USCIS.loveMedia check: is this a major publication (Major Media)
How to check whether a publication counts as a major media outlet for the O-1 / EB-1 talent visa publication criterion: enter the website and compare it against a database of 271 outlets.
Author: Alina Kanametova- updated
The tool itself
Open the tool: /tools/media-checker. This page is the guide to it.
Key answer
The media publications about you criterion requires that materials appear in professional or major publications. This tool checks whether a publication qualifies as Major Media, based on a database of 271 media outlets.
When to use it
Use it when you have a publication about you and need to know whether the outlet is strong enough to count as major media for the petition, or whether you will need to support it with evidence of reach.
How to use it
Enter the publication's website address. The tool will match the domain against the database and show a verdict - major, niche, or unknown - with the category and reach.
Why this matters
USCIS officers often ask for proof that a publication is major. If the publication is not in the database or is niche, gather evidence of its status in the Major Media builder. And remember: for this criterion, you need materials about you, not ones written by you.
Community members point out that these are two different criteria - a piece about you and an authored article:
If the article is ABOUT you and your work (in the form of an interview or a story about you), it must have the journalist's name and the publication date
Common questions
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Criteria breakdown
Documents and templates from the library
PR-CY traffic snapshot for news site, Nov 2023Example petition2 pages anonymized access on request
O-1 exhibit sample for a media articleTemplate22 pages anonymized access on request
BCS Fellowship interview prep guide, Apr 2026Guide7 pages anonymized access on request
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From community discussions
«Why use a middleman to pile up your own documents? Gather all your achievements, awards and publications into folders yourself and work with an attorney directly. A middleman just does the same with what you send them.»
community member · from public community chats
«Advice for a beginner: focus on the core criteria - judging, scholarly articles, contribution to your company and field, associations, salary. People rarely share their own case: it contains too much personal information.»
community member · from public community chats
«It's wiser to wait, write articles in the meantime, file a patent, gather strong certificates - and only then file. Conjuring a case out of thin air and rushing it in is not the best move.»
community member · from public community chats
Personal opinions of community members from public discussions, not legal advice.
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