One of the six criteria for the O-1 visa is future employment contract. Your future work can be proven with a job offer letter, an offer of employment, an agreement, a contract, a deal memo, or a summary of the terms of the agreement.
If you plan on working for one specific company while in the United States, then you will be responsible for securing one employment offer. If you file your O-1 petition with one employer, then you will be tied to that employer for the duration of your O-1 validity period. Employment outside of what was discussed in your O-1 petition is a potential violation of your O-1 status.
It’s important to note that not every artist’s or creative professional’s job is with one big company. Some artists work on multiple projects with a variety of employers. For example, a fashion designer may work with one large company as well as be a personal designer for an individual. The O-1 visa allows for varied employment.
What makes the O-1 visa stand out, is that future work is not rigidly defined as in a traditional 9-5 position.Therefore, it is critical that when applying for the O-1 visa, you truly identify what type of professional career you want so that you can seek out the appropriate employment, no matter how big or small, for your future employment contracts.