Complimentary Consultations for Foreign Student-Athletes

We are proud to announce complimentary consultations for foreign student-athletes via phone and online video until April 15th. Sherrod Sports Visas is committed to doing our part to assist the community during the uncertainty derived from the COVID-19 quarantine time. We are committed to supporting international student-athletes finishing their college NCAA academic careers and graduating in 2020. Athletics play a major part in campus life in university or college, and many foreign student-athletes wish to continue their athletic programs after finishing their education. These athletes may be excellent candidates to remain on a U.S. visa, such as the P-1 or O-1 category visa, depending on their aspirations and circumstances. We are reaching out to international student advisors and athletic directors to let them know that Sherrod Sports Visas is here to serve as a resource. 

To sign up for a consultation, prospective students simply need to call our office at 310-209-8545 or email us at students@sherrodsportsvisas.com and mention their sport and aspirations over the next 12 months. For free consultations, we ask that students be in their final year of academic matriculation and intend to still either train or compete at the highest levels of competition or coaching. 

It is becoming increasingly difficult for any university student to obtain sponsorship for employment opportunities these days, as more employers are hesitant to take a chance on a visa. In addition, the H-1B program, which is historically the most popular visa for graduating students in this country, is incurring a high number of denials and there are not enough H-1B visas available during the year. P-1 and O-1 visas are not privy to a cap, and employers for these type of visa categories are much more flexible than other options. We have successfully petitioned for visas in this category even using friends and family of the beneficiary as petitioner employers for these visas. 

O-1 and P-1 visas may be appropriate for student-athletes with the following attributes and aspirations:

• Students who compete or plan to compete for their national team but compete and train in the United States in preparation 

• Students who compete in a sport that has an active competition schedule that is not scholastically related, such as swimming and track

• Athletes who have sponsors prepared for after graduation can also take advantage of these visa categories

• Athletes who plan to serve as coach or training partner to other world-class athletes, or in other manners contribute to sports but not as a competitor 

Sherrod Sports Visas is one of the only sports-specific immigration practices in the United States and regularly speaks on the topic around the country. We have proven results with athletes ranging from harness racers to professional basketball players. Some of the world’s leading sports organizations trust us to obtain work authorization for the best athletes in the world. Contact us to find out more about visas in the P-1 and O-1 categories and EB-1A self-sponsored permanent residence applications.