This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Natalia Mogollon, a 38-year-old Colombian-Canadian Twitch streamer and OnlyFans model in Texas, who holds an O-1B extraordinary artist visa. It has been edited for length and clarity.
Living in this country has boosted my career in so many ways.
I had been living in Saskatchewan, Canada, for over a decade after moving there from Colombia after high school, and I was very lonely while creating content by myself. In 2021, I moved to Austin, Texas, to live around other creators and streamers.
Being a high earner on OnlyFans helped me get the O-1B visa, something I probably couldn’t have done if I were just a Twitch streamer.
How I got into OnlyFans
I never considered going into OnlyFans or sex work. But in 2021, my mom was really sick while working really hard in Colombia.
That year, OnlyFans reached out to me because I had a large Twitch following, about a million followers then.
Earning money on OnlyFans isn’t straightforward. This is something people don’t really understand, because they see OnlyFans creators broadcasting lavish lifestyles. I always tell people, “If you don’t have a following, you are not going to make money on the platform.”
It was very lucrative. The gig allowed me to help my mom retire and find an apartment in Colombia, and I’ve been taking care of her ever since.
Getting the O-1B visa
I got my O-1B visa first in 2022 and had it renewed in 2025, which is valid until 2028.
And the process has not been cheap.
I’ve had to shell out between $50,000 and $75,000 on lawyer fees and application for visas. Just to get the visa expedited cost thousands, as it would’ve taken me years to get it approved if I did not get it expedited.
I would’ve never been able to afford to pay all these lawyer fees if I didn’t have OnlyFans.
Being in the US boosted my career
In the visa application, I had to show that I was collaborating with influencers in the US. This was actually one of my main motivations for moving to this country.
I knew that moving would benefit my career. The amount of exposure that you get in the influencer industry by being with other influencers is huge. I live on the outskirts of Austin, where there’s a big group of influencers.
Content creators are looking to connect with other creators and collaborate. For 12 years in Canada, I did it all by myself and didn’t have anyone that I could confide in.
We deal with so many things no one else can understand, like stalkers, constant criticism, and being bombarded with people’s opinions about you. So it’s nice to have a community that relates to you.
But there’s another reason I like working in the US. The US doesn’t diminish my work. In the O-1 B visa application, I just had to show that I’m successful in my field, regardless of what that field is.
I don’t really know if I want to stay in the US forever. I know for sure I don’t want to grow old here and pay for medical bills in the US. But I see myself working and building out my career here for another 20 years.
There is a negative connotation to being an OnlyFans creator, but I do not have any regrets about it. If I had to do it all over again, I would do it exactly the same.
