O-1 & P-1 visa insights
Plain-English guides to the O-1 and P-1 visa, the agent petitioner model, and how to work in the US without a single traditional employer.
中文指南
O-1 签证：申请条件、评审标准与代理人申请途径
面向具有特殊才能人士的 O-1 签证中文指南：申请条件、证据标准，以及由美国代理人作为请愿人的方式。
Visa comparison
O-1 vs H-1B: Cap, Lottery, Employer and Time Limits Compared
The H-1B is capped and lottery-based and tied to one employer. The O-1 has no cap and can be filed by an agent. How they compare.
Visa comparison
O-1 vs EB-1A: Differences, and How They Fit Together
The O-1 is a temporary visa and the EB-1A is a green card. Who files, how many criteria apply, and how to use one as a step to the other.
Who it is for
O-1 Visa for Startup Founders: Evidence, Petitioner and the Agent Route
Founders often struggle with the O-1 petitioner question. Which evidence counts for a founder, and how an agent can file when you are your own boss.
FAQ
O-1 Visa Questions Answered: Immigrant or Not, How Hard, How Long, and More
Direct answers to the questions people search most about the O-1: nonimmigrant status, difficulty, timing, work rights, family and cost.
How it works
O-1 Visa Sponsorship: Who Can Sponsor You, and Can You Self-Sponsor?
The O-1 needs a petitioner, not a traditional sponsor. Who can be one, whether you can self-sponsor, and when an agent fits.
How it works
O-1 Visa Agent (Agent Petitioner): How It Works and Its Limits
What an O-1 agent actually does, the documents an agent petition needs (itinerary, contracts, advisory opinion), who it suits, and what it cannot do for you.
Guía en español
Visa O-1: requisitos para personas con habilidad extraordinaria
Guía en español sobre la visa O-1 para talentos extraordinarios: requisitos, criterios de evidencia y la opción de un agente peticionario.
Data
P Visa Approval Rate: USCIS Data, FY2025 and FY2026
USCIS decided about 93.7% of P-class petitions as approvals in FY2025 and 91.5% in FY2026 so far. The numbers, the RFE rate, and how P compares.
Requirements
O-1 Visa Examples: What Qualifying Evidence Looks Like
The O-1 criteria are abstract. These are the kinds of documents that actually satisfy them, for both the O-1A and the O-1B.
Requirements
O-1 Visa Qualifications: Who Qualifies and What Counts
What the O-1 standard means in practice, which tracks exist, and what USCIS expects to see before it treats you as extraordinary.
How it works
What Is the O-1 Visa? A Plain-English Guide
The O-1 is a US work visa for extraordinary ability, with no cap and no lottery. Here is who it is for, how the O-1A and O-1B differ, and who files it.
Requirements
O-1B Visa Requirements: The 6 Criteria Explained
The O-1B asks for a major award or at least three of six criteria. Here is what each criterion means for artists, performers and film and TV professionals.
Visa comparison
O-1 vs P-1 Visa: Which One Fits You?
Both let exceptional talent work in the US without a lottery, and both can be filed by a US agent. The difference is who each one was built for.
How it works
O-1 Visa Without a US Employer: Do You Need a Sponsor?
The biggest myth about the O-1 is that you need a US company to sponsor you. You do not. A US agent can be your petitioner.
Requirements
O-1A Visa Requirements: The 8 Criteria Explained
The O-1A is defined by sustained acclaim, shown through a major international award, or at least three of eight criteria. Here is what each means.