P-1A Athlete
The P-1A classification applies to you if you are coming temporarily to the United States solely for the purpose of performing at a specific athletic competition as:
- An individual athlete at an internationally recognized level of performance;
- Part of a group or team at an internationally recognized level of performance;
- A professional athlete; or
- An amateur athlete or coach, who is part of a team or franchise that is located in the United States and a member of a foreign league or association that meets certain requirements as described below.
The P-1A classification also applies to professional or amateur athletes coming temporarily to the United States solely to perform in a specific theatrical ice skating production or tour, individually or as part of a group. For more information on theatrical ice skating P-1As,
Eligibility Criteria
Internationally Recognized Individual Athletes
You must be coming to the United States to participate in a specific athletic competition in a sport in which you are internationally recognized. You are internationally recognized if you have a high level of achievement in a sport, demonstrated by a degree of skill and recognition substantially above that ordinarily encountered. Your achievement must be renowned, leading, or well-known in more than one country. The competition(s) you wish to participate in must have a distinguished reputation and require the participation of internationally recognized athletes.
Internationally Recognized Athletic Teams
You must be coming to the United States to participate in an athletic competition with a team that, as a unit, has achieved international recognition in the sport. The athletic team as a unit must be internationally recognized as outstanding and must be coming to perform services that require an internationally recognized athletic team. The competition in which your team is participating must have a distinguished reputation and require the participation of internationally recognized athletic teams.
Professional Athletes
You must be coming to the United States to be employed as an athlete by:
- A team that is a member of an association of six or more professional sports teams whose total combined revenues exceed $10 million per year. The association must govern the conduct of its members and regulate the contests and exhibitions in which its member teams regularly engage; or
- Any minor league team that is affiliated with such an association.
Amateur Athletes or Coaches
You must be coming to the United States to perform as an athlete or coach as part of a team or franchise that is located in the United States and a member of a foreign league or association. The foreign league or association must meet the following requirements:
- The league or association must consist of 15 or more amateur sports teams;
- Participation in the league must make players temporarily or permanently ineligible under National Collegiate Athletic Association rules to:
- Earn a scholarship in the sport at a U.S. college or university; or
- Participate in the sport at a U.S. college or university;
- The league or association must be the highest level of amateur performance of that sport in the relevant foreign country; and
- A significant number of the individuals who play in the league or association are drafted by a major sports league or a minor league affiliate.
Theatrical Ice Skaters
You must be coming to the United States to participate in a specific theatrical ice skating production or tour as a professional or amateur athlete who performs individually or as part of a group.
Form I-129 Application Process
Evidence to Submit
Your U.S. employer, agent, or sponsor, must submit all of the following required documents with your Form I-129:
- A written consultation from an appropriate labor organization. More information on labor organizations can be found on the Address Index for I-129 O and P Consultation Letters page. The consultation must describe the work or services to be performed in the United States and your qualifications for such work. The labor organization may also submit a letter of no objection to the approval of the petition. If no appropriate labor organization exists, USCIS will make a decision based on the evidence of record;
- Copies of any written contracts or summaries of the terms of oral agreements containing the terms of your employment;
- An explanation of the nature of the events or activities, the beginning and ending dates for the events or activities, and a copy of any itinerary for the events or activities; and
- Any additional documents required for your specific P-1A category below.
For Internationally Recognized Individuals or Teams
You must submit a copy of a tendered contract with a major U.S. sports league or team, or in an individual sport commensurate with international recognition in the sport, if such contracts are normally used in the sport, and documentation of at least two of the following:
- Evidence of having participated to a significant extent in a prior season with a major United States sports league;
- Evidence of having participated in international competition with a national team;
- Evidence of having participated to a significant extent in a prior season for a U.S. college or university in intercollegiate competition;
- A written statement from an official of the governing body of the sport which details how you or your team is internationally recognized;
- A written statement from a member of the sports media or a recognized expert in the sport which details how you or your team is internationally recognized;
- Evidence that you or your team is ranked, if the sport has international rankings; or
- Evidence that you or your team has received a significant honor or award in the sport.
You must also demonstrate that the beneficiary (as an individual athlete or as a member of an athletic team) is coming to the United States to participate in an athletic competition that has a distinguished reputation and that requires participation of an athlete or athletic team that has an international reputation.
For Professional Athletes
You must submit evidence that:
- Establishes that you will be employed as an athlete by a team located in the United States that is a member of an association of six or more professional sports teams. This may include but is not limited to:
- A list of approved participating teams prepared by the association or league;
- Contracts, agreements or other documentation showing that the team is a member of the association or league;
- Letter from the association or league detailing and confirming the team’s membership;
- Articles, reviews or other documentation from established sports media outlets or sports media personnel showing the team is a member of a qualified league or association; or
- Marketing and promotional material of the association or league that identifies its member teams.
- Establishes that the total combined revenues of the association’s teams exceeds $10 million per year. This may include but is not limited to:
- Tax documents;
- Audited financial documents; or
- Articles or reports in established media outlets that specifically reference revenues generated by teams in the association or league.
- Establishes that the association governs the conduct of its members and regulates the contests and exhibitions in which its member teams regularly engage. This may include but is not limited to:
- Association or league rules and bylaws;
- Articles or reports in established media outlets that specifically discuss action taken by the association or league to regulate the contests and exhibitions; or
- Statements from association or league officials who have the knowledge and authority to confirm the manner and extent to which the association or league regulates the contests and exhibitions.
If you will be working for a minor league team affiliated with an association that meets the requirements described above, you must establish that the minor league team has a qualifying affiliation. This may include but is not limited to:
- Contracts or agreements;
- Statements from association or league officials detailing and confirming the team’s affiliation;
- Marketing and promotional material of the association or league that identifies the minor league team’s affiliation;
- Other documentation showing the team is affiliated with a qualified league or association; or
- Articles, reviews, or other documentation from established sports media outlets or sports media personnel showing the team is affiliated with a qualified league or association.
Amateur Athletes or Coaches
Your employer, agent, or sponsor must submit evidence that you are coming to the United States to perform as an athlete or coach as part of a team or franchise located in the United States that is a member of a foreign league or association that meets the requirements listed in the Eligibility Criteria section of this page.
This evidence may include but is not limited to:
- Reviews, articles, and reports from established sports media outlets showing the level of performance of the foreign league’s or association; or
- Contracts, copies of rules and by-laws, and other documentation from the foreign league’s or associations’s office showing the level of performance of the member teams.
For Theatrical Ice Skaters
You must submit evidence that you will be performing individually or as part of a group in a theatrical ice skating production. This may include but is not limited to:
- Reviews, critiques, and descriptions of the theatrical performance from established journals, newspapers, and other entertainment or sports media; and
- An itinerary or schedule of the performances.
Family of P-1A Nonimmigrants
Your spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21 may obtain P-4 nonimmigrant status. P-4 status does not authorize them to work in the United States but they may attend school or college. If these family members are already in the United States and seeking a change of status to or an extension of stay in P-4 classification, they may apply, with fee, on a Form I-539, Application to Change/Extend Nonimmigrant Status and if applicable, Form I-539A, Supplemental Information for Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status.