A long time student of mine is applying for an O1 visa (artist). The student is incredibly talented, has a strong portfolio, and is currently employed by a fortune 500.
The student arranged for a family friend here in the US to serve as the agent for the petition, but the HR department of the company is refusing to sign the "Statement of Agency". They said that they will not authorize any third parties to act on behalf of the company.
The student's attorney sent HR an email and stating that the form meant that the private agent would be representing the company. (I read the email and was confused myself).
I would think that any employer would have a problem signing a form like this, and I'm wondering if the interpretation (that the company is agreeing to authorize this family friend to act on behalf of the company) is accurate.
My student is just devastated. Between COVID and a tight timeline, it's looking like they will not be able to stay here in the US.
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source https://www.reddit.com/r/immigration/comments/jzwrvv/o1_visa_does_a_private_agent_act_on_behalf_of_the/