Being Extraordinary: Crafting an O-1 Petition

March 27, 2023

About this event

Artists seeking O-1 work visas in the US must have a demonstrated record of extraordinary achievement, recognized nationally or internationally. The question is, what does it take to be extraordinary?

Navigating the O-1 visa process can be treacherous for the unwary artist. Join us for a workshop with Elektra Yao, founder and principal attorney at Yao Group, a firm dedicated to international and domestic artists as she discusses the technical aspects of the O-1 visa as well as the complexities such as understanding professional title requirements. Yao is an award-winning Artist Visa Lawyer and is very active as a member of The American Immigration Lawyers Association, Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyer Association, and the New York City Bar Association, where she is a member of several committees.

The workshop is designed for artists and lawyers interested in working with them, to shed light on the intricacies of the O-1 visa process of constructing a successful petition.

About the Speaker:

Elektra B. Yao, Esq. is the founder and principal attorney at Yao Law Group law firm dedicated to international and domestic artists. Elektra earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Arts from Marymount Manhattan College in NYC, one of the top art schools in the nation. During her undergraduate university career, Elektra wrote, directed, and produced two documentaries (N*gga What? and The Choking Game) which were screened in Texas and New York City. During college, she worked for MTV, the Style Network, and other distinguished production companies in the Film and TV industry.

Elektra is a very active attorney and is a member of The American Immigration Lawyers Association, Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyer Association, and The New York City Bar Association, where she is a member of several committees. As a multicultural attorney, with immigrant parents from Italy and Cote D’Ivoire, Elektra is fully fluent in French, Italian, and Spanish. She has lived, studied, and worked internationally in the US, the EU, and Africa. Not only does she understand the language her clients speak, she understands the cultural and artistic landscape of where they come from.

Elektra has successfully represented record labels, modeling agencies, production companies, individual artists, and creatives. To learn more about Elektra, visit her firm’s website.