This is a fictional fact pattern case study for the purposes of providing general legal information. No Daryanani & Bland client information is used or revealed and any similarity to real people is entirely coincidental.

With the World Cup set to begin in Brazil on June 12th, soccer fans around the world are eagerly awaiting their chance to support their national teams in the sport’s premier international competition. Brazil last hosted the World Cup in 1950, when they were stunned by neighboring Uruguay who beat the host nation 2-1 in the finals, widely considered one of the greatest upsets in the tournament’s history (since my mother was from Uruguay, I’m especially proud of this achievement). As the World Cup draws near, we thought it was a good time to discuss US visa options for athletes. To help illustrate how some of these options may play out during an athlete’s career, let’s discuss Ms. Victoria Barboza, a fictional soccer player from Colombia. 

For as long as she could remember, Victoria was running around with a soccer ball at her feet. With the soul of a striker and a passion for the game she inherited from her grandfather, nothing in this world brought her more joy than the crisp snapping sound of the ball hitting the back of the net. Throughout her childhood, she took every opportunity to play in the few amateur youth leagues available to girls in Colombia. Unfortunately, however, as is the case in far too many countries around the world, the vast majority of resources spent on soccer were dedicated to the professional development of male athletes. As she neared the end of high school, Victoria found herself with little to no avenues to continue pursuing the game that she loved.