USCIS Service Center
Attn: I-129 P
Re:
I-129 Petition | Request for P-1 Classification
Petitioner:
Name of Petitioner
Foreign Employer: Foreign Employer Name
Beneficiary:
Athlete's Name
Position:
World Class Title
Visa Category:
P-1A
Arguments To Make (ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA):
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Individual ranking in the respective sport; and
Receipt of a significant honor or award in the sport.
Coverage from reputable media outlets around the world
Written Statement from a recognized media or industry expert in the sport that details how
the beneficiary is internationally recognized
Consultation letter from a governing body of the sport
Participation with National Team
Previous experience in NCAA
Previous experience with major league sports
Other parts to include:
● About the Petitioner and (if applicable)foreign employer
● Summary about the Beneficiary
● Events, engagements, and activities under the Consent of Oral Agreement
ABOUT THE PETITIONER:
Example:
Joker was founded by Sherrod Seward, an award-winning international businessman, sports
attorney, and industry professional, in North Carolina in 2020. Joker is a talent management
company that focuses on the needs of niche sports and entertainment professionals. Joker
helps maximize the branding potential of its clients in the United States by providing access.
Joker works with international talent agents and entertainment related companies to market
athletes and sports professionals that are renowned internationally. Joker clients routinely
have their competitions and engagements viewed all over the world through well-established
media networks. Joker prides itself on facilitating to clients the opportunity to be successful
in the United States and looks forward to continuing to grow while serving the needs of the
world’s best talent.
Sherrod Seward, the founder of SDS Sports Agency, has a vast history in international sports
business and marketing. Sherrod learned the sports management/marketing business through
mixed martial arts. His international management career began through independent research
with one of the best sports law attorneys in the nation and co-managing/consulting with the
area’s best fighters such as Brian Rogers (Bellator Middleweight), Jessica Eye (#2 Flyweight
in the world), Stipe Miocic (former UFC World Champion), and many others. Sherrod has
also served as a liaison between mixed martial arts and corporate America as the Corporate
Partnership Director for North American Allied Fight Series and a business consultant for
many promotions all across the nation. In his role as Corporate Partnerships Director, he
facilitated sponsorship activations in new markets, VIP experiences at events, negotiated
broadcast agreements, and much more.
List of Internationally known talent Joker has associated with includes (list the talents here):
ENGAGEMENT EVENTS UNDER THE ORAL CONSENT AGREEMENT
Example of the itinerary for agent-based petition for the world class boxer:
Premier Boxing Champions
Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), was created for television by Haymon Sports, LLC, in
January 2015. PBC is a boxing series that returns the sweet science to its rightful place atop
the sports pantheon.
Featuring today’s best and brightest stars in their toughest, most anticipated bouts, Premier
Boxing Champions is broadcast and streamed live on SHOWTIME, FOX, FS1 and FOX
Deportes.
PBC takes boxing back to its roots. This is boxing, pure and simple, where what’s brought to
the fight, mentally and physically, is what determines who goes home the winner, and who
just goes home.
Bouts featured within the PBC Series are promoted by licensed promoters including Nel-Sons
Promotions, LLC., with each bout in accordance with applicable regulatory rules and
regulations.
Itinerary:
Premier Boxing Champions (PBC)
Professional Boxing – Fox Sports – Miami, FL – February 11, 2023
Professional Boxing – Fox Sports – Miami, FL – February 25, 2023
Professional Boxing – Fox Sports – Miami, FL – June 17, 2023
Professional Boxing – Fox Sports – Miami, FL – October 14, 2023
Salita Promotions
Salita Promotions Corp. was founded by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title
challenger, in New York in 2010. Salita features the best young boxing prospects and
established contenders from all over the world. Salita Promotions’ world class events are
viewable all over the world through networks such as Showtime, Spike Tv, ESPN, and
Universal Sports Network. Salita Promotions prides itself on offering boxers’ opportunities
inside and outside the ring and looks forward to continuing to grow while serving the needs
of fight fans around the globe.
-
Professional Boxing - ESPN+ - March 25, 2023
Top Rank
Top Rank is based in Las Vegas. It is one of the premiere boxing promotions companies in
the world. It has nurtured some all-time greats in the sport and produced some exciting bouts
for half a century. In 2017, it signed an exclusive four-year programming deal with ESPN to
bring free boxing back to the mainstream.
Promotional Boxing – August 14, 2021
Promotional Boxing – September 10, 2021
Promotional Boxing – October 09, 2021
The locations may change as COVID-19 restrictions ease.
These schedules will be repeated in similar detail over the next 3 years.
The Petitioner has routinely worked with its promotional partners to provide world class platforms for
the best professional combat sports athletes in the world to compete against each other in the United
States. World Rankings are submitted with this petition that show the world and regional rankings of
the beneficiary.
About Matchroom Boxing
MATCHROOM Sport has become one of the world’s largest suppliers of sports programming over the past
nearly four decades.
Since 1982, we have grown year-on-year and have established relationships with virtually every major
broadcaster of sports in the world. It has been a fantastic journey with lots of fun along the way and I hope we
have played our part in helping our clients achieve cost-effective ratings.
At Matchroom, we have a passion for sport. We are an independent company full of creative people that set
the highest standards for the events they produce – and we love every minute of it! We have some of the best
in the business making them come to life.
We will continue to expand our portfolio of events based on client demand and look forward to the exciting
times ahead for our industry. As always we look to improve at every level as we continue our pursuit of
excellence in both the quality of our events and television production.
With a stable featuring several World Champions such as Anthony Joshua, Katie Taylor, and Josh Warrington,
Matchroom’s unique expertise in promotion, staging and television production ensures quality programming
available for worldwide broadcast either live or as a two-hour highlights package.
The Events for Matchroom are broadcasted on DAZN Network
DAZN, the leading global sports streaming platform, and Matchroom, the leading international boxing
promoter, have struck a game-changing five-year global deal. DAZN will be the global home of Matchroom
and its world-class, worldwide stable of fighters. The landmark Matchroom deal will see DAZN deliver its
nonstop schedule of Matchroom boxing to fans all around the world and kicks off on July 31 with three backto-back weekends of the return of the exhilarating Matchroom Fight Camp series. In due course, details of the
exciting slate of summer and autumn fight programming will be announced, including highly-anticipated
domestic and World title match-ups. In addition, a new on-air talent roster loaded with some of the best
broadcasting talent in the sport alongside an exciting array of fresh faces will soon be unveiled.
1. Vadim and Bridge Trading Corp have A LOT of athletes on P-1 / P-1S and a LOT of those athletes
fight in Matchroom boxing!!!! Including a petition for multiple P-1S that is pretty much identical to
this petition that was approved a few days ago
2. Brigade Trading Corp. has a proven history of managing the best foreign fighters in the world and that
is in the adjudicating officers' records.
Additionally, as part of a joint, long-term commitment to grow boxing all around the world and take the sport
to new global heights, this pioneering deal expands upon the existing DAZN and Matchroom partnerships
across the U.S., Italy and Spain, with more events planned in these countries featuring the greatest local talent.
A boxing schedule with MATCHROOM and DAZN has been included with this petition. Will repeat in
similar fashion over the next 5 years
Dates will be as follows:
●
●
Professional Boxing - April 08, 2023 - DAZN, New York, NY
Professional Boxing - September 09, 2023 - DAZN, Las Vegas, Nevada
Note one bouts: The promoters absolutely will not advertise any bout publicly when a fighter does not have
work authorization to avoid lawsuits, embarrassment, and other devastating developments from fighters not
being available to compete.
The locations may change as COVID-19 restrictions ease.
P-1 ELIGIBLE ATHLETE:
Example of summary description of the beneficiary (world-class boxer):
Beneficiary has been a world-class athlete competing professionally since _____ year. The
Beneficiary has a phenomenal track record of ____ wins and ___ losses in his ___-year boxing
career. The beneficiary is an extremely popular athlete in their home country and other
countries around the world. The beneficiary has won multiple World Championships in
boxing.
ELIGIBILITY ARGUMENTS FOR THE P-1 VISA
1. Individual ranking in the respective sport; and
2. Receipt of a significant honor or award in the sport.
3. Coverage from reputable media outlets around the world
4. Written Statement from a recognized media or industry expert in the sport that details how
the beneficiary is internationally recognized
5. Consultation letter from a governing body of the sport
6. Participation with National Team
7. Previous experience in NCAA
8. Previous experience with major league sports
I.
Evidence of International Rankings:
A Professional Boxer’s renown on an international level can usually be ascertained by his ranking by
the major international bodies. The Beneficiary holds impressive rankings in Tapology and BoxRec
as a Heavyweight Boxer, and has profiles in major Combat Sport databases, as shown in the exhibits.
Descriptions of these rankings and the organizations determining them are given below.
Distinguished International Rankings that demonstrate The Beneficiary’s renown in more than
one country
BoxRec or boxrec.com is a website dedicated to holding updated records of professional boxers, both
male and female. It also maintains a Media Wiki-based encyclopedia of boxing. The objective of the
site is to document every professional boxer and boxing match from the instigation of the
Queensberry Rules up to the present times. BoxRec publishes ratings for all active boxers and alltime ratings. Since 2012 the site has hosted Barry Hugman's History of World Championship Boxing.
BoxRec record also contains evidence that the beneficiary has won competitions to support their
world rankings, expert opinions on the significance of the competitions, independent articles from
outlets around the world, confirmation from boxing national federations of multiple countries, and
explanations of the selection process for these competitions that garner the world ranking are included
as evidence.
The Beneficiary has impressive international and regional rankings in BoxRec.
Example of the ranking for the world class boxer:
He is currently ranked: #128th Best Professional Boxer internationally out of 1096
professional boxers in their weight class.
His regional rankings are as follows: The Beneficiary is ranked 3rd in Professional Boxing in
their home country
Box Rec is a professional website holding ratings, rankings and bio of fighters. It also has updated
details about all events and results loaded by national associations.
Additionally, The Beneficiary has profiles on prestigious sites like Tapology, and BoxerList
● The Beneficiary’s Tapology Profile; and
● The Beneficiary’s Boxer List profile.
Evidence is included in the EXHIBIT No. ____
EVIDENCE OF BENEFICIARY’S PARTICIPATION WITH A NATIONAL TEAM
IN IMPORTANT EVENTS
II.
Example of the national team participation for the world class boxer:
The Beneficiary was a part of the Nigerian Olympic team in 2008. He represented Nigeria at the
AIBA African 2008 Olympic Qualifying Tournament and qualified for 2008 Summer Olympics
in the super heavyweight division.
These events qualify as national team appearances because of the following reasons
1. The athlete was chosen or earned the opportunity through excellent performances in national
competition at the highest level
2. The regulatory body of the sport selected the athlete for this honor
3. The competitions that athlete competed in featured the top tier level of competition from other
national federations who chose their best athletes
4. The competitions were covered by reputable media and experts from all over the world
garnering international recognition from countries all over the world for each participant.
Evidence from third party credible resources is included to support these assertions
Evidence is included in the EXHIBIT No. ____
III. EVIDENCE THAT THE BENEFICIARY HAS RECEIVED A SIGNIFICANT
NATIONAL AND/OR INTERNATIONAL AWARDS TO THE EXTENT THAT THE
BENEFICIARY IS RENOWNED, LEADING, OR WELL-KNOWN IN MORE THAN ONE
COUNTRY
Example of the awards section for the world class boxer:
World Boxing Federation Intercontinental Championship, 2020
Onoriode ‘Godzilla’ Ehwarieme won the World Boxing Federation (WBF) Intercontinental
heavyweight title in 2020 at TBS in Lagos by beating Argentine Ariel ‘Chiquito’
Baracamonte.
The World Boxing Federation (WBF), originally established in 1988 in the USA, was one of
the world’s busiest professional boxing sanctioning organizations during the 1990s until being
forced to dissolve in 2004. After a five-year interregnum period, the WBF was re-established
in 2009 as a bona-fide non-profit sports organization properly registered in the Grand Duchy
of Luxembourg.
Despite strictly maintaining just four titles per division (World, Intercontinental, International
and Regional), the WBF sanctioned over 430 championship contests since being re-founded
in 2009. WBF title bouts took place on every continent of the globe, bar Antarctica.
World Amateur Boxing Championships, 2009
The Beneficiary was placed 6th after the World Amateur Boxing Championships in the Super
Heavyweight category. The 2009 World Amateur Boxing Championship was held at the
Mediolanum Forum. In the Super heavyweight competition, which is the heaviest class
featured, Onoriode Ehwarieme was placed in the 6th position.
The AIBA World Boxing Championships and the AIBA Women's World Boxing
Championships are biennial amateur boxing competitions organised by the International
Boxing Association (AIBA), which is the sport governing body. Alongside the Olympic
boxing programme, it is the highest level of competition for the sport. The championships
were first held in 1974 Havana, Cuba as a men's only event and the first women's
championships was held over 25 years later in 2001.
The men's and women's competitions are held separately and since 2006 the biennial
championships have been held in alternating years. The number of weight categories was
reduced from twelve to eleven in 2003 with the removal of the light middleweight division
(−71 kg). In 2011 the weight categories went down to ten with the removal of the
featherweight division (−57 kg). In 2019 the weight categories went down to eight with the
removal of the light flyweight division (−49 kg) and inclusion of the featherweight division
(−57 kg) instead of bantamweight division (−56 kg) and lightweight division (−60 kg).
AIBA African Olympic Qualifying Tournament, 2008
The Beneficiary won silver in the 2nd AIBA African 2008 Olympic Qualifying Tournament
held at Windhoek Namibia. He came second in the qualifying tournament, thereby ensuring
a spot in the 2008 Olympics.
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (French: Jeux olympiques) are leading
international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which
thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competitions. The
Olympic Games are considered the world's foremost sports competition with more than 200
nations participating. The Olympic Games are normally held every four years, alternating
between the Summer and Winter Olympics every two years in the four-year period.
Their creation was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games (Ancient Greek: Ὀλυμπιακοί
Ἀγῶνες), held in Olympia, Greece from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. Baron
Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894, leading to
the first modern Games in Athens in 1896. The IOC is the governing body of the Olympic
Movement, with the Olympic Charter defining its structure and authority.
Summer Olympic Games, 2008
The Beneficiary represented Nigeria at the Summer Olympic Games 2008 held in Beijing
China. He proceeded to the Pre-Quarterfinals in the tournament where he lost to Jaroslavas
Jaksto of Lithuania.
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad and
commonly known as Beijing 2008, was an international multi-sport event held from 8 to 24
August 2008 in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 National Olympic
Committees (NOCs) competed in 28 sports and 302 events (one event more than those
scheduled for the 2004 Summer Olympics). This was the first time China had hosted the
Summer Olympic Games, and the third time the Games had been held in East Asia, following
the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, and the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. These
were also the second Summer Olympic Games to be held in a communist state, the first being
1980 Summer Olympics in the Soviet Union.
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics are leading international sporting events featuring
summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world
participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games are considered the world's
foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating. The Olympic Games
are normally held every four years, alternating between the Summer and Winter Olympics
every two years in the four-year period.
Evidence is included in the EXHIBIT No. ____
IV. PUBLICATIONS ABOUT THE BENEFICIARY SHOWING THE ALIEN OR TEAM IS
INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED TO THE EXTENT THAT THE BENEFICIARY IS
RENOWNED, LEADING, OR WELL-KNOWN IN MORE THAN ONE COUNTRY
The Beneficiary has been featured in a number of publications covering the beneficiary’s . Some of
these include Boxing Scene, The Guardian, World Boxing Federation, Boxing Africa, Daily Sports,
UGO Sports and The Nigerian Voice. He has also had photos and videos of his fights appear on social
media sites. Summarized below are press encompassing articles about his achievements and featuring
The Beneficiary in essential roles also featured in Exhibit 5.
Example of the publications section for the world class boxer:
International publications about The Beneficiary
1. “Onoriode Ehwarieme Crushes Bracamonte in One Round” – in Boxing Scene on December
30, 2019.
a. Article
b. About Boxing Scene
2. “Back With a Bang, Ehwarieme Destroys Bracamonte”– in World Boxing Federation,
December 29,2019
a. Article
b. About World Boxing Federation
3. “Onoriode ‘Godzilla’ Ehwarieme, A New ‘Mike Tyson’ Is Born”– on The Guardian in
January 01, 2020
a. Article
b. About Daily Sports
4. “ONORIODE EHWARIEME CALLS OUT ANTHONY JOSHUA”– in Boxing Africa on
February 17, 2019
a. Article
b. About Boxing Africa
5. “ONORIODE EHWARIEME SET FOR EARLY RING SHOWDOWN
AFTER LOCKDOWN.” – in UGO Sports, June 02, 2020
a. Article
b. About UGO Sports
6. “ONORIODE EHWARIEME SET FOR RING RETURN” on Boxing Africa, June 05, 2020
a. Article
b. About Boxing Africa
7. “We’ll Make Onoriode, Others World Boxing Champs, Says America-Based Promoter” on
pmexpressing, February 13, 2020
a. Article
b. About pmexpressing
8. “‘Knockout specialist’ Onoriode Ehwarieme set for WBA title fight in Hamburg” Daily
News Cover
a. Article
b. About Daily News Cover
9. “NIGERIA’S ONORIODE EHWARIEME FLATTENS ARIEL BRACAMONTE IN ONE”
on Boxing Africa in December 30, 2020
a. Article
b. About Boxing Africa
10. “'NO PREPARATION, NO MEDALS BOXER'” on The Nigerian Voice, March 24, 2010
a. Article
b. About The Nigerian Voice
Evidence is included in the EXHIBIT No. ____
V. A WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM AN OFFICIAL OF THE GOVERNING BODY OF
THE SPORT WHICH DETAILS HOW THE ALIEN OR TEAM IS INTERNATIONALLY
RECOGNIZED.
This letters which describes the beneficiary as having an extraordinary ability as a boxer, numerous
international world class experiences, and expressing no objection to the issuance of a P-1 visa on his
behalf to compete in competitions that require the participation of internationally recognized athletes
for the petitioner and/or Foreign Employer.
Even if the letter is not found by USCIS to contain the necessary explanatory detail evidencing how
or why the beneficiary has the requisite international recognition called for by the regulations and
known in more than one country. The letter has been obtained and does not dispute the fact that the
athlete is internationally recognized.
The World Boxing Council is authorized to regulate combat sports matches and exhibitions where
the Petitioner will compete. Credible documentary evidence that corroborates the competitions and
accomplishments described in these letters are included with this petition. These documents also
support why, when, how the athlete came across these accomplishments and why it would make the
beneficiary known, renowned, or leading in more than one country.
The letter from the Regulatory Body Explains the following
1. Identifies career highlights of the beneficiary
2. Confirms that the beneficiary represented his country at the highest levels of amateur boxing
competition in the world
3. Confirms with explanation and supporting detail white the placements and finishes in these
bouts make the beneficiary well known, renown, and recognized in more than one country.
Evidence is included in the EXHIBIT No. ____
VI. WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM A RECOGNIZED MEDIA OR INDUSTRY EXPERT
IN THE SPORT THAT DETAILS HOW THE BENEFICIARY IS INTERNATIONALLY
RECOGNIZED
Example of the written statement section for the world class martial artist:
“It is with great personal satisfaction that I write this letter in unconditional support
for Ms. Bleda. She has established her dominance within her division with a
Pro MMA track record of 5 wins and 0 losses, and she started off with an
impressive amateur record of 9 wins and 0 losses. Additionally, she is well
known for winning her fights ahead of the schedule by finishing her opponents
mostly in the first round. She has been training really hard and that is reflected in
her performances. Ms. Bleda has been a world-class athlete competing
professionally since 2017. She is currently ranked as the number 1 pound for
pound female fighter out of the over 200 Eastern European female fighters.
With a combined 14 win streak she continues to be the only fighter in Czech with
such a high winning percentage and she seeks to continue her dominance here in
the United States.
Notably, Ms. Bleda recently became the first woman to win the Oktagon MMA
30: “Underground” tournament with a captivating performance in which she
demonstrated her high level of skill sets over her opponent resulting in an
impressive referee stoppage before the 2 minutes into the championship bout.
She possesses extraordinary ability to dominate her opponents and
continuously exploit their weakness to come out victorious, which is a clear
indicator of her deep understanding of the sport and her exceptional talent.”
From - Name of Writer
Title of Writer Short Background of Writer
Evidence is included in the EXHIBIT No. ____
VII. PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH NCAA COMPETITION AND PARTICIPATION
Examples:
Prior to her Pit Crew Development role with Rev Racing, Ms. Ouendeno showcased her talent in the
NCAA as a soccer player.
Ms. Ouendeno had an illustrious start to her soccer career in France, where she was part of Paris
Saint-Germain Football club from 2009-2015, and won the Gothia Youth World Cup and IberCup in
2014 was part of five Isles of France championship teams. She moved to the United States on a full
scholarship to focus on soccer. She joined the West Virginia University for her Freshman and
Sophomore years and was promptly recruited to the West Virginia Mountaineers football team.
Post this, she transferred to the University of Miami and was also part of the soccer team there.
As part of the Mountaineers, Ms. Ouendeno played a total of 15 games, contributing remarkably as
a Defender. In her two years there, she helped the Mountaineers post an overall record of 42-4-3 and
make the Elite Eight both seasons, including reaching the NCAA title match in 2016. Her
contributions to the games she played have been aptly covered in news articles on the official site of
the West Virginia University Athletics.
Evidence is included in the EXHIBIT No. ____
VIII. EVIDENCE OF PREVIOUS WORK WITH A PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE
Examples:
This athlete was previously approved for P-1 directly with the National Football
League’s Los Angeles Chargers. There are articles and reports included with this
petition to support this assertion.
NFL Active Roster with the Los Angeles Chargers
Mr. Campbell has been an active team member of the Los Angeles Chargers and an active player in
the National Football League since 2019. As the highest level football league in the United States,
joining the NFL is undoubtedly the pinnacle of any aspiring professional football player’s career. It
is also the most difficult league for professional football players to get a place in. With over a
million potential candidates and only 300 openings a year, only the most recognized players will be
able to make the ranks.
As a Canadian, Mr. Campbell’s position as a cornerback for the Los Angeles Chargers is particularly
impressive. In the NFL, scouts look at speed as an especially important quality in cornerbacks.
Evidence of Mr. Campbell’s ability in speed has been included in this petition. However, it should
also be emphasized that, since the 1960s, only one other Canadian player has been drafted as a
cornerback in the NFL.
– Schedule of Internationally Recognized Events
Example of schedules included for world-class boxer:
● PBC 2023
● Salita Promotions 2023
● Top Rank 2023
● 2023 Boxing schedule
● 2023 ESPN boxing schedule
Consultation letter from Regulatory Body - **If applicable
▪
Copy of Request for Consultation to XXXXXX
or
▪
Consultation letter from XXXXXX
▪
Information about the Regulatory Body