Influencers and OnlyFans models are dominating U.S. O-1 visa requests • Hacker News Board

Re: Influencers and OnlyFans models are dominating U.S. O-1 visa requests

#141

Post by lenerdenator » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 7:30 PM UTC

superfrank wrote: post #10

It's funny, early on it says > The O-1 category includes the O-1A, which is designated for individuals with extraordinary ability in the sciences, education, business or athletics and the O-1B, reserved for those with “extraordinary ability or achievement”. Then later it says > The O-1B visa, once reserved for Hollywood titans and superstar musicians, has evolved over the years. I understand those two aren't necessar…

I think back when it was just actors, musicians, athletes, etc. it was in a time when there were gatekeepers for whether or not those people had any actual talent in an art.

Whether or not those gatekeepers were right is another matter, but there was some guy in an office in a skyscraper who you had to impress, and if you did, you could get in.

Now, that guy's effectively gone. Aiden Ross, Jack Doherty - that kind of guy - couldn't have impressed a big wig. But now, they don't have to. They have to make people pay attention to them on YouTube/Instagram/TikTok/Twitch, and that's it. And they do that and they can get people to give them insane money to do so because they want access to that audience. Quality doesn't matter anymore.

Re: Influencers and OnlyFans models are dominating U.S. O-1 visa requests

#142

Post by timeon » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 7:31 PM UTC

gowld wrote: post #88

ericmcer wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Influencers as the future of culture is not great. Hollywood had a ton of issues but it at least had some... class? If you watch an interview with Mr. Beast or other famous influencers they are concerningly ignorant, have little self-awareness and a child-like approach to reality. It makes total sense given these are teenagers who were lauded with fame for entertaining other teenagers on social media. I watched the M…

> Hollywood had a ton of issues but it at least had some... class? Hollywood took a bribe from the tobacco industry to make smoking "cool" and infect our nation with cigarettes. > have little self-awareness https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mpUxn7NybY : "A big opportunity for us is that there are no gatekeepers. There's no one I have to convince to let me do things." :-)

For actors it was "took a bribe" for influencers it is modus operandi.

Re: Influencers and OnlyFans models are dominating U.S. O-1 visa requests

#143

Post by wredcoll » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 7:32 PM UTC

volkk wrote: post #128

labcomputer wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is disappointing that it is so easy to bamboozle HNers with a straw man argument. The original poster was clearly not making an analogy between professional soccer and only fans creators. To be explicit, the comparisons were: Cinematic actors -> TikTok creators Victoria’s Secret model -> only fans creator Pro soccer -> esports I fail to see how the culture of our country will be negatively impacted by any of those…

I don't believe the rigidity of the comparisons matter within the broad context of my point. Regardless of whether OP didn't directly compare pro soccer to OF, the point is that allowing the degradation of expectations of Visas will only incentivize low effort crap. And yes, one can sit here and argue all day that OF fans, or TikTok creators are the same thing as Victorias secret models or Cinematic actors (and I wou…

> but I think most of us can all feel societal erosion happening and the decline of average IQs and the fact that a huge generation of growing young adults can barely read. Let's not pretend this has nothing to do with multiple epidemics like porn addiction, gambling, and general disregard of trying to better yourself because 90% of people are using 80% of their days staring at said TikTok creators

None of this is true, but boy, it sure does feel good to believe.

I wish you, and people in general, would be more willing to look for something like truth instead of whatever feels good at the moment.

Re: Influencers and OnlyFans models are dominating U.S. O-1 visa requests

#144

Post by ryandrake » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 7:32 PM UTC

volkk wrote: post #128

labcomputer wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is disappointing that it is so easy to bamboozle HNers with a straw man argument. The original poster was clearly not making an analogy between professional soccer and only fans creators. To be explicit, the comparisons were: Cinematic actors -> TikTok creators Victoria’s Secret model -> only fans creator Pro soccer -> esports I fail to see how the culture of our country will be negatively impacted by any of those…

I don't believe the rigidity of the comparisons matter within the broad context of my point. Regardless of whether OP didn't directly compare pro soccer to OF, the point is that allowing the degradation of expectations of Visas will only incentivize low effort crap. And yes, one can sit here and argue all day that OF fans, or TikTok creators are the same thing as Victorias secret models or Cinematic actors (and I wou…

I think before we suggest whether policy is good or bad, we need to agree on the meaning of vague terms like "societal erosion." What about society is eroding? You mention IQ and literacy. What about tolerance, open-mindedness, compassion, equality, financial success... Some of these things are going up and some are going down. Are there other dimension to "societal erosion?"

Re: Influencers and OnlyFans models are dominating U.S. O-1 visa requests

#145

Post by mcintyre1994 » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 7:35 PM UTC

phkahler wrote: post #24

Why do they need a visa for remote work?

Because they want to stay longer than tourist visas allow. And because most places (US definitely included) don't let you work remotely on a tourist visa either, with a few exceptions that wouldn't cover them sufficiently.

Re: Influencers and OnlyFans models are dominating U.S. O-1 visa requests

#146

Post by ryandrake » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 7:35 PM UTC

ericmcer wrote: post #55

areoform wrote: post #9

Such articles are interesting because they're tacit disapproval, but I would argue that this use of the O-1 is the most American way to use it. There's a reason why Hollywood became the Earth's center of cultural gravity post-WW2, https://goldenglobes.com/articles/exiles-and-emigres-hollywo... You may argue that these people aren't of such import, but I would beg to differ. This is the future of culture. These people…

Influencers as the future of culture is not great. Hollywood had a ton of issues but it at least had some... class? If you watch an interview with Mr. Beast or other famous influencers they are concerningly ignorant, have little self-awareness and a child-like approach to reality. It makes total sense given these are teenagers who were lauded with fame for entertaining other teenagers on social media. I watched the M…

I think things like "classiness," "grace," and "tact" are all but dead, both in Hollywood and across the population. Everyone seems to be mentally teenagers, but in middle-age bodies.

Re: Influencers and OnlyFans models are dominating U.S. O-1 visa requests

#147

Post by wredcoll » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 7:35 PM UTC

volkk wrote: post #116

hnlmorg wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If what you’re just concerned about people “baring themselves on camera” then they can continue to do that without emigrating to America and it would still affect your culture. The internet is global after all. Also, it’s going to take more than a few thousand immigrants a year to affect the culture of a country as populous as America.

i mean you said it yourself, the internet is global. those few thousand can have impressions of hundreds of millions. whether they do their cam shows abroad or local matters little. it's the inherent incentivization approved by a government that leads to deeper cultural erosion. if you're in a poor country with no access to education, and your only way into the US is porn, then that's what will ultimately win, rather…

It worked for melania!

Re: Influencers and OnlyFans models are dominating U.S. O-1 visa requests

#148

Post by darth_avocado » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 7:36 PM UTC

areoform wrote: post #71

darth_avocado wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have no judgement on these models. Everyone can make money through legal means as they deem fit. But at the same time, the immigration system historically penalized anyone who engages in prostitution and actively denied entry to people found to be engaged in it. There is an explicit question about this in all immigration forms. Which is why it’s surprising that O-1 visas are being awarded to OnlyFans models. Maybe…

Disclaimer: I don't mean this comment as an insult to you or anyone else here. It's meant to be slightly tongue in cheek. I hate to be that person, but the fact that so many people on HN think OF is prostitution is revealing of the site's demographics (i.e. older). It is, as some may put it, boomer thinking. You're misunderstanding what these people - esports athletes, successful streamers, influencers, OF models etc…

It’s not the boomer thinking, it’s just mostly talking about semantics. Prostitution is defined as engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment, which is frowned upon in the immigration system.

Is being in a sugar daddy/baby relationship a form prostitution? Is paying money for a custom private show online where the OF model performs all kinds of sexual acts prostitution? Does prostitution require physical contact? Thats the question of semantics that I am curious about re:immigration.

And these questions aren’t “Boomer mentality”. There is precedent in asking for clear definitions. Sweden makes a distinction between pre recorded only fans work, which is akin to pornography and custom shows which are criminalized, akin to prostitution. https://www.loc.gov/item/global-legal-monitor/2025-06-10/swe...

Re: Influencers and OnlyFans models are dominating U.S. O-1 visa requests

#149

Post by gampleman » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 7:36 PM UTC

nemomarx wrote: post #27

darth_avocado wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have no judgement on these models. Everyone can make money through legal means as they deem fit. But at the same time, the immigration system historically penalized anyone who engages in prostitution and actively denied entry to people found to be engaged in it. There is an explicit question about this in all immigration forms. Which is why it’s surprising that O-1 visas are being awarded to OnlyFans models. Maybe…

how would it be interpreted as prostitution? the close analogue is porn stars right

Porn comes from pornē, Greek for prostitute. So at least etymologically (and arguably logically as both involve sex for money) porn is prostitution.

If that’s accepted, then I find it hard not to also accept OF as a form of prostitution.

Re: Influencers and OnlyFans models are dominating U.S. O-1 visa requests

#150

Post by apparent » Tue, Jan 13, 2026, 7:39 PM UTC

superfrank wrote: post #10

It's funny, early on it says > The O-1 category includes the O-1A, which is designated for individuals with extraordinary ability in the sciences, education, business or athletics and the O-1B, reserved for those with “extraordinary ability or achievement”. Then later it says > The O-1B visa, once reserved for Hollywood titans and superstar musicians, has evolved over the years. I understand those two aren't necessar…

I guess the question is why do virtual/internet stars need to be in the US? Actors or musicians would have primarily performed live or been recorded live, in US cities. But an OF model? Why does this person need to be physically located in the US at all? What is the benefit to the person, or to the US?