Denied a P-1A visa, Last-Tear Poa takes legal stand to fight for international athletes’ NIL rights

Last-Tear Poa is taking legal action regarding her visa. The Arizona State transfer was denied a P-1A visa by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and is now involved in a lawsuit. Green and Spiegel, a U.S. immigration law firm, posted about the case on Instagram on Thursday.

Poa is represented by Ksenia Maiorova, who specializes in sports visas and won Sports Immigration Lawyer of the Year in 2021. Maiorova's goal in the case is to secure a fair review of Poa's situation and raise awareness of the need for new policies for sports immigration.

Due to the immigration laws in place, international student-athletes face barriers in accessing NIL opportunities. Poa reflected on this issue during an episode of Flau'jae Johnson's "Best of Both Worlds with Flau'jae" podcast, which was posted on YouTube on Dec. 20. Poa explained why she filed a lawsuit.

"I did it because, like my platform, it's not easy to get it (the NIL deals as an international player)," Poa said. "I think it'll be a great opportunity for people behind me that's coming up to earn the money they worked hard for."

Green and Spiegel highlighted the importance of Poa's case in its Instagram caption.

"The outcome could influence how international athletes are treated in the evolving college sports landscape," part of the caption read.

Poa and Maiorova will aim to allow the collegiate star to benefit from NIL the same way that students born in the United States do.

NCAA Womens Basketball: SEC Conference Tournament Quarterfinal - LSU vs Florida - Source: Imagn

Last-Tear Poa to transfer to Arizona State

In April, Last-Tear Poa announced that she was leaving LSU after three seasons. The Australian native spent the first two years of her college career at Northwest Florida State and has one more season of eligibility remaining due to a new NCAA ruling that offers extra eligibility to former junior college players.

"God opened this door for me and I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to extend my college journey with another year of eligibility. After much reflection, I’ve made the decision to enter the transfer portal. Geaux Tigers, Forever 13🐯," Poa captioned on April 3.

On April 20, Poa announced that she will spend her final year at Arizona State. Last season at LSU, the guard averaged 2.0 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. She appeared in 30 matchups but saw her minutes decrease from 20.1 per game the previous season to 12.9 in 2024-25.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez