Advisory Opinion Letter
Usually, the first step in an O petition process is obtaining an advisory opinion from an appropriate consulting entity, such as a peer group, labor organization, or management organization. The advisory opinion is to state whether the alien qualifies as an alien of extraordinary ability as provided above and whether such extraordinary abilities are required for the activities to be undertaken by the alien.
If the alien is seeking an O-1B visa (for an individual with extraordinary achievement in motion pictures or television), the consultation must come from an appropriate labor union and a management organization with expertise in the beneficiary’s area of ability.
An advisory letter is not required under the following circumstances:
- An expeditious handling of the petition is requested (this can only be done in the event of an exigency such as an event that the proposed O-1 alien needs to attend, before an advisory opinion can be obtained);
- An appropriate consulting entity does not exist as established by the petitioner; or
- ONLY for aliens of extraordinary ability in the arts, a waiver of the advisory opinion may be made because a consultation has taken place within the prior two years with regard to a previous admission to render similar services.
Sample O-1 Advisory Opinion Letter/Recommendation
[Please print on Association/Organization letterhead.]
[Please insert date.]
Director
Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services
Texas Service Center
Mesquite, TX 75185-2211
O-1 Petition on Behalf of xxxxxx
Dear Director:
It is a pleasure for me to write this independent peer review letter recognizing __name of the athlete_____ status as an outstanding athlete in ________
As the President/ Representative/ Director of the _______________, I am considered an international authority on _______. I have _______recognitions____; and I am currently ____charge/status___
As such, I am well qualified to attest to the tremendous significance of ___name of the Athlete____ as an outstanding athlete in ___mention the sport__
The ____name of the Institution______ is dedicated to _______. Founded in ____ the organization has grown in ___the history of the company____
Although I have not / have an opportunity to work directly with _____, I can attest to the fact that he is considered an extraordinarily talented athlete. ____mention the contributions or goals achieved by the Athlete____. (It can also mention the attitude and the excellent performance of the athlete as a professional and as a human being)
___Name of the athlete_____ has tremendous dedication and stellar accomplishments in _____ which shows his/her extraordinary abilities. I strongly recommend _______ as an internationally recognized athlete who will certainly be an invaluable at _______ and to the United States.
Please do not hesitate to contact me at _____mail____ if I may be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
XXXXXX
President/ Representative/ Director of ___________