O-1A Client Selected The NBA G League Select Professional Pathway Program

O-1 visas for basketball players NBA G League and more.jpeg
 
 

O-1A Client Selected The NBA G League Select Professional Pathway Program

Sherrod Sports Visas is proud to announce a successful O-1A petition for one of our basketball players , who received an invitation for the NBA G League Select Team. Basketball players are only eligible to play in the National Basketball Association at a certain age, which forces many young athletes to reluctantly play for an NCAA basketball team. The Professional Pathway Program is a new option for the best basketball players in the world – who are 18 years old but not yet eligible for the NBA – to earn at least $125,000, a full scholarship to attend college, and valuable endorsement opportunities. 

For this petition, The basketball player used an agent petitioner to secure an O-1 visa to maximize taking control of his immigration status and ability to do multiple projects on the same visa. Typically, the NBA will secure a P-1 visa for its athletes, but the basketball player had already had an O-1 visa secured by Sherrod Sports Visas. It is extremely unusual for an amateur basketball player to receive an O-1 visa, but our attorneys were able to make great arguments to obtain this O-1A approval without a request for evidence. 

Using Selection To The G League Professional Pathway For O-1A Status As A Single Major Award

One way to prove eligibility for an O-1A visa is to convince USCIS that one single accomplishment alone is enough to warrant a determination of extraordinary ability. For example, winning a Nobel Prize or a gold medal is an award worthy of O-1 eligibility. For this case, we used the selection to the G League as a basis O-1A approval on its own.

The First Is “Evidence Of A One-Time Achievement (That Is, A Major Internationally Recognized Award).”

Our argument: 

Selection to NBA G League select contract (also to be considered for membership in prestigious organizations and remuneration)

The basketball player is the only international player ever selected for the NBA G League select contract at the time of this petition. The NBA G League Select Team is the highest level of National Basketball Association affiliated basketball available to basketball players not yet eligible for the NBA due to young age. The purpose of this program is to provide a viable option for the best basketball players in the world, not currently in the NBA and not NBA draft-eligible, to make considerable income, especially compared to their peers, and forgo collegiate basketball. 

  • At least a $125,000 salary for NBA G League’s five-month season

  • YearlLong opportunities for on-and-off-the-court professional development

  • Full scholarship to a U.S. college institution

  • Recognition around the world as one of the best pre-NBA eligible basketball players in the world

Section criteria experts: 

Former WNBA player Allison Feaster will lead the NBA G League professional path initiative and former NBA player Rod Strickland will serve as the professional path’s program manager.

Strickland, who played in the NBA for 17 seasons and brings a wealth of collegiate and amateur coaching and administrative experience, will focus on educating elite prospects on the comprehensive components of the NBA G League’s professional path. Feaster, who had a successful 10-year playing career in the WNBA, will helm a group tasked with identifying those eligible players and overseeing the implementation of the professional path initiative. She has been serving as head of NBA G League player personnel and coach relations since last year.

How many select contracts will be offered?

While there is not an advertised cap on the number of players who will be offered a select contract, the intention is that they are for a very specific group of elite players who are eligible for the NBA G League but not yet eligible for the NBA.

Other selections to the team include the number one 2021 draft prospect in the world, Jalen Green. 

Basketball Player is the only international player to be selected for this program out of the millions of eligible basketball players in the world. Supporting documentation from FIBA is included with this petition to support the number of basketball players around the world. 

For more information on O-1A for basketball players or additional information on O-1 eligibility, please do not hesitate to contact us at 310-209-8545.