"A US brand offered me a six-month contract, but my tourist visa doesn’t let me work. What are my options?"

This is one of the most common questions we hear from content creators and digital branding experts who are expanding their work internationally. Whether foreign nationals are landing major brand deals, launching their own label, or simply trying to grow their audience in the US, immigration rules can feel like a confusing roadblock. The reality is that there is no visa category labeled “influencer” but that doesn’t mean US immigration law doesn’t have options for foreign nationals. In fact, there are several. Some visas are designed for short visits or business meetings, others for entrepreneurs who want to open a company, and still others for those who have built a career that meets the legal definition of “extraordinary.” Choosing the right visa is a critical first step if foreign nationals are serious about working, growing, and collaborating in the US legally.

I remember when I first downloaded Instagram on my iPhone. Like many others, I instantly fell in love with the app. Even if I was in my office in Manhattan on a freezing cold gray winter day, with Instagram I could be transported to a new restaurant in Mexico City, an art exhibit in Buenos Aires, or an oceanside bungalow in the Maldives (preferably sipping a delicious beverage). Sure, not all the photos in my feed were so glamorous or exciting—I still got plenty of food photos from my friends and family (looks delicious, mom!)—but, as trite as it sounds, Instagram opened a whole world of sights, people, and experiences (not to mention memes).

And thanks to Instagram and other social media platforms, we have influencers and content creators, two professions that have always existed in some form but not quite in the same powerful way as they do now. In this post, we’ll discuss US visa options for social media influencers and content creators looking to expand their horizons to the US. As always, this is a general post for informational purposes only. Any influencer or content creator should DM aka consult a qualified immigration attorney to discuss their specific situation.