Helen Joseph, Former World Champion, receives O-1 visa

Sherrod Sports Visas’s client Boss Lady Promotions successfully petitions for a multi-year O-1 Extraordinary Ability visa for one of Africa’s best boxers Helen Joseph. The petition was submitted without premium processing and was approved after two days of processing. 

The California office of USCIS approved the O-1 petition that will allow the athlete to compete for multiple organizations, host seminars, write books, appear in movies, and do work with sponsors all using the same visa. 

 O-1 and P-1 Immigration Support

P-1 visas are typically used to give combat sports athletes work authorization to compete in the United States. P-1 visas are effective but are limited in the scope of activities that are permitted during the status of the visas. For example, an athlete on a P-1 visa to compete in the United States is not supposed to use the same visa to train for competition in the United States. In addition, a P-1 athlete is not supposed to be doing paid advertising or services for sponsors during the visa status. The O-1 visa does not have any of these issues and the athlete is able to perform all of the duties that are mentioned in their I-129 visa petition. 

“The O-1 visa fixes a lot of issues for athletes who are eligible for them,” partner Sherrod Seward says. “In fact, we are working on creating a service package that includes both an O-1 and a back-up P-1 visa petition, just to make sure if the O-1 visa is not a fit.”

 What is next for former World Champion Helen Joseph

For Boxer Helen Joseph, the O-1 visa petition was an obvious option to the firm because she held a World Championship and her team had plans for her that extended past competing in boxing competitions. Her next step, as for many O-1 holders, may be to petition for an EB1-C visa that makes a beneficiary eligible for permanent residence (“green card”).

Sherrod Sports Visas is one of the premier law firms in the country for athletic-based immigration solutions. Our team specializes in solutions for combat sports-related sports such as boxing, kickboxing, BJJ, mixed martial arts, wrestling, and more. For further information, please visit our website at www.sherrodsportsvisas.com or give us a call at 310-209-8545.