Immigration Law

Meet Svetlana Kats

Of counsel, Svetlana Kats, Esq., provides immigration legal services to artists and entertainers who are interested in working and living in the United States. Svetlana offers special immigration options for investors in the arts, entertainment, and sports industries.

Svetlana can also assist you in planning a long-term immigration strategy that could allow you to apply for a green card status if you decide to reside permanently in the United States.

Our immigration services include:

  • O-1B visas for Individuals with Extraordinary Ability in the Arts
  • P-1B visas for Internationally Recognized Entertainment Groups
  • P-3 visas for Culturally Unique Entertainers & Groups
  • Green Cards for Artists, Musicians & Entertainers based on Extraordinary or Exceptional Abilities

O-1B Visa for individuals with an extraordinary ability in the arts or extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry.

This visa allows artists and entertainers to perform, tour, or record in the United States. This visa requires extensive evidence to show that the artist has an established record of extraordinary achievements and has been recognized nationally or internationally for those achievements.

P-1B visas for internationally recognized entertainment groups.

The P-1B visa is for internationally recognized entertainment groups (bands, rock, and dance groups) coming to the United States temporarily to perform, tour, and record. P-1B classification also applies to individual performers coming to the United States to join, as a member, an internationally recognized group. The reputation of the group, not the individual achievements of its members or the acclaim of a particular production, is an essential part of this visa.

P-3: visa options for culturally unique entertainers & groups.

The P-3 classification is for entertainers, either individually or as part of a group, who are coming to the United States solely to perform, teach, or coach under a culturally unique program. On a P-3 visa, artists can participate in cultural events with unique or traditional ethnic, folk, cultural, musical, theatrical, or artistic performance or presentation. The program may be of a commercial or noncommercial nature.

Green card options for extraordinary artists, musicians & entertainers.

The Extraordinary Ability Green Card category was created to attract individuals with extraordinary talent and ability to the U.S. The uniqueness of this program is that individual entertainers or artists can self-petition without the offer from a potential employer. The success of this petition is very much based on the evidence showing that the individual is one of that small percentage who has risen to the very top of the field of endeavor.

Special immigration options for investors in the arts, entertainment, and sports industries.

One of the options for investors is a Treaty Investor Visa, E-2 visa, which permits citizens of certain “treaty” countries to reside and work in the United States through an investment. Applying for an E2 visa is a complex process. As with any visa application, there is no replacement for practical experience when filing E-2 visa case. Ms. Kats can assist you with every step of the process, including creating or acquiring ownership in a company and ensuring that all of the required documents are properly collected and sent with the application. In addition, she can assist you in planning a long-term immigration strategy if you will later decide to convert your E-2 (non- immigrant) Visa into EB-5 (Immigrant) Petition.