Background
Our client, Matthew, is a talented creative copywriter and a key member of a renowned non-profit art organization dedicated to promoting imaginative and meaningful artwork. The organization celebrates pieces that embody honor, intelligence, passion, and wit, while focusing on advertising, design, and visual communications. Within this space, Matthew quickly earned recognition for his exceptional work in visual communications, where his creative direction and storytelling set new standards of excellence. Matthew was making marks on creative branding for many companies, while pushing boundaries on what creative communication can achieve.
VisaNation Case Strategy
As Matthew’s current O-1B visa was about to expire, he needed additional time to complete several high-profile creative projects. Rather than switch to another visa category, our team recommended we file an O-1B extension for his case. While Matthew’s work was impressive, we knew that USCIS would not grant an extension solely based on past achievements. The key was to show how his extraordinary ability remained essential to the company’s future projects. We had to emphasize that his continued presence would directly advance the organization’s creative mission.
Over the past three years, Matthew has served in a critical creative leadership role, directly shaping the success of many artistic campaigns. As a creative copywriter, he was not just a passive contributor but a driving force behind the company’s most impactful visual and advertising projects. His ability to blend strategic messaging with artistic innovation made him indispensable, particularly to the company’s high-profile clients.
Step 1
Our team conducted a comprehensive review of Matthew’s contributions over the past three years and built a case to show how his creative leadership had directly shaped the success of major campaigns and strengthened the company’s relationships with high-profile clients. He had built relationships with celebrities like Jennifer Aniston to work on a campaign! Connections like that don’t happen overnight, and we emphasized that Matthew was an asset in securing these clients to grow the company. It wasn’t enough to just say that Matthew knew very prominent people, but also how those prominent people would contribute to the company.
Step 2
We also worked with the company’s executives to document how Matthew’s expertise would remain indispensable, particularly as they expanded operations with a new office branch.
Within the petition, we highlighted:
- His critical role in supervising and elevating all copywriting activities
- His leadership in high-profile campaigns (Some included Heineken, Motorola, Nestlé, Cannes Festival, and some pharmaceutical companies)
- His ability to mentor creative teams, fostering collaboration and innovation
- His involvement in upcoming projects that depend on his creative voice, strategic insight, and professional connections
Step 3
Rather than relying on his prior achievements alone, we crafted a case that linked his past success to ongoing and future impact. For an extension on an O-1B visa for a creative artist, we had to demonstrate that his extraordinary ability was continuing to produce tangible results for the organization and its clients. It’s not enough to just say he needed more time, but we needed to explain how the extension would allow him to continue contributing with his extraordinary ability and continue contributing to motion pictures.
Verdict
USCIS approved the O-1B extension within 3 months, and no RFEs.
