P-1 / P-2 / P-3 / P-4 · Timeline

From petition to visa

1. 1

   File Form I-129

   The petitioner files Form I-129 with the evidence and the consultation. It may not be filed more than one year before the actual need for your services, and it is decided at the appropriate USCIS service center, even in emergency situations.^[1,2]

2. 2

   USCIS decides

   If the petition is approved, the petitioner receives Form I-797, Notice of Action, showing your name, the classification and the petition's validity period. If it is approved after the date the petitioner said the services would begin, the validity period generally starts on the approval date. A denied petition may be appealed, but there is no appeal from a decision denying an extension of stay or a change of status.^[1]

3. 3

   Visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate

   With the approval, you apply for a P visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate. The approval does not by itself establish that you are eligible for a visa, and the FAM tells consular officers to confirm at the interview that the facts in the petition are true. If you do not need a visa, you may present a copy of the approval notice at the port of entry.^[1,2,3,4]

4. 4

   Travel and entry

   Consulates may issue the visa up to 90 days before the start of status shown on Form I-797, but you can use it to apply for admission only starting 10 days before the approved period begins. You may be admitted for the petition's validity period plus up to 10 days before it begins and 10 days after it ends, but you may work only during the validity period. The visa cannot be valid for longer than the petition, and if the reciprocity schedule for your nationality sets a shorter validity, the shorter period applies.^[1,2]