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Time of India
8 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
‘Like H-1B without a lottery': What is O-1 visa? New route to US becomes popular among Indians; check details
Immigration advisers in the US are witnessing an unexpected increase in O-1A visa applications. O-1 visa is the new go to solution for individuals looking to work in the US. The O-1 visa route is gaining popularity among various professionals, including qualified STEM graduates, cybersecurity specialists, researchers, artists, filmmakers, athletes, authors and digital content creators, all pursuing their aspirations in America. And, companies are increasingly supporting this visa category, investing substantial resources to sponsor deserving candidates. According to visa advisers, organisations are actively encouraging applicants to enhance their credentials through academic publications, authoring books and participating in conferences. Immigration advisers in the US are witnessing an unexpected increase in O-1A visa applications and are expanding their operations by guiding clients through this relatively unfamiliar route. What is an O-1 visa? The O-1 visa is a specialised non-immigrant visa category in the United States, designed for individuals who demonstrate remarkable achievements in fields such as science, arts, education, business, or athletics. Also Read | Not just Apple iPhones! Android smartphone makers like Samsung, Motorola step up exports from India to US; move due to Trump's tariff policies According to Sahil Nyati, founder at Jinee Green Card, the O-1A is like an H-1B visa without lottery. "There's definitely higher interest in O-1A, simply because it's like an H-1B without a lottery, although it's not a piece of cake," Nyati told ET. Jinee Green Card is a US-based immigration consultancy advising on specialised visa categories. The Immigration Act of 1990 established the non-immigrant visa category with eight qualifying requirements, requiring applicants to meet a minimum of three conditions, according to the ET report. The fees associated with O-1A visa applications typically fall between $10,000 and $30,000. Statistics from the US Department of State reveal that O-1A visa issuance increased from 8,838 in FY 20 to 18,994 in fiscal 2023. The data indicated that Indian nationals received 1,418 O-1A visas in FY23, rising from 487 in FY20, positioning India as the third-highest recipient country after Great Britain and Brazil. Official data from the US State Department indicates that O-1A visas maintain a 93% success rate, whilst H-1B applications achieve only 37% approval. The O-1A classification operates without any limits or lottery systems. Technology firms seeking to secure and maintain skilled international workers are increasingly recognising this trend. The artificial intelligence surge in the United States has intensified competition for talent, creating increased opportunities for international PhD researchers and skilled professionals. Many are finding the O-1A visa classification provides an easier entry route to the United States. Rising share "Companies like Google, OpenAI, Tesla, McKinsey are among those open to recruiting promising new talent from India and attracting well established players in their fields to their US headquarters. While top universities like Harvard, Yale and Columbia are always looking to hire the best faculty and researchers globally," states Aslam Ahmed, Partner, Singhania & Co according to the ET report. O-1 visa vs H1-B visa The O-1 visa numbers remain modest compared to H-1B allocations. Official data shows 225,957 H-1B approvals in fiscal 2024, whilst O-1A visas stood at 22,669. However, whilst H-1B applications show a downward trajectory, O-1A applications maintain an annual growth rate of approximately 10%. According to Ahmed, sponsoring an O-1A visa costs roughly ten times more than an H-1B, which ranges from $970 for small businesses to $7,775 for larger organisations seeking premium processing. Legal consultation fees contribute an additional $2,000-$5,000. O-1A visa applications, by comparison, require between $10,000 to $30,000, with solicitor fees comprising the bulk of expenses. Nevertheless, both organisations and applicants continue to invest substantial amounts in these applications. According to Ahmed of Singhania & Co, IBM Research frequently sponsors visa applications for Indian researchers who hold numerous patents. "Filing and coming up with an industrially useful patent though, is a very difficult and challenging task," he added. O-1 visa Candidates who were unsuccessful in three H-1B lotteries and recent university graduates are becoming more knowledgeable about the O-1 visa option, according to Jinee's Nyati, who is expanding clientele from 60 to 300. Also Read | 'Anti-worker move to downsize...': TCS policy to cap bench time, 225 mandatory billing days slammed; here's what All India IT employees' union said "Under the O1-A category, STEM professionals are focussing on upskilling in areas like cybersecurity, publishing research, and speaking at conferences. Meanwhile, under the O-1B, which is for people in arts, we recently secured a visa for a Bollywood producer who has been in the business for 10 years," he said. Prachi Shah, founder & managing attorney at Prachi Shah Law was quoted as saying that her firm obtained an O-1A visa for an entrepreneur in just 10 days by developing an application that demonstrated potential benefits to the US economy. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
O-1 for the Books! Elite Talent Finds New Route to US
Soundarya Balasubramani was just twenty-four years old when she quit a coveted technology job at Salesforce to pursue her entrepreneurial dream. She launched The Curious Maverick LLC, an educational venture that publishes books and builds online communities. The bold move helped the young professional bag an O-1 visa, a non-immigrant US visa for persons of extraordinary abilities. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Soundarya Balasubramani was just twenty-four years old when she quit a coveted technology job at Salesforce to pursue her entrepreneurial launched The Curious Maverick LLC, an educational venture that publishes books and builds online communities. The bold move helped the young professional bag an O-1 visa, a non-immigrant US visa for persons of extraordinary abilities.'I got my O-1A (visa) approved as the solo founder and 100% owner of an educational venture that publishes books and builds communities,' says Balasubramani, now twenty-eight and a San Francisco qualified STEM students, cybersecurity experts, researchers, and people in arts, movies, sports, writers, social media content creators are increasingly exploring the O-1 pathway to fulfil their American are also recognising the benefits of this approach and are coughing up big dollars to sponsor O-1 visas for deserving workers. They are encouraging candidates to publish research papers, books and attend conferences which help them to build a strong profile, according to visa as part of the Immigration Act of 1990, the non-immigrant visa specifies eight eligibility criteria of which at least three need to be costs for O-1 visas could range from $10,000 to $30,000.'There's definitely higher interest in O-1, simply because it's like an H-1B without a lottery, although it's not a piece of cake,' said Sahil Nyati, founder at Jinee Green Card—a US-based immigration consultancy advising on specialised visa to official data from the US Department of State, the number of O-1 visas granted has grown from 8,838 in FY20 to 18,994 in fiscal Indians were the third largest nationality after Great Britain and Brazil, securing 1,418 O-1 visas in FY23, up from 487 in FY20, data companies keen to attract and retain highly skilled overseas talent are taking note.A tech company in the Bay Area encouraged one senior AI researcher to contribute notes to press articles to bolster his application for an O-1. At the same time, his H-1B was also due for renewal that year, but given his qualifications, pursuing the O-1 route helped avoid the complexities of the H-1B process, he told ET on the condition of ongoing talent race in the United States--triggered largely by the AI boom--is stoking demand for overseas PhD researchers and other high-skilled professionals, the bulk of whom are discovering that the O-1 visa category offers a smoother pathway into the state department data also shows that the O-1 category has a 93% approval rate compared to, say, an H-1B which has a 37% chance of addition, there are no upper limits or lotteries in the O-1 Ahmed, Partner, Singhania & Co, said 'Companies like Google, OpenAI, Tesla, McKinsey are among those open to recruiting promising new talent from India and attracting well established players in their fields to their US headquarters. While top universities like Harvard, Yale and Columbia are always looking to hire the best faculty and researchers globally.'To be sure, the numbers of O-1 visas are small as compared to fiscal 2024, a total of 225,957 H-1B visas were approved as compared to only 22,669 since then, while demand for the former is on a declining trend, O-1s are growing nearly 10% estimates that the cost of sponsoring an O-1 visa is nearly ten times higher than the H-1B, which typically costs $970 for smaller employers to $7,775 for larger companies that opt for premium fees add another $2,000-$5, contrast, application costs for O-1 visas range from $10,000 to $30,000, with legal fees representing the largest companies and individuals are still willing to cough up big example, among those to have been granted this visa is a PhD holder in hardware design with three published papers and over fifty-four citations. To further support his application, his employer added several conference participations and podcast a physiotherapist who had served the elderly in the US was viewed as service to the nation and eligible for O-1 and a researcher who published a paper in music and dance therapy also qualified for the Research regularly sponsors visas for Indian researchers with many patents, said Ahmed of Singhania & Co.'Filing and coming up with an industrially useful patent though, is a very difficult and challenging task,' he consultants in the US are seeing a sudden surge in interest in O-1 and are scaling up faster by advising clients on this lesser-known who were not picked in three H-1B lotteries as well as recent graduates are increasingly getting aware about the O-1 visa, said Jinee's Nyati, who is growing his firm from 60 clients to 300.
