All citizens of foreign countries who wish to enter the U.S., either permanently or temporarily, must do so pursuant to some sort of visa. Many types of visas are available, and among those visas is the I visa for foreign members of the media.
According to the U.S. Department of State – Consular Affairs, members of the foreign media, whether representing press, radio, film, or print industries, may use an I visa to temporarily travel to the U.S. to work in their profession. The individuals must be engaged in informational or educational media activities that are essential to the foreign media function. The media organization whose representatives wish to enter the U.S. temporarily on an I visa must have a home office in the foreign country. The activities occurring in the U.S. must be associated with the news-gathering process and reporting on current events.
Examples of individuals who might qualify to travel to the U.S. pursuant to an I visa include:
• Employees of public or private media in foreign countries filming a news event or documentary
• Foreign media members engaged in the production or distribution of foreign films
• Journalists working on news or information stories
• Accredited representatives of foreign tourist bureaus
• Employees of organizations that distribute technical industrial information who will work in the U.S. offices of those organizations
Members of the media generally must have credentials through their countries’ professional journalist association in order to qualify for I visas. Consular officials require individuals to undergo a personal interview before granting an I-visa, with the exception of children under the age of 13, adults over the age of 80, and some foreign media members who are renewing their visas.
No matter the type of immigration issue you are facing, the skilled and knowledgeable immigration lawyers of Peek Law Group are here to assist you. We handle many different types of immigration cases every day and have the kind of strategic experience and skills that are necessary to reach the desired outcome. By calling our office as quickly as possible after your legal issue arises, we will have the best opportunity to successfully resolve your immigration law case.