# P-1 Visa for Athletes and Teams | P-1A Requirements, Fees and Timing (2026)

> Altius Immigration Law PLLC is a U.S. immigration law firm in Washington, D.C., serving clients in all 50 states. Principal attorney: André Matias. Practice areas: green cards, family-based immigration, employment-based and temporary work visas (H-1B, L-1, O-1, P-1), investment visas (E-2), adjustment of status, and citizenship & naturalization.

Source: https://altius.law/p-1-visa-athletes/

Summary: The P-1A visa for internationally recognized athletes and teams: who qualifies, who files the petition, how long it lasts, what USCIS charges as of September 2026, and how the petition works at each major US league.

##### Temporary Visas

The **P-1A** is the visa for an athlete, or a team, coming to the United States to compete at an internationally recognized level. The **P-1B** covers members of an internationally recognized entertainment group. This page is written for the athlete and for the club, league or federation that will file the petition. André Matias, the founding attorney, competed at the Olympic Games as a rower and, as an athlete and now an attorney, has seen these petitions from both sides.

![A rower in Angola's national kit on a podium, wearing a medal.](/images/uploads/2023/10/Matias_olympics-587x1024-1.png)

## Who qualifies for the P-1A

The Immigration and Nationality Act describes the P-1A athlete as one who performs "at an internationally recognized level of performance" ([INA 214(c)(4)(A)(i)(I), 8 U.S.C. 1184(c)(4)(A)(i)(I)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1184)). "Internationally recognized" has its own definition in the P-1A regulation: "a high level of achievement in a field evidenced by a degree of skill and recognition substantially above that ordinarily encountered", to the point that the athlete or team is "renowned, leading, or well-known in more than one country" ([8 CFR 214.2(p)(3)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/214.2)).

The petition proves that in two parts ([8 CFR 214.2(p)(4)(ii)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/214.2)):

1. A tendered contract with a major U.S. sports league or team, or, in an individual sport, a tendered contract commensurate with international recognition in that sport, if such contracts are normally executed in the sport; and
2. Documentation of at least two of seven items: a season with a major U.S. sports league; international competition for a national team; a season of U.S. intercollegiate competition; a written statement from an official of the governing body explaining how the athlete or team is internationally recognized; a written statement from the sports media or a recognized expert; an international ranking; or a significant honor or award in the sport.

The petition is for a specific competition, or a series of them, that itself "has a distinguished reputation" and requires internationally recognized participants ([8 CFR 214.2(p)(4)(ii)(A)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/214.2)).

## Routes into the P-1A

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) lists the ways an athlete can fit the category ([USCIS, P-1A Athlete](https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/p-1a-athlete)):

- **An individual athlete** competing at an internationally recognized level.
- **A member of a team** that competes at an internationally recognized level, where the team is the one being recognized.
- **An athlete or coach on a U.S. team or franchise that belongs to a foreign league** of fifteen or more amateur teams. Congress wrote this route into the Immigration and Nationality Act. The regulation does not repeat it, so a petition on this route cites [INA 214(c)(4)(A)(i)(III)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1184).

The statute also names the **professional athlete** as a separate basis, defined by the league the athlete plays in ([INA 214(c)(4)(A)(i)(II)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1184)). The statute defines that league as an association of six or more professional teams with combined revenues over ten million dollars a year ([INA 204(i)(2)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1154)).

An athlete whose strongest evidence is personal, and who is not tied to a team or a specific competition, is often a better fit for the [O-1A visa](/temporary-visas/o-1-visa/), which asks about the individual's record rather than the league.

## Who files the petition, and when

An athlete cannot file a P-1A petition alone. The petitioner is "a U.S. employer, a U.S. sponsoring organization, a U.S. agent, or a foreign employer through a U.S. agent" ([USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 2, Part N, Chapter 3](https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-2-part-n)). A U.S. agent may petition "in cases involving workers who are traditionally self-employed or workers who use agents to arrange short-term employment", and where "a foreign employer authorizes the agent" ([8 CFR 214.2(p)(2)(iv)(E)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/214.2)). For a player under contract to a club, the club is the employer and the petitioner. For an athlete without a single employer, competing across several events or countries, a U.S. agent petitioner can file on behalf of several employers, including foreign ones. Altius does not act as an agent petitioner itself; it works with agent-petitioner services and can refer you to one.

Two rules shape every filing:

- **The petition may not be filed more than one year before the athlete is needed** ([8 CFR 214.2(p)(2)(i)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/214.2)).
- **A consultation letter is mandatory.** "Consultation with an appropriate labor organization … is mandatory before a petition for P-1, P-2, or P-3 classification can be approved" ([8 CFR 214.2(p)(7)(i)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/214.2)). USCIS publishes an [address index of the organizations that write these letters](https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/address-index-for-i-129-o-and-p-consultation-letters) and states that the list "is not an exhaustive list". Where no organization exists for a sport, the Form I-129 instructions say to "indicate that on the petition" ([USCIS, Form I-129 instructions](https://www.uscis.gov/i-129)), and the regulation provides for USCIS to keep a list of fields where "no appropriate labor organization exists" ([8 CFR 214.2(p)(7)(vii)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/214.2)).

## How long a P-1A lasts, and who comes with you

- **An individual athlete:** the petition "shall be valid for a period up to 5 years", and an extension "may be authorized for a period up to 5 years for a total period of stay not to exceed 10 years" ([8 CFR 214.2(p)(8)(iii)(A) and (p)(14)(ii)(A)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/214.2)).
- **A team:** the petition is valid for a period "not to exceed 1 year", extended "in increments of 1 year" ([8 CFR 214.2(p)(8)(iii)(A) and (p)(14)(ii)(B)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/214.2)).
- **Essential support personnel (P-1S):** a trainer, physiotherapist or other "highly skilled, essential person" who is "an integral part of the performance" needs a separate petition, valid for up to one year ([8 CFR 214.2(p)(3), (p)(2)(i) and (p)(8)(iii)(E)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/214.2)).
- **Family (P-4):** the athlete's spouse and unmarried children under 21 may obtain P-4 status; neither "may accept employment unless he or she has been granted employment authorization" ([8 CFR 214.2(p)(8)(iii)(D)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/214.2); [USCIS, P-1A Athlete](https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/p-1a-athlete)).

## When a player is traded

A trade does not end a professional athlete's permission to work. "Employment authorization for the player will automatically continue for a period of 30 days after acquisition by the new organization, within which time the new organization is expected to file a new … petition" ([8 CFR 214.2(p)(2)(iv)(C)(2)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/214.2)). If the new club files inside the 30 days, the player is "deemed to be in valid P-1 status … until the petition is adjudicated"; if no petition is filed, "employment authorization will cease". A change of employer that is not a trade follows the general rule: the athlete "may not commence employment with the new employer or sponsor until the petition and request for extension have been approved" ([8 CFR 214.2(p)(2)(iv)(C)(1)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/214.2)).

## Fees and timing, as of September 2026

Government fees are subject to change; each row names its source in USCIS's fee regulation and fee schedule.

| Fee | Amount | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Form I-129, P petition, 1 to 25 named beneficiaries | $1,015; $510 for a small employer (25 or fewer full-time equivalent employees) or a nonprofit | [8 CFR 106.2(a)(3)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/106.2); [USCIS Fee Schedule G-1055, edition 09/09/26](https://www.uscis.gov/g-1055) |
| Asylum Program Fee, paid with the I-129 | $600; $300 for a small employer; $0 for a nonprofit | [8 CFR 106.2(c)(13)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/106.2); [G-1055](https://www.uscis.gov/g-1055) |
| Premium processing (Form I-907), optional | $2,965 for a P petition, effective March 1, 2026; USCIS acts within 15 business days or refunds the fee | [8 CFR 106.4](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/106.4); [USCIS alert, January 9, 2026](https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/uscis-to-increase-premium-processing-fees) |

Without premium processing, the wait depends on the service center and changes month to month; check the current figure on [USCIS's processing-times tool](https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/). USCIS describes the premium service as "15 business days for most classifications" ([USCIS, How do I request premium processing](https://www.uscis.gov/forms/all-forms/how-do-i-request-premium-processing)).

## How the petition works at each league

Inside a club, the work is done by its administration staff. The title of that role differs from league to league; the examples below come from the clubs' own staff pages. The roster figures are each league's own published counts, and each league counts "international" differently, as noted.

- **National Hockey League (NHL).** 531 of the 726 players on 2025-26 opening-night rosters were not American, by nationality ([NHL, Opening Night rosters by the numbers](https://www.nhl.com/news/2025-nhl-opening-night-rosters-by-the-numbers)). Each club files for its own players; at 22 of the 32 clubs the role is titled Hockey Administration or Team Services; for example, the Utah Mammoth list a Director, Hockey Administration on their [staff page](https://www.nhl.com/utah/team/staff-directory).
- **Major League Soccer (MLS).** The league's April 6, 2026 release counts 425 players born in North America, 349 of them in the United States and 48 in Canada, and players from 78 countries ([MLS, April 6, 2026](https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/major-league-soccer-leads-north-american-men-s-sports-with-youngest-and-most-diverse-player-pool)). The club's Team Administration or Soccer Operations staff handle the petition; D.C. United lists a Director of Team Administration and Operations on its [technical staff page](https://www.dcunited.com/club/technical).
- **National Basketball Association (NBA).** A record 135 international players from 43 countries were on 2025-26 opening-night rosters, as the NBA counts them ([NBA, 2025-26 international players](https://www.nba.com/news/2025-26-international-players-opening-night)). Basketball Operations or Basketball Administration staff at the club handle the petition; the Washington Wizards' [staff directory](https://www.nba.com/wizards/staff-directory) lists the club's basketball-side roles.
- **Major League Baseball (MLB).** 249 of the 948 players on 2026 Opening Day rosters and inactive lists were born outside the United States ([MLB, 2026 Opening Day rosters](https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-opening-day-rosters-feature-249-internationally-born-players)). The role is International Operations or Baseball Administration; the Baltimore Orioles list a Senior Manager, International Operations and Baseball Administration on their [front office page](https://www.mlb.com/orioles/team/front-office).
- **National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).** The league office, not the club, processes the visa: "A P-1 visa will be processed by the League for International Players" ([NWSL Competition Manual 2025, Section IV, page 49](https://images.nwslsoccer.com/image/private/t_q-good/prd/bqso2kywvrxygd3ppsru.pdf)), and the cost is "billed back to the Team" (same document, Section I.B.iv, page 11). Each team holds seven International Roster spots (same document).
- **Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL).** 207 players were on 2025-26 opening rosters: 94 Canadian, 88 American and 25 European ([PWHL, November 21, 2025](https://www.thepwhl.com/en/news/2025/november/21/pwhl-to-make-history-with-season-three-puck-drop-tonight)). A Canadian or European player on one of the four U.S.-based clubs needs U.S. work authorization unless she already holds it.

Whoever files, the athlete's job is the same: supply the contract and the two or more evidence items from the list above, and confirm which organization will write the consultation letter.

## Esports players

The firm's guide, [Can pro gamers get a visa to compete in the United States?](/can-pro-gamers-get-a-visa-to-compete-in-the-united-states-a-guide-to-p-1a-visas-for-esports-athletes/), explains how the P-1A has been applied to professional gamers under contract to a team or invited to a tournament, and what the evidence looks like when the sport has no governing body.

## The P-1B for entertainment groups

The **P-1B** covers a member of an entertainment group that is internationally recognized as a group ([8 CFR 214.2(p)(1)(ii)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/214.2)). The consultation and family rules above apply to the P classification as a whole; a P-1B group petition is valid for up to one year ([8 CFR 214.2(p)(8)(iii)(B)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/214.2)), and the evidence is about the group rather than the individual. The firm handles P-1B petitions and will explain the group-specific evidence on a call.

## Questions athletes ask

**Can I keep playing after a trade?** If you are a professional athlete traded from one organization to another, yes: for 30 days after the new club acquires you, while the new club files its own petition; if the new petition is filed in that window you remain in valid P-1 status until USCIS decides it ([8 CFR 214.2(p)(2)(iv)(C)(2)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/214.2)).

**How far ahead can the club file?** No more than one year before you are needed ([8 CFR 214.2(p)(2)(i)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/214.2)).

**Can my family come with me?** Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 may obtain P-4 status; they may not work unless they obtain employment authorization ([8 CFR 214.2(p)(8)(iii)(D)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/214.2)).

**Does the P-1A lead to a green card?** Not by itself. An athlete with a sustained record may qualify for the [EB-1A green card for athletes](/eb-1a-green-card-athletes/), which is a separate petition with its own evidence. Applying for a green card does not by itself bar a P petition: an approved labor certification or a filed green card petition is not by itself a reason to deny a P petition, extension or admission, but this protection does not cover essential support personnel ([8 CFR 214.2(p)(15)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/214.2)).

## Get in touch

Altius Immigration Law prepares P-1A petitions for athletes, clubs and federations, and O-1A and EB-1A petitions where the athlete's own record is the stronger case. [Book a consultation](/scheduling/) to talk through which route fits.

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