EB-1A Lawyer for Athletes — Paid Consultation With a Sports Immigration Attorney
A paid, one-hour consultation with Sherrod Seward, Esq. for athletes and coaches considering a permanent-residence self-petition, and for the representatives advising them.
$500, one time.
One hour with the attorney. Credited 100% toward your legal fee if you engage this office within 90 days. Government filing fees payable to USCIS are separate.
EB-1A is a self-petition for permanent residence, and it is read against a higher bar than the temporary categories. You will leave the call knowing whether your record is there yet, what would have to be built if it is not, how the timing compares with an O-1A, and what it costs.
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Book the consultation
Six fields. About a minute.
Sherrod Seward, Esq. — what this consultation is, in 45 seconds
Who books this call
Athletes and competitors
You compete professionally or at national level and you need to be in the United States to train, compete or sign. Whether that is a P-1 or an O-1 is usually the first thing we settle.
Coaches, trainers and support staff
Coaches are the single largest group that contacts this office. A coaching record is evidenced differently from a competing record, and the category that fits a head coach is often not the one that fits the athlete they coach.
Agents, managers, clubs and promoters
If you are bringing someone in, the question is usually the petitioner structure. A U.S. agent petitioner can support engagements across multiple clubs, academies and events instead of tying an athlete to one employer. That structure is a large part of what this office does.
What the hour covers
- Which category your facts support: EB-1A, O-1A or P-1A — or none of them yet, and why.
- A candid read on the evidence you already have: rankings, titles, contracts, press, earnings, national-team selection — and the gaps that draw an RFE.
- Who the petitioner should be, and whether an agent petitioner structure fits how you actually work.
- Realistic timing, including whether premium processing changes anything for your deadline.
- What it costs to do properly: legal fees, and government filing fees, which are separate.
- If you have already been denied or have an RFE in hand, what your options are now.
The fee
The consultation fee is $500 USD, one time. It covers the consultation itself — the assessment, the recommendation, and the answers to your questions on the call. It credits 100% toward your retainer if you engage this office within 90 days. Government filing fees payable to USCIS are separate and are never included in a legal fee.
If you are on a deadline
Say so on the form. A season start, a fight date, a signed contract, a status about to expire, or an RFE with a response deadline all change what is realistically available. It is better to know in an hour than to find out in six weeks.
Case summaries, narrated by the attorney
These are case summaries narrated by the attorney about matters this office worked on. They are not client testimonials and no client is speaking in them. Every case is decided on its own record by a government officer. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome, and nothing in these videos predicts what will happen in any other case.
Interviews from the industry
An interview, not a client testimonial and not an endorsement. Taking part in a conversation implies no affiliation between this office and any promotion, league, federation or management company, and no view about any case.
Questions people ask before they book
Do I need to know which visa I need before I book?
No. Working that out is the main thing the call is for. Most people arrive knowing they need to be in the United States and not much more than that.
Do I need an employer or a sponsor for EB-1A?
No. It is a self-petition, which is a large part of why athletes and coaches ask about it. What it needs instead is a record that stands on its own, which is what the hour is spent reading.
Should I file EB-1A or O-1A first?
They answer different problems — one is permanent residence, the other is temporary status you can be in the country on while a record is built. Which order suits you depends on your dates and your record, and that is a call question.
My petition was denied, or I have an RFE. Is it too late?
Not necessarily, and it is worth a proper look. Bring the denial notice or the RFE to the call.
How long does the process take?
It depends on the category, the service center, and whether premium processing is available and worth using. Timing is one of the things the call is for — and no honest answer to that question exists before someone has looked at your facts.
Is the $500 refundable?
It credits 100% toward your retainer on an engagement signed within 90 days. It is not otherwise refundable — it pays for the attorney's time on the call.
Not ready to book yet? Score your evidence first with Xtraordinary Scoring — xtraordinaryscoring.com. It is a scoring tool, not legal advice.
Book the call
One hour with the attorney. $500, credited toward your legal fee if you engage this office within 90 days.
Request Consultation — $500