O-1 / O-2 Advisory Opinion Letters for Internationally-based Producers

PGA provides O1 and O2 advisory opinion letters to internationally-based producers of distinguished and established abilities in the motion picture and television industry. 

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) considers the PGA a “peer advisory group” and requires international producers who are applying for an O1 Extraordinary Visa and are coming to the US for production, to receive an advisory opinion letter from us. 

The Guild’s role is to to verify an applicant’s credits based on PGA membership  requirements and ensure that the applicant has previous producing credits and will continue to receive producing credits for their upcoming productions in motion picture and/or television.

For O1 petitions, the Guild evaluates if the beneficiary meets three out of six of the extraordinary requirements by USCIS.

For O2 petitions, the Guild evaluates if the beneficiary has a previous working relationship that is essential and critical to the O1 beneficiary (ex. O1 Director and O2 Producer).

Applications are restricted to producers working in film, television and new media.

 

Process to apply

In order for PGA to prepare an advisory opinion, PGA is required to collect personal information. Before submitting to us any information, please carefully review our Privacy Policy, which you will be deemed to have agreed to by submitting your request for an opinion. 

IMPT: During the COVID-19 pandemic, materials must be submitted by email.

Documents to include in the petition:

• Cover letter
• I-129 form
• Deal memo(s)
• Itinerary
• IMDB page
• Supporting documentation (such as credits, awards, and first-hand account letters)
• Payment

Fees 

$500 USD - Application payment HERE

$300 USD for AMPTP Members - Application payment HERE

There is no fee for members of the Producers Guild of America.

There is no additional fee to process an O-1 and O-2 if it is for the same project.

PGA can accept payment by credit card, ACH and physical checks. 

If submitting payment by check, PGA can only accept checks from a lawyer or law firm. It can not accept personal checks from the beneficiary. Checks must be payable to Producers Guild of America, Inc.

 

Submit Documents By Email and Payment on Line (preferably)

Questions? Please contact  [email protected] / 310-358-9020 x 103

If you must send payment via a physical check, please send by FedEx or UPS to:

Attn: 01-02 Advisory Letters, Producers Guild of America, 11150 W. Olympic Blvd., Ste. 980, Los Angeles, CA 90064

 

Please note that PGA is only able to issue favorable letters. 

If we are unable to issue an advisory letter, PGA staff will contact the submitter and provide the reason(s) why. We will destroy the check or reverse a credit card or ACH payment.