O-1 extraordinary ability visa

Your track record is the visa.

No lottery, no cap. A company you own can sponsor you.

Check which criteria you meet
Criteria you need3 of 8
Start to decisionAbout 2 months
Initial stayUp to 3 years
Fixed fee$10,000

Which criteria do you meet?

Four questions. Your result before any email.

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About two months, start to decision

With premium processing. Without it, over a year.

Meet any three of eight

Or one major international award.

01AwardsPrizes, fellowships, competitive grants.
02Selective membershipGroups that admit on achievement.
03Press about youMedia that names you, not just your company.
04Judging othersPeer review, juries, award panels.
05Original contributionsWork others adopted: citations, users, GitHub.
06AuthorshipPapers or articles in your field.
07Critical roleFounder or lead at a notable company or lab.
08High paySalary plus equity above your peers.

Artists, designers, film and TV: the O-1B uses a six-criteria list.

A company you own can sponsor you

USCIS policy since January 2025.

Works after you raise

No ownership minimum.

Skip the H-1B lottery

Switch from F-1, OPT or H-1B inside the US.

Any passport

No treaty-country rule.

$10,000 fixed

Half to start, half before filing. Government fees are paid directly to the government.

Belong fee

O-1 petition$10,000
Each dependentSpouse or child, O-3+ $2,000
US company and EINIf you sponsor yourself+ $700

Responses to requests for evidence included.

Government fees

Form I-129$1,055 over 25 staff$530
Asylum program fee$600 over 25 staff$300
Premium processing15 business days$2,965
Visa appointmentIf applying from abroad$205

Small-employer rates. Current as of October 2026.

Questions

Can my spouse work?＋

Not on O-3 status, which allows study only. We plan their own status with you.

Can I change jobs?＋

A new employer files a new petition, and you start once it is approved.

Is there a minimum salary?＋

No. High pay is one of the eight criteria, not a requirement.

Does it lead to a green card?＋

It can. The same evidence often supports an EB-1A, which you file yourself.

The evidence often exists already. Let's find it.

Check which criteria you meet
Check which criteria you meet