VISA SPOTLIGHT: I VISAS FOR FOREIGN MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES

The general requirement for I Visa classification is that an alien must be conducting activities that are essential to the foreign information media organization. Such activities could include those conducted by media reporters, media film crews, video tape editors and other persons in similar occupations. Persons whose activities are merely associated with the foreign media, such as proofreaders, are not eligible for the I classification.

The specific requirements of the I Visa for different occupations include following:

* Aliens engaged in film and video production will be eligible for I classification only if the film or video is of an informational or educational nature. If the production is for entertainment purposes, an alien would not be eligible for the visa.

* Employees of independent production companies involved in filming news or documentaries may be eligible for the I classification if the following conditions are satisfied: the aliens must be have credentials issued by a professional journalistic association, the film will be used by a TV station or other news media, and the film may not be primarily used for commercial or advertising purposes.

* Accredited representatives of a Foreign Government Tourist Bureau who primarily provide factual tourist information are eligible for I Visas. However, accredited representatives of Foreign Government Trade Promotional Missions are not eligible for I Visas.

* Employees of organizations distributing technical industrial information are eligible for I classification.

* Freelance Media workers with credentials issued by a professional journalistic organization are eligible for I Visa if they have a valid employment contract on a project that is not primarily intended for commercial, entertainment or advertisement use.

Applications for I visas are made directly to the consulate and do not require preliminary clearance from the INS unless the applicant is in the US in another visa status and seeks to change to an I visa. A person in this category is generally subject to the same conditions applicable to all non-immigrants. However, I Visa aliens are not required to establish that they have a residence abroad which they do not have intention of abandoning. Furthermore, the INS imposed a special condition for I Visa which forbids aliens to change their informational medium unless they receive consent to such a change from the local INS District Director.

I Visa aliens are initially admitted for no longer than one year. Such visa holders can extend their stay in the US by submitting an extension application to an INS office with an attached statement from an employer explaining the alien's current and intended activities and the reasons for the extension. The length of the extension of stay cannot be more then 1 year.