The US Is Requiring Foreign Influencers to Get Work Visas for the 2026 World Cup

Influencers covering the 2026 World Cup successful the United States volition not beryllium capable to make contented for monetization connected societal media without a enactment visa, according to a associated connection issued by Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security. The determination could impact FIFA's broadcasting strategy, which includes agreements with aggregate planetary creators connected TikTok and YouTube.

In a connection to El País, CBP and DHS said that “coming to the United States with the sole intent of creating contented (as an influencer), thereby generating net from the United States portion successful the country, is considered enactment and requires the due visa.” The connection specifies that those who bash not person a enactment visa and person income could beryllium violating the conditions of their migration status.

The 2026 World Cup is shaping up to beryllium 1 of the biggest sporting events of the twelvemonth and besides a precise fashionable 1 for societal media influencers. The United States volition big 78 of the 104 scheduled matches, dispersed crossed 11 big cities, including Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Dallas, Houston, Seattle, Atlanta, and San Francisco.

A survey by FIFA and the World Trade Organization estimates that immoderate 6.5 cardinal radical volition be the tourney matches successful the big countries. The United States volition relationship for much than fractional of that figure, with astir 3.7 cardinal attendees, galore of them foreigners.

In caller months, FIFA announced agreements with platforms specified arsenic TikTok and YouTube to grow the scope of the tourney connected societal media. The deals see the information of dozens of planetary influencers who, according to YouTube, volition person unprecedented entree to World Cup-related matches and activities.

“They won't conscionable beryllium reacting to the game, they’ll bring a caller position to the FIFA World Cup including quality stories, tactical breakdowns, and behind-the-scenes enactment that further brings to beingness the legendary tourney arsenic it unfolds,” YouTube’s planetary caput of media and sports, Justin Connolly, wrote connected the video-sharing platform’s blog earlier this year.

In the lawsuit of TikTok, the statement with FIFA includes the information of 30 contented creators from 11 countries and 22 cities connected 4 continents. The creators, according to a connection released by the institution successful May, “represent shot enthusiasts from everywhere, reflecting the diverseness of voices and perspectives that specify the game, and extending tourney find to fans wherever they are, successful the languages and formats that resonate most.”

It is inactive unclear whether the influencers included successful these programs person the indispensable documentation to prosecute successful paid activities successful the United States.

For creators without a enactment visa, a imaginable alternate is the O-1 visa, intended for radical with “extraordinary ability” successful areas specified arsenic the arts, business, science, oregon sports. Unlike the B1/B2 visa for tourism oregon business, this visa allows, nether definite conditions, nonrecreational activities connected US territory successful speech for remuneration, including commercialized collaborations, promotional tours, and accumulation of contented for profit.

Questions stay arsenic to however overseas influencers volition beryllium verified arsenic having the due visa to execute their work. It’s besides unclear nether what conditions these regulations volition apply. The El País study suggests that US authorities program to reenforce inspections astatine airports and borderline crossings, successful summation to monitoring the integer enactment of contented creators suspected of violating migration rules.

This communicative primitively appeared connected WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.