[aiauthoritydev]

I am not a lawyer. But OF models using O1 visa is totally fine. It is the intended purpose. The visa itself is meant for researchers, scholars who have job offers, athletes, actors etc. it has no cap and clear criteria. OF models who make a lot of money should totally qualify for this.

Also this visa in uncapped so giving visas to OF models does not take away anything from scientists and others.

O visa's original intent was to help pretty ladies from Eastern Europe to be brought into the country as indentured workers. That is why it is so easy to get this visa for an actor or a fashion model but very tough to get someone for their research.

So all this is working as intended.

[Jare]

I thought the reason for this to be a visa is because their fields' activities were in-person (acting in movies/plays/shows, academic life & research, sports training & leagues, etc). A streamer / OF worker is not like that as far as I know (but e-sports is). So this is purely to bring people with money and/or influence, nothing exceptional except the number of 0's.

[neilv]

What I know from news articles is that some of them openly "escort", like some traditional porn stars did more quietly. The fame on the screen can be brand-building for the even more lucrative in-person work.

As one said in a quote, regarding AI threat and crumbling economies: "The oldest profession will be the last profession."

If some of them want to move to the US right now, from currently healthier countries, one reason may be that social inequality means there are many deep-pocketed customers able to pay 5 figures for a weekend experience.

[usef-]

It increases the countries' soft power if people around the world watch content from there.

Eg. a self-reinforcing cycle that you get the best from the other immigrant categories arriving because they choose the country where everything "seems to be happening".

[dragonwriter]

> I thought the reason for this to be a visa is because their fields' activities were in-person (acting in movies/plays/shows, academic life & research, sports training & leagues, etc). A streamer / OF worker is not like that as far as I know (but e-sports is).

Just like film work (which it is a kind of, in a sense), any place can be an OF set, but you need a set and, for performances with more than one performer, you generally need the performers at the same set. Physical proximity to both sets that you want to use and other performers who you might do recurring joint performances with seem to have obvious utility.

[dijit]

> A streamer / OF [may not have to be in person]

From what I understand about OF, it's not just people posting lewds, sometimes there are other actors in the media.

Having access to established actors and uh... "collaborating" with them would require being there in person I would guess.

[aiauthoritydev]

O visa is sponsored by an employer. The employer has to provide reasons why the person is being brought in USA. It makes perfect sense for USA to bring as many OF models as they want into USA as it could mean $$$$ in revenue for IRS, more money for US business and since these models are typically young there is lower load on any kind of welfare.

[whaleofatw2022]

> A streamer / OF worker is not like that as far as I know (but e-sports is).

Well Streamer vs Influencer can be different potentially, that said I can think of one example even for video game streamers, that being the AGDQ charity event where speedrunners/streamers do stuff live for charity at the event space.

[thaumasiotes]

> I thought the reason for this to be a visa is because their fields' activities were in-person (acting in movies/plays/shows, academic life & research, sports training & leagues, etc). A streamer / OF worker is not like that as far as I know

An OnlyFans worker may make the bulk of her money by meeting fans in person for dates. That can't be done over the internet.

[theshrike79]

TBH the president's (current) wife came in on an O1 visa too - as was the original intent like you said.

[pb7]

Why does someone doing OF need to be in the country? You can upload pictures from anywhere.

[joe_mamba]

Because once you move to live in the US (or any other country) then you become tax liable there and every gov wants more net taxpayers.

[cromka]

I guess they branch out to more traditional porn industry, even if it's not obvious from their profiles?

[tantalor]

It's not that they need to be in the country; they want to be in the country.

[rayiner]

> O visa's original intent was to help pretty ladies from Eastern Europe to be brought into the country as indentured workers

That seems like something we should fix?

[raxxorraxor]

OF models make money until a certain age though. Sure, not too different to the current job market you could argue, but usually any "influencer" career today is quite short lived if you haven't a very specific niche.

In my country prostitution is legal, but I think some countries are very hypocritical here about OF.

[jjp]

Is the influencer career being short lived any different from an athlete