Highlights:
- O-1B visa applications now dominated by social media influencers and OnlyFans creators
- Follower counts, brand deals, and online engagement used as evidence of 'extraordinary ability'
- Pandemic accelerated growth in influencer visa applications
- Concerns rising that traditional artists may be sidelined by algorithm-driven criteria
- O-1 visas remain limited, with fewer than 20,000 granted in 2024
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, social media influencers and OnlyFans creators have emerged as the new face of the US O-1B visa, officially designed for individuals with extraordinary ability in the arts.
What was once a program reserved for acclaimed musicians, filmmakers, and cultural figures is now increasingly being secured based on online metrics such as follower counts, subscriber numbers, and engagement rates.
According to the Financial Times, immigration lawyers report that influencers now make up more than half of their O-1 visa clients, a significant shift from the traditional roster of artists.
High follower numbers and brand deals provide measurable proof of success, reshaping how American immigration authorities evaluate artistic merit.
One example is Indian singer and content creator Darshan Magdum, who has leveraged social media to strengthen his case for an O-1 visa. Recently, Darshan and his TikTok-era boy band, Boythrob, hit one million followers on TikTok and over six lakh (600,000) on Instagram. According to their immigration lawyer, reaching these digital milestones has greatly improved his visa prospects.
Darshan’s story highlights the intersection of digital fame and immigration law, as metrics like followers, likes, and online reach become tangible evidence of “extraordinary ability.”
Boythrob, a band whose members perform partly via Zoom from different continents, exemplifies this modern approach. Despite their unconventional setup and chaotic, humor-driven content, their online presence has translated into real-world influence, a factor immigration officials increasingly recognize.
The O-1 visa category has an interesting history. Originating in 1972 when musician John Lennon was threatened with deportation, and later formalized in the Immigration Act of 1990, the O-1 visa was intended to attract exceptional talent in arts, motion pictures, television, science, education, business, or athletics. The O-1B category specifically applies to artists in music, theatre, and film whose work substantially benefits American culture. Today, however, traditional credentials are no longer the sole measure of artistic impact.
Lawyers note that social media metrics offer clear, quantifiable evidence. “A layperson is very easily impressed by a large number of followers,” says Elektra Yao, founding partner of the Yao Law Group. Brand deals, viral posts, and online collaborations can serve as endorsements of talent, effectively replacing conventional artistic evaluations.
However, critics argue this shift dilutes the original intent of the visa. Protima Daryanani, managing partner of the Daryanani Law Group, warns that the quality threshold is being lowered. “We have scenarios where people who should never have been approved are getting O-1 visas,” she says. Similarly, New York attorney Shervin Abachi cautions that algorithmic success risks replacing genuine artistic merit with a numbers game, where cultural contribution is equated with clicks and likes.
Despite these concerns, the popularity of the O-1 visa among influencers and OnlyFans creators shows no signs of slowing. The pandemic accelerated the trend, and legal strategies increasingly incorporate social media as proof of distinction.
While the approach benefits digitally savvy creators like Darshan, it raises questions about the future of traditionally trained artists, whose work may not naturally attract viral engagement.
