O-1B Nonimmigrant Visa
The O-1B is normally the first work visa an artist will apply for. It is a temporary, 3-year visa that is renewable. You must show you have an itinerary of work and that you have “extraordinary ability”, which is simply a legal term that means you have achieved some distinction in your artistic field.
EB-1 Immigrant Visa
An EB-1 is a visa that leads to permanent residence, also known as a green card. You can petition for yourself if you can demonstrate that you have “extraordinary ability”. The standard of achievements you show for an EB-1 is significantly higher than for an O-1B and there are different categories of evidence that you must submit.
National Interest Waiver
An National Interest Waiver is an EB-2 visa that leads to permanent residence. You must first show that you either have a graduate level degree, requisite years of professional work experience, or “exceptional ability”. Then, you must show that your proposed work is of national importance to the United States. An NIW can also be a self-petition & can be a potential option for those whose achievements won’t satisfy the EB-1 standard.
Family Based Petitions
It may be easiest to obtain work authorization in the United States through your family ties, either by being the derivative of a spouse’s nonimmigrant visa, or through your family connections to another U.S. citizen or Legal Permanent Resident.