[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.

[autoexec]

The decline of the US means that there will be increasingly fewer deep-pocketed customers able to pay 5 figures for anything.

Those who come to the US with enough money on the bank will have access to a lifestyle and experiences that are becoming more and more exclusive, which makes for great content for the peasant class to consume on their phones.

[vondur]

Healthier countries? As in better physical health?

[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.

[michaelt]

As I understand it [1], usually if you try to cross the border declaring you intend to engage in sex work, they turn you away. Some combination of prudishness and concern about trafficking.

For there to be a special sex worker visa is a surprise, to me.

[1] https://www.pace-society.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/3194...

[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.

[t-3]

She's not really an "OnlyFans worker" in that case. OnlyFans is merely an advertising venue for an escort or prostitution service.

[throwaway2037]

    > An OnlyFans worker may make the bulk of her money by meeting fans in person for dates.

I don't believe it. Do you have any evidence? As I understand, the money is made two ways: (1) regular subscriptions and (2) whales that pay for extra content. Also, most of them have private chat and email, which I assume is serviced offshore from somewhere like the Philippines where it is cheap and easy to hire English speakers.

[eyeris]

Think it’s likely for some OF is the sidegig and for others escorting is the sidegig.

Both would build brand, but I’d imagine making it big on OF streamer has a much higher cap than making it big as an escort.