Trump administration deems OnlyFans models as having ‘extraordinary ability’, propels them to top of O1-B visa application list

OnlyFans models have my respect. Everything I’ve read indicates it’s a full-time job that involves constantly producing new content, figuring out endless new ways to distinguish yourself from the competition, all while dealing with some of the creepiest people imaginable.

All of that is at the whim of a company that will squash you like a bug if you break one of their byzantine rules and there’s very little you can do about it. But there is at least one apparent benefit to putting it all out there on OF – being a successful model means it’s surprisingly easy to get an O-1B visa and work legally in the United States.

The O-1B visa is intended for “individuals with an extraordinary ability in the arts or extraordinary achievement in motion picture or television industry“. The Trump administration has been cracking down on these, and now applicants must demonstrate “distinction” in their field of work.

This sounds like an arduous process, with would-be visa holders having to send in multiple recommendation letters, contracts that prove artists will earn a living wage, and any press attention to prove that they’re high-profile enough. But the Financial Times is reporting that the criteria appears to have been loosened to ease entry for OnlyFans models (and other online influencers).

Apparently, follower counts can be used as a proof of distinction in their field, with any brand endorsements on stream counted as an “endorsement of talent”. The FT quotes lawyer Protima Daryanani as saying that “people who should never have been approved are getting approved for O-1s” and that the quality of those admitted has been “watered down”.

It’s a living

The key is that OnlyFans models can apparently easily offer concrete data via the site of their notability and success, which a new algorithm-based selection process prioritizes. As New York attorney Shervin Abachi explained:

“Officers are being handed petitions where value is framed almost entirely through algorithm-based metrics. Once that becomes normalized, the system moves towards treating artistic merit like a scoreboard.”

That may put a bee in the bonnet of traditional artists trying to prove that they’ve achieved distinction in their field, who don’t have easy access to hard data to prove it. It’s also probably not what the original creators of these visas had in mind when they created them.

But hey, OnlyFans models are hard workers, contribute to the economy, and generally seem like they have their heads screwed on straight. I say ship ’em in!