contracts – protecting rights, minimizing risk, and negotiating fair terms in the U.S. and globally.
Your season, tour, or title fight shouldn’t wait on paperwork. Our P-1 visa lawyers in Miami and New York help internationally recognized athletes, teams, and entertainment groups prepare the petition, evidence, and itinerary USCIS expects. At ChaseLawyers®, we handle the legal side of competing and performing in the United States, so you can focus on the game, the stage, and the fans.
The P-1 is a temporary work visa for specific athletic competitions and entertainment performances. P-1A covers individual athletes and teams with international recognition. P-1B covers entertainment groups recognized internationally as outstanding for a sustained and substantial period. P-1S covers essential support personnel – such as coaches, trainers, technicians, and crew – who are an integral part of the performance. A U.S. employer, sponsoring organization, or agent files the petition on your behalf, and a foreign employer can file through a U.S. agent.
contracts — protecting artists, producers, and their rights across the U.S. and globally.
What Do We Offer You?
P-1 Visa Legal Services
P-1A, P-1B & P-1S Eligibility – Define Your Path to the U.S.
P-1 visas are for internationally recognized athletes and entertainment groups who meet USCIS evidence requirements. We help you:
- Determine whether you fit P-1A, P-1B, P-1S, or an alternative such as an O-1 visa.
- Review rankings, results, awards, media coverage, and contracts against USCIS evidence requirements.
- Confirm P-1B membership rules, including that generally at least 75% of members have been with the group for at least one year.
- Flag risks early, from roster changes to gaps in documentation.
P-1 Petition Preparation – Showcase Your International Recognition
We turn your career highlights into an organized, persuasive filing. Our legal support includes:
- Preparing Form I-129 with a detailed itinerary of competitions, events, or performances.
- Obtaining the required written consultation from an appropriate labor organization.
- Assembling contracts, rankings, press, awards, and letters from league officials or industry authorities.
- Responding to Requests for Evidence (RFEs) and tracking your case with USCIS.
Status Maintenance & Extensions – Stay Compliant on Tour
Approval is only the opening whistle. From your visa interview to your last event, we help you:
- Prepare for consular visa interviews and plan entry for athletes, groups, and crews.
- File extensions and amended petitions when schedules, teams, or venues change.
- Secure P-4 status for your spouse and unmarried children under 21.
- Plan a move to O-1 status or an EB-1 green card when your career supports it.
How It Works
How We Work – Your P-1 Visa Process, Step by Step
Tell us about your sport or act, your upcoming events, and who will sponsor you. We give you a first read on P-1 eligibility and potential risks.
We confirm P-1A, P-1B, or P-1S, choose the right petitioner, and map the evidence that most clearly shows your international recognition.
We gather contracts, itineraries, labor consultation letters, and supporting evidence, then file a complete I-129 petition with USCIS.
We respond to any RFEs, discuss whether premium processing makes sense, and prepare you and your team for visa interviews.
We handle extensions, amendments, and family filings, and map next steps such as an O-1 visa or EB-1 green card as your career grows.
Professional Athletes & Teams
Soccer and baseball players, boxers and fighters, tennis players, and full teams competing in U.S. leagues, tournaments, and title events. We document your international standing and prepare P-1A and P-1S petitions for you and your support staff.
Entertainment Groups & Ensembles
Bands, dance companies, theater troupes, orchestras, and circus groups touring or performing across the United States. We document your group’s international reputation and membership history for the P-1B classification.
Leagues, Promoters & Sponsoring Organizations
Clubs, federations, event promoters, and U.S. agents that petition for foreign talent. We help structure petitions, itineraries, and performance contracts for a single event, a full season, or a multi-city tour.
Our Reviews
FAQ
P-1 Visa FAQs
Answers to the questions athletes, teams, entertainment groups, and promoters ask most about P-1 eligibility, petitions, and life on tour in the U.S.
P-1A is for individual athletes and athletic teams with international recognition who are coming to compete in a specific event, season, or tour. P-1B is for members of entertainment groups internationally recognized as outstanding for a sustained and substantial period. Solo entertainers generally don’t qualify for P-1B on their own and may consider an O-1 visa instead.
Generally, a tendered contract with a major U.S. league or team, or a comparable contract in an individual sport, plus at least two types of evidence. Examples include significant participation with a major U.S. league or your national team, statements from league officials or sports media, an international ranking, or a significant honor or award in your sport.
The group must be internationally recognized as outstanding, shown by a significant international award or nomination or at least three other types of evidence, such as critical reviews, starring performances, or commercial success. Generally, at least 75% of members must have been with the group for at least one year. Limited exceptions and waivers apply in special circumstances.
You can’t file for yourself. The petition must be filed by a U.S. employer, a U.S. sponsoring organization, or a U.S. agent. A foreign employer can use a U.S. agent to file. When an athlete or group will work for several employers or venues, an agent petition with a full itinerary is often the practical choice.
Individual P-1A athletes may be admitted for up to five years, with one extension of up to five more years. Teams and entertainment groups are admitted for the time needed to complete the event, competition, or performance, up to one year, with extensions available in increments of up to one year to finish it.
Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 may qualify for P-4 status for the same period as your P-1 stay. P-4 dependents cannot work in the United States, but they may study. Family members outside the U.S. usually apply for P-4 visas at a U.S. consulate with proof of their relationship to you.
Yes, if they are essential. P-1S is for support personnel who are an integral part of the athlete’s or group’s performance, with critical skills and experience that aren’t general in nature and can’t readily be performed by a U.S. worker. Coaches, trainers, technicians, and crew usually need their own petition and labor consultation.
It varies with USCIS workloads, whether you request premium processing, any Requests for Evidence, and visa appointment availability abroad. Because event dates are fixed, start as early as you can. A P-1 petition can generally be filed up to one year before the start of the event, and we plan your filing around your competition or tour schedule.
In many cases, yes. Athletes and performers often move to O-1 status or pursue an EB-1A green card as their recognition grows. Each path has its own standard, and P-1 status requires a foreign residence you don’t intend to abandon, so timing and strategy matter. We review your record before any change is filed.
Changes can affect your status. A canceled competition, a trade to a new team, or a revised tour itinerary may require an amended or new petition, and ending your P-1 activities can shorten your authorized stay. Contact us as soon as plans change so we can review your options for staying compliant.