Why USA?

My close friend lived in New York, so I went there often. At the beginning of my styling career, I took summer courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Then I met the editor-in-chief of a big Russian publication. She told me about the O-1 talent visa and introduced me to a lawyer. I had no doubt that I wanted to apply for a visa and move to New York.

At her birthday, that friend took me to the lawyer and said: “This is the most important person you need to meet today.” That moment set the course of my life for the next 5 years.

I decided to hire a lawyer (rather than apply on my own) because I don’t like paperwork. I could probably figure this out on my own, but I always prefer to have a professional handle every task.

The timeframe

The whole process took one year. But it was my fault: I spent a very long time collecting my portfolio and all the documents and procrastinated terribly. I was too lazy to go through 3 years of my shoots and document all of it properly. As I said, I really don’t like all this bureaucracy. So I’m sure that everything could have been done at least twice as fast. When we sent my application, the response came quickly, and I signed up for an interview.

Difficulties

I have had no problems with my work or my presence in the media. On the contrary: there were too many publications about me. So the most difficult part was collecting my portfolio. There were a lot of things to go through. I also had to fly to Berlin for my interview, and then wait another week for my passport. 

My tips

I was surprised that not all employers in the USA know about the O-1 visa. Many people don’t understand how to hire you. It’s not so easy to just go and get a job in the States on this visa. Therefore, at the very beginning, it is very important to carefully study what this visa provides and what it does not. I think O-1 is best suited for freelancers and those who want to start their own company (LLC).

My advice: before applying for this visa, write down 30 of your ‘dream companies’. And start writing to them: “Will you hire me with an O-1 visa?” Also, try living in New York as a tourist for a couple of months first. Just to see if it's the right city for you.

Getting a talent visa is not difficult. It's hard to know what to do with it later.

I adore New York, even though it is a brutal city. The rent is sky-high, so are the taxes, the subway is terrible and there are lots of crazy people on the streets. But after a year and a half of living there I seem to be able to understand and love it. I found ‘my places’ and created my own stories. I had to return to Russia for family reasons, and if it wasn’t for this, who knows, maybe I’d be answering your questions from an apartment on the Upper West Side.

Recently I’ve decided to expand the global horizons of my talent further, so my next step is the UAE golden visa. I share my experience on my Telegram channel. And it’s great that Relogate now also helps with it too.