Working as a model in the USA: visa, major agencies and your rights

Working as a model in the US follows a different path depending on whether you already live on American soil or you are arriving from abroad. For one, it is about agencies and rights; for the other, about the visa above all. Both matter, and I cover each.

Two situations, two starting points

You already live in the US

US citizen, permanent resident (green card) or holder of a work authorization: you have no visa to obtain before signing with an agency. You apply directly. For you, what counts is choosing the agency and your protections, covered below.

You are coming from abroad

A foreign model who wants to work in the US goes through one of two work visas. The first, the H-1B3, is reserved for fashion models "of distinguished merit and ability": you need to be recognised already. The second, the O-1B, is for exceptional profiles, with a higher bar but more flexibility, no annual cap and filings allowed year-round. In both cases, a US agency files the petition to sponsor you; you cannot do it on your own. And a tourist visa does not cover you, not even for a single paid frame.

New York, the centre of gravity

New York is the largest market I list, set to the rhythm of New York Fashion Week and the big Madison Avenue campaigns. It is where the parent offices of the global networks sit. Among the agencies you probably know, all verified:

• IMG Models and Ford Models, two American institutions.
• The Society Management, DNA Model Management and Next Management, benchmarks of editorial fashion.
• The New York offices of Elite, Wilhelmina and Women Management.

The full list, with their specialities, is on the page of 51 verified agencies in New York.

Los Angeles, Miami and Atlanta: three more doors in

New York has no monopoly. Los Angeles is a commercial and lifestyle market tied to the entertainment industry, where you find Ford, Elite, Wilhelmina and LA Models.

Miami is the crossroads between the US and Latin America, strong on advertising and swimwear, with Ford and Wilhelmina. And Atlanta, nicknamed the "Hollywood of the South" for its film and TV industry, is rising fast.

What the law guarantees you, state by state

In the US, agency law is set state by state, and several states protect models seriously, whether you live there or not. New York passed the Fashion Workers Act, in force since June 2025: model management companies must register with the Department of Labor, they owe you a fiduciary duty, their commission is capped at 20%, and contracts are limited to three years with no automatic renewal.

In California, in Los Angeles, talent agencies, which legally include models, must be licensed by the California Labor Commissioner, and the Krekorian Talent Scam Prevention Act bars any advance fee in exchange for a mere promise of work. In Florida, in Miami, Chapter 468 of the Florida Statutes licenses agencies and prohibits registration fees. Georgia, in Atlanta, has no dedicated statute, but its consumer law forbids deceptive practices.

Everywhere, the constant is the same: a real agency earns a commission on your bookings, never by charging you for a book or registration to begin. The moment someone asks you to pay upfront, that is the signal to listen to. I cover all the others in my piece on modeling red flags.

How to apply

Almost every US agency works through an online form. You send recent polaroids, unretouched, in daylight, with your measurements and date of birth; no book at this stage.

If you are coming from abroad, few new faces cross the Atlantic by applying cold: most often it is your home agency, your "mother agency", that places you in New York or Los Angeles and handles the visa with the local agency. To arrive with a clean application, my free tools let you build a comp card and track your applications.

The order of priorities depends on your situation: already here, focus on serious agencies and your rights; from abroad, lock down the visa and sponsorship first. Either way, no agency should ask you for money to start. To contact verified agencies only, the directory is there.