r/O1VisasEB1Greencards

Got approval in 11 days with premium processing. USCIS received my case on May 1 and my attorney got the approval email late evening yesterday. No RFE.

I’ve actually been preparing for this for a long time, so feels really good to finally get it through :') putting everything together was the most stressful part, got help from promopanda to organize everything. Was also pretty skeptical with all the situation that has been going on lately...such a huge relief.

Would love to hear how things are going for others (timelines, RFEs, approvals, anything).

hi all! I've been seeing posts about the USCIS mailroom being a mess lately. for those who have submitted o1 cases recently, how long after you mailed in your package did you receive receipt dates?

Looking for honest feedback on my O-1A chances before I engage an attorney. Field: AI / voice technology.

Background

• Born in India, currently Canadian permanent resident
• Cofounder & CTO of an AI voice startup in Manhattan (consulting CTO since 2022, full cofounder role thereafter)
• 10% equity in the company; current valuation ~$30M

Criteria I think I can hit (need 3 of 8):

1. High salary — $200K base + $1M in stock options at the NYC startup. Plan to back this up with BLS/levels.fyi comparables for AI/CTO roles.
2. Critical role for a distinguished org — Cofounder/CTO since 2022. Led the technical side through a $6.3M seed round. Can support with cap table, investor letters, and board confirmation.
3. Judging — Judge at MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition and Business Intelligence Group awards.
4. Membership — Forbes Technology Council (vetted membership, may or may not be accepted by USCIS — mixed reports).
5. Published material about me — Funding coverage in WSJ Pro and Fortune.com. These are about the company's raise but quote/feature me as cofounder.

Any and all feedback welcome

My lawyer just received I-797 Approval Notice!

Currently on STEM OPT, filed as change of status with an US agent sponsor (with multiple prospective offers).

January - Started working with a lawyer

By 4/4 - Submitted everything to lawyer

4/8 - Lawyer notified me they filed my petition (PP)

4/9 - I-907 Received

4/10 - Lawyer received an email receipt notice (Vermont service center)

4/24 - Lawyer received an email approval notice

5/4 - My agent received a copy of I-797 approval notice (it might have arrived earlier).

5/5 - Lawyer received the actual I-797 approval notice.

It was stressful and anxious few months but I’m glad it went smoothly. I hope this info helps people who filed recently.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently working on STEM OPT as a full-time employee with my current employer. They’re not able to sponsor or fund any visa (H-1B or O-1), and they’ve also made it clear that they don’t want to convert my role into a contract position now or in the future.

I’m considering going through a USA agent-based O-1 filing on my own.

My main question is:

If I get my O-1 approved through an agent, can I continue working with my current employer in the same full-time capacity without interruption?

Ideally, I want to:

• Keep working with the same employer
• Continue in a full-time role (not contract)
• Not require them to sponsor or pay for the visa

I’m trying to understand:

• Whether this is legally possible
• If the employer needs to be included in the O-1 petition as a client/worksite
• Whether I can remain a true full-time employee (W-2), given they won’t support contract conversion

If anyone has gone through a similar situation or has experience with agent-based O-1 setups, I’d really appreciate your insights.

Thanks in advance!

I already posted about my lawyer filing for o1a instead of o1b. I am a makeup influencer and my lawyer says he thinks an influencer fits more to O1A category than O1B. I didn't know/notice that they applied for O1A, that is my fault yes I know.
However they have been avoiding to answer my emails explaining why they chose this strategy. I had a call with my lawyer today and he just gave me very vague answers saying thinks it's not a mistake and that I am not considered an artist or performer to fit in the O1B category. All the media about me mentions my makeup and artistic skills though. When I asked him what criterias they applied for he said he doesn't remember and will send me an email with my case (finally!) including details. My question is, it's been 3days that I am sending lots emails to them asking for explanation and they told me my lawyer would explain everything on the call, how come he came to the call unprepared?! I asked if there is a way to fix it he said only refiling and obviously by paying him extra 5K (I already paid 9k only for the attorney). I really don't know what to do. I don't have much time and I have to go back to Italy (I have a permit of residence there) by August but I cannot pay another 3k for PP just to receive a denial or RFE for the documents I will not be able to provide. Should I just withdraw my application and reapply later?

Has anyone recently completed an O-1/O-1A visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi?

I’m seeing some availability for petition-based visas there, but most O-1 interview experiences I’ve found are from Hyderabad, Chennai, or Mumbai.

Looking for recent first-hand data points:

- Was your O-1/O-1A interview actually accepted/scheduled in New Delhi?

- Was it approved, refused, or put into 221(g)?

- Any unusual questions or issues?

- How long did passport pickup/delivery take after approval?

Thanks, trying to figure out if New Delhi is a normal option for O-1 stamping now or if people are still mostly being routed elsewhere.

Guys I am about to crash. I was about to upgrade to PP to get an answer as soon as possible. But when my law firm sent me the documents to sign I saw that they filed for O-1A instead of O-1B. I am an influencer, I create content on social media. I worked with big brands and I create content to make money. I do makeup, I create art. I might be stupid for not having seen O-1A on the contract but when I talked to my lawyer the first time I thought we both agreed for what I am filing for. I asked them and they said they did indeed file for O-1A because they think it fits more. No more explanation. how can they make this mistake?? How do I even fit to apply for O-1A? I cannot find logic in this. Please tell me what should I do now? I don't want to pay 3K just to receive a denial. Is there a way to change this? I am so desperate.

Hey guys,

Posting for a friend who’s planning to apply for an O-1 visa. We’ve been looking into a few law firms and Shamayev Law keeps popping up, but the reviews are kinda all over the place.

Just wanted to see if anyone here has actually worked with them? How was your experience overall, like communication, how involved they were, if they handled things properly, especially RFEs?

Also open to other recommendations if you had a good experience with another firm. Trying to avoid firms that just overpromise or push unnecessary stuff.

Would really appreciate any honest feedback.

Hello, l’m trying to decide my strategy in a rather critical situation and will appreciate your feedback. I am a biomedical scientist, laid off recently and currently pending B2 CoS after the 60-day grace period. I was employed on an O-1 visa and also had an approved EB-1B I-140. I have a reasonably good case with 10+ publications, 1000+ citations, 40+ verified peer reviews and awards; more importantly already vetted twice by USCIS (for O-1 and EB-1B both with premium processing with no RFEs). 

My EB-1B Final action priority date is close to being current (dates for filing is current), and I’m considering filing a self-sponsored EB-1A I-140 concurrently with I-485 AoS now. I have two questions about this strategy : 

i) Since I’m not currently employed or affiliated to any organization/company, does it negatively impact the value of my case, especially in times of greater scrutiny and stricter standards? Does one need to be employed for a higher chance of success for self-sponsored EB-1A?
ii) Is this a reasonable strategy? If the case gets approved, would I be immediately eligible to file for an EAD and be able to remain legally in the US beyond the B2 period ?

Here I share my Ten Commandments for Preparing for your Visa Interview. Also bear these in mind when interacting with any government official, including CBP, ICE, USCIS, etc.

1. Tell the truth. 
2. Listen carefully and answer only the question asked.
3. Silence is okay. Avoid the temptation to fill an awkward silence with irrelevant information.
4. Ask for repetition or clarification if you didn’t hear or don’t understand the question. "I don' know" and "I don't remember" are perfectly fine answers if that's the truth.
5. Do not volunteer extra information, argue, or try to be helpful beyond the question. 
6. If interrupted, let the officer finish, note the interruption, then complete your answer. 
7. Be polite but cautious:, avoid humor, sarcasm, absolutes, or characterizing your answers
8. When quoting conversations or documents, state whether you are quoting or paraphrasing; read documents sufficiently for context before commenting. 
9. Assume nothing is “off the record”; disclose communications truthfully (including that you conferred with your attorney), and request breaks when needed to consult privately.
10. Make a record right away. There is no stenographic, audio, or video recording of most interactions with a consular officer, CBP, ICE, etc. As soon as you are able to, write down the questions and answers as best you can and email them to your lawyer, or email them to yourself if you don't have a lawyer so you have a record.

My company applied for me through Ogletree Deakins. They were super slow, but they did it eventually. No RFE, got approved in 15 days with premium processing.

Profile:

1. Few best papers in premier HCI conferences
2. 150 citations
3. 20+ published papers
4. 50+ Peer reviews with AC, PC roles and some awards for best reviewing
5. PhD in HCI

Any O-1A approvals in April/May from the California Service Center?

If yes, could you share:

1. Total business days (premium processing)

2. Direct approval or RFE?

3. If RFE, on which day was it issued, and how long after the response for approval?

My receipt date is April 30th, and I am trying to understand current timelines/trends. Thanks!

Hi !

My lawyer sent off my o1b petition (my 2nd O1 btw) about 10 business days ago now. (I'm in CA so i assume to the CA centre) My lawyer has not received any sort of receipt notice, all we know is that they have processed my fees, and part of my PP fee? Which is so odd? I'm from Australia - so not a banned country or anything either.

I'm a bit stressed as my old o1 has expired, I'm still in CA though, as we filed before the expiry, but I have work on the 21st May and I need the receipt notice in order for the 240 day rule to apply for me to work while the visa is processing.

Has anyone been in the same boat recently with a delayed receipt notice but fees processed? I know USCIS recently mentioned delays due to new biometrics requirements etc so not sure if thats the issue?

Would love to hear from similar situations, and how your timelines looked...
Any info is helpful! Thanks! 😄

Have been a long-time observer of this sub and everyone has been super helpful, so trying to give back.

Profile:

STEM Ph.D. with ~2 years industry experience before pursuing higher education. Discipline - Electrical Engineering. Dissertation submission pending at the time of case adjudication.

5 Criterion Claimed:

1. Scholarly publications: 12 papers, 250+ citations.
2. Original contributions: 3 patents (1 granted, 2 pending).
3. Critical role: a) Team lead during my time in the industry (startup); led to 350k+ mass-manufactured devices. b) Research lead during my time in academia, led to patents.
4. Awards: Journal prize paper recipient.
5. Judging: 40+ peer reviews for Q1 journals in the discipline.

3 Dependent and 2 Independent Referees:

1. Ph.D. supervisor -> Covered significance of published work, patents, and the critical role.
2. R&D project supervisor; industry-academia collab (Engineering Director) -> Attested to research outcomes and patent during Ph.D.
3. Former manager (CTO) -> Covered significance of the industry work and the innovations in design + ensuring mass-manufacturability of the devices.
4. [Independent] Professor 1 (Authored gold-standard textbook in the field) -> Attested the significance and potential of published work and patents.
5. [Independent] Professor 2 (EIC of the journal that awarded the prize) -> Attested the award adjudication process and why I would be likely to be chosen as a reviewer.

Schedule:

• End of Jan (T0): Received offer, engaged lawyers (Cannot name them).
• T0 + 1 week: Consolidated all evidence, reached out to 15 renowned experts for independent referrals. Only the top 2 choices replied, rest ignored me - I got lucky.
• T0 + 2 weeks: Draft letters received and reviewed by me. Sent for signatures to referees.
• T0 + 5 weeks: Signed letters received.
• 03/23 - Receipt date: Vermont Service Center with Premium Processing.
• 04/09 - Petition Approved.
• 04/27 - Lawyers received I-797 Approval Notice; booked appointment in the country where I am pursuing the Ph.D. (Not home country, but is country of residence).
• 05/01 - Consular Interview (They asked for original AN during intake); Interview summary below:
  • Why are you extraordinary?
    • Clarified the field of work. Mentioned papers, patents, and prize.
  • When are you completing your Ph.D.?
    • Answered.
  • What is your role and what will you work on?
    • Explained.
  • What is the company?
    • Answered.
  • Asked me if I have a threat of persecution in country of nationality or residence.
    • Answered no.
  • Officer mentioned that the visa is approved and that it will be received within a week. CEAC status "Approved" immediately after interview.
• 05/04 - CEAC status "Issued" and passport was shipped.
• 05/05 - Passport received.

I applied for an O-1B in January under premium processing. I provided my attorney with all 6 out of the 6 criteria for the petition. He was very confident and so were all the other lawyers I spoke to. We received an RFE in January regarding a typo—they filed my birth year incorrectly. They also asked for an additional signature from my petitioner. When the RFE response was received, they soon canceled the request.

When the second 12th business day came around, they contacted my employer regarding the itinerary, and he responded right away. When the second 14th business day came around in February, there was still no response. Now it’s May.

I’d like to believe that I’m just waiting in the queue to be approved, but I can’t believe that I paid extra to have it expedited and still have to wait for months.

My attorney said that USCIS has been more aggressive over the past 8 months. They even straight up lost one of my coworker’s petition, and she had to reapply and pay everything again.

How has everyone’s experience been? Has anyone experienced something this unusual as well?

(I’m not from a travel ban country)

Just received my RFE for my EB1A application. Current O1 holder.

In the RFE, they questioned critical role at distinguished organisation. They argued that the organisation was not distinguished, and that after googling a completely random company with a similar name, found an FTC article from 2001 where this company settled a case for making misrepresentations. That isn't the company I ran. It's not even close. I was born in 1991. My actual company information is all over the application, and they've just randomly googled the same name and issued an RFE.

To add to that, they claimed I didn't prove i had judged an awards event, when there are photos of me physically sitting on the panel and photos of me handing the awards out.

IS anybody else experiencing this??

I'm quite confused about the "quasi dual-intent nature of the O-1", and this subreddit seems split when I search around.

Specifically it's not clear to me if I ever decide to get married to my USC partner, if that would complicate my O-1A status — even when not pursuing a green card. Whether it could be misconstrued as immigration intent, and whether it also brings travel risks.

Some answers have been firmly in the "O-1 isn't as free as the H-1B" camp, whereas other ones argue it's dual intent and you're free to get married.

The correct move is to of course discuss this with a lawyer, but how do you see/navigate this?

hi! for those who have applied for o1b visas, did you all include an advisory opinion letters and how much weight do they carry/ are they mandatory?