right preparation — a strong track record: USCIS approved over 29,000 O-1 petitions in fiscal year 2025, with an approval rate of approximately 93.9%.

There are two main categories:

• O-1A — sciences, education, business, or athletics
• O-1B — arts, motion picture, or television

To qualify for O-1A, you must demonstrate sustained national or international acclaim and meet at least three of eight evidentiary criteria. For O-1B (arts), the standard is "distinction" — a high level of achievement substantially above what is ordinarily encountered.

The Questions Attendees Actually Asked

"If I was part of a big organization in the past — like an orchestra — and the awards and press were for the organization, not me personally, does that count?"

This is one of the most common situations for performing artists and collaborative professionals. The short answer: organizational press and awards don't directly satisfy the published materials or awards criteria, because USCIS requires the recognition to be about you specifically. However, your role within that organization can still be useful — particularly if you can document that you held a critical or leading role within a distinguished organization, which is one of the eight O-1A criteria (and applies similarly to O-1B). Recommendation letters from directors or conductors attesting to your specific contributions can strengthen this argument significantly.

"I had experience serving as a judge for a U.S. public art contest, but how can I prove it without a contract?"

The judging criterion is one of the more flexible ones — USCIS doesn't require a formal contract. You can document judging experience through: official correspondence (emails inviting you to judge), event programs or promotional materials listing you as a juror, screenshots or archived web pages of the contest announcement, or letters from the organizing body confirming your role. The key is showing that the event was a real, organized competition and that you were selected to evaluate the work of others based on your expertise.

"Would having multiple awards for the same project count against me for O-1B?"

No — multiple awards for the same project do not disqualify you. However, USCIS does look at the breadth and sustained nature of your recognition, so a single project with multiple prizes is generally stronger when accompanied by other evidence across different work. If all your awards currently come from one project, that's a good starting point — and as you noted, submitting other work for awards going forward will help build a more well-rounded case.

"I work in both O-1A and O-1B areas — I'm a multidisciplinary artist and also an educator and researcher. Which category should I apply under?"

This is a genuinely nuanced question, and the answer depends on which category your primary U.S. job offer or activities fall under, and where your evidence is strongest. USCIS evaluates based on the field you're petitioning in, so the category should align with the work you'll be doing in the U.S. If your petition is for an arts engagement, O-1B is appropriate even if you also do research. An experienced immigration attorney can help you assess which category gives you the strongest evidentiary foundation. This is exactly the kind of question Feng Xia & Associates handles in consultation.

"What are the most common issues with deal memos, and how can I avoid an RFE?"

Deal memos are one of the areas where O-1 petitions — especially agent-based ones — most often run into problems. The most common USCIS concerns include:

• Vague project descriptions — officers want to see specific events, dates, locations, and the nature of the engagement
• No clear itinerary — even if projects are anticipated rather than finalized, you need to show a coherent schedule of activities in the U.S.
• LOIs instead of contracts — Letters of Intent are acceptable when you're not yet in the U.S. (since you can't sign contracts without a visa), but they should be as detailed and professional as possible: include the scope of work, compensation, and timeframe

To proactively reduce RFE risk: make sure your petition letter explicitly connects each deal memo to the relevant evidentiary criteria, and ensure the itinerary covers the full validity period you're requesting. If an RFE is issued, the most commonly requested additional evidence includes stronger expert letters, more detailed documentation of past projects, and supplementary evidence of the publication's or organization's distinguished reputation.

"If I'm doing an agent-based petition as a freelancer, what does the application actually need?"

For agent-based O-1 petitions (common for freelancers, artists, and performers working with multiple clients), the petition must include:

• Form I-129 filed by the U.S. agent
• A written advisory opinion from an appropriate peer group or expert
• An itinerary of events, engagements, or projects for the requested validity period
• Deal memos or contracts (or LOIs if contracts aren't yet possible) for each engagement
• Your full evidence packet covering the qualifying criteria

Recommendation letters should come from established professionals in your field who can speak to your specific contributions and reputation — not just general character references. Each letter should ideally address a specific criterion you're claiming.

"How does USCIS evaluate the credibility of a publication when reviewing press coverage?"

This came up in the context of how USCIS officers look at article screenshots submitted with a petition. Officers evaluate publications based on:

• Circulation and readership — the size and geographic reach of the audience
• Editorial standards — whether the publication has independent editors, a known reputation, and is recognized in the relevant industry
• Relevance to the field — a tech publication covering an engineer carries more weight than a general lifestyle blog
• Whether the article is about you specifically — not just a passing mention

As of the January 2025 USCIS policy update, digital publications and reputable online outlets explicitly qualify — it's no longer limited to print. What matters most is the outlet's credibility and whether the content substantively discusses your professional contributions.

"Does press coverage about awards help, or is it better to cover other aspects of my work?"

Both can be valuable, but diversification is generally stronger. If you're already submitting award certificates as evidence, additional press coverage that discusses your broader body of work — events, commissions, exhibitions, publications — helps demonstrate that your recognition is sustained and multidimensional, rather than tied to a single achievement. USCIS looks at the totality of the evidence, so building a narrative across multiple criteria is always the goal.

"By when should I have my article published for it to be included in my petition?"

As a general rule: aim to have all press coverage published at least a few weeks before your attorney begins finalizing the petition packet, to allow time for screenshots, translations (if needed), and supporting documentation of the publication's credibility. The more lead time the better — articles published recently can sometimes require additional documentation to establish the outlet's reputation. Start early.

What Press Here Does (And How We Help)

Press Here is a press agency that helps O-1, EB-1, and Global Talent visa applicants publish articles on major media platforms — strategically selected to meet USCIS evidentiary standards.

Here's how our process works:

1. Submit an inquiry at presshere.org with your industry, job title, and article content ideas.
2. Receive your personal dashboard link — a curated list of media platforms selected based on your background.
3. Review your options — for each platform, you can see sample articles, pricing, traffic data, whether the placement carries a paid content disclaimer, and whether it will show an editor's byline.
4. Make your payment directly through the dashboard.
5. We pitch your story to the selected platforms.
6. Your article is published — ready to be included in your O-1 petition as documented evidence of media recognition.

Every platform on our dashboard is selected with USCIS credibility standards in mind. We also offer a money-back guarantee if we're unable to publish in your chosen outlets.

What Attendees Received

Every attendee at the event walked away with:

• ✅ A free 1:1 consultation with Feng Xia & Associates
• ✅ $50 off their 2nd consultation or legal fee with Feng Xia & Associates
• ✅ A $30 Press Here promo code
• 🎁 A raffle chance to win $100, $75, or $50 in Press Here credits

Coming Up Next

This was Press Here's first online event — and it won't be our last. We're planning more sessions covering different aspects of the O-1 and EB-1 process.

If you want to be notified about future events, or if you're ready to start building your media presence for a visa application, visit us at presshere.org.

Thank you to everyone who joined, and a special thank you to Feng Xia, Esq. and the team at Feng Xia & Associates for sharing their expertise so generously. We look forward to seeing you at the next one. 🎉

Press Here is a press agency that helps O-1, EB-1, and Global Talent visa applicants secure strategic media coverage in major publications. This blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please consult a licensed immigration attorney for guidance specific to your situation.