US Visa Singapore

I1 media visa is a nonimmigrant visa for representatives of the foreign media temporarily traveling to the US, to engage in their profession while having their home office in a foreign country. Some procedures and fees under immigration law, relate to policies of the travelers home country, and in turn, the U.S. follows a similar practice, which is called “reciprocity.”

Procedures for providing media visas to foreign media representatives of a particular country, consider whether the visa applicant’s own government grants similar privileges or is reciprocal, to representatives of the media or press from the United States.

Media (I) applicants must meet specific requirements to qualify for a media (I) visa under immigration law. The consular officer will determine whether you qualify for the visa. Media visas are for representatives of the foreign media, including members of the press, radio, film or print industries, whose activities are essential to the foreign media function, such as reporters, film crews, editors and persons in similar occupations, under U.S. immigration laws, traveling to the U.S. to engage in their profession.

The applicant must be engaging in qualifying activities for a media organization having its home office in a foreign country. The activity must be essentially informational, and generally associated with the news gathering process, reporting on actual current events, to be eligible for the media visa. The consular officer will determine whether or not an activity qualifies for the media visa. Reporting on sports events are usually appropriate for the media visa. Other examples include, but are not limited to, the following media related kinds of activities:

 

• Primary employees of foreign information media engaged in filming a news event or documentary.

• Members of the media engaged in the production or distribution of film will only qualify for a media visa if the material being filmed will be used to disseminate information or news. Additionally, the primary source and distribution of funding must be outside the U.S.

• Journalists working under contract- Persons holding a credential issued by a professional journalistic organization, if working under contract on a product to be used abroad by an information or cultural medium to disseminate information or news not primarily intended for commercial entertainment or advertising. Please note that a valid employment contract is required.

• Employees of independent production companies when those employees hold a credential issued by a professional journalistic association.

• Foreign journalists working for an overseas branch office or subsidiary of a U.S. network, newspaper or other media outlet if the journalist is going to the U.S. to report on U.S. events solely for a foreign audience.

• Accredited representatives of tourist bureaus, controlled, operated, or subsidized in whole or in part by a foreign government, who engage primarily in disseminating factual tourist information about that country, and who are not entitled to A-2 visa classification.

• Technical industrial information- Employees in the U.S. offices of organizations, which distribute technical industrial information.