Wildes & Weinberg, P.C., Managing Partner, Michael Wildes is pictured with American Idol winner and recording artist Jordin Sparks.

In 2009, Michael Wildes successfully applied for an O visa on behalf of a Lead Guitarist for American Idol winner and recording artist who joined The Jonas Brothers World Tour 2009.

An O visa is a non-immigrant temporary worker visa granted by the United States to an alien “who possesses extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, or who has a demonstrated record of extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry and has been recognized nationally or internationally for those achievements,” and to certain assistants and immediate family members of such aliens. and to certain assistants and immediate family members of such aliens.[1]

According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, there are three types of O visas:

  • O-1A – individuals with an extraordinary ability in the sciences, education, business, or athletics (not including the arts, motion pictures or television industry)
  • O-1B – individuals with an extraordinary ability in the arts or extraordinary achievement in motion picture or television industry.
  • O-2 – individuals who will accompany an O-1, artist or athlete, to assist in a specific event or performance. “For an O-1A, the O-2’s assistance must be an ‘integral part’ of the O-1A’s activity. For an O-1B, the O-2’s assistance must be ‘essential’ to the completion of the O-1B’s production. The O-2 worker has critical skills and experience with the O-1 that cannot be readily performed by a U.S. worker and which are essential to the successful performance of the O-1.”
  • O-3 – individuals who are the spouse or children of O-1s and O-2s.

Founded in 1960 by Leon Wildes,  Wildes & Weinberg, P.C. has concentrated its practice in all aspects of U.S. immigration and nationality law, servicing the immigration needs of prominent American and International firms, banks, industrial, financial and manufacturing concerns and law firms in connection with the personnel needs of their foreign national employees.

In addition, the firm has a distinguished clientele and has done substantial immigration work for performing artists, directors, writers, models, actors/actresses, athletes, fine artists, art dealers, curators, and literary agents including former Beatle John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Joe Cocker, Johnny Rotten, Paloma Picasso, several Miss Universes, supermodel Giselle Bundchen and Sarah Brightman, the world’s bestselling female classical artist of the twenty-first century.