US O-1A Visa

There exist many different types of non-immigrant US visas, among which we can find the US O-1A Visa. As you can imagine, an O-1A visa is just one variable within the O visas group. In this article, you will learn what is a US O-1A visa, how it differs from the rest of O visas, how to apply for it or what requirements and documents should we take into consideration before starting to process our application.

US O Visas

Thanks to the US O visas group, people with extraordinary skills or outstanding professional competencies can travel to the US along with his or her family and stay for some years, before the visa expires and they are expected to return home. Nevertheless, there exists the possibility of extending your visa, or, in some cases, even applying for a different visa that allows you to stay permanently in the US. We will talk about validity and expiration times later.

We can find four variants of US O Visas:

• O-1A Visa: applicants can prove exceptional talent and vocational training in business, sciences, sports and education. We will give more details about this particular visa in the following sections.
• O-1B Visa: applicants can prove exceptional talent and vocational training in the film industry, television or arts.
• O-2 Visa: applicants are O-1 visa holder’s personnel or assistants.
• O-3 Visa: applicants are the spouse or unmarried children (under 21 years old) of an O-1 or O-2 visa holder. 

Everything you need to know about US O-1A Visa

O-1A Visa is designed for people having extraordinary skills in the business, scientific, education or athletic fields, who can live in the US for a limited period while working and putting his or her exceptional talent into practice. 

Validity time

This visa is valid for 3 years, though you can extend your stay if your employer carries out the required procedures again. A new employer can apply for your visa extension too. 

USCIS will be in charge of accepting or denying your application. In case you are allowed to stay in the US, be aware that your visa extension will be only valid for one more year, though it is possible to ask for a visa extension as many times as you continue having the support of your employer.

Take into consideration that, once your visa expiration date is close, you may also be eligible to apply for an EB-1 Green Card, a more suitable option for those who do not plan to return to their home country, as Green Card holders have a higher chance to stay in the US permanently over the years.

Requirements

If you would like to apply for a US O-1A visa, you need to:

• Prove you have extraordinary skills either in the business, scientific, education, or athletic field (e.g. national awards, recognition by prestigious organizations, etc). Group achievements will not be considered, only individual recognitions.
• Receive a job offer from a US employer in advance, who is willing to help you obtain the US O-1A visa.
• Put your exceptional abilities into practice in your new job post, helping your employer to move forward. The job offer must be related to your skills.

Those who have received a Pulitzer Prize or an Olympic Medal are automatically eligible to apply for a US O-1A visa.

Application Process

1. The first step is to receive a job offer from a US employer who is willing to sponsor you and follow the required procedures to help you obtain the O-1A visa.
2. Your employer needs to submit the so-called Form I-129 and pay the corresponding fees ($705).
3. Applicants need to submit the different documents proving that he or she fulfills the requirements and has extraordinary skills. 
4. Once USCIS receives the documents, which needs to be submitted at least 45 days before the applicant starts working for the employer, it will take a few weeks till they evaluate your application. If the application has been accepted, the applicant will receive Form I-797, which enables him or her to continue with the application process.
5. Fill in the DS-160 Form. You can do it online at the Consular Electronic Application Center website. This form needs to be completed by every single non-immigrant visa petitioner, not only O-1A visa applicants. Once you submit the form, make sure you save or print the confirmation page barcode. 
6. Pay the corresponding O-1A visa fees ($190) and any other additional fees applicable to your country of origin. Do not forget to save the payment receipts.
7. Schedule a visa interview in the same US Embassy where you are applying for a US O-3 visa. You will receive an interview confirmation letter, do not forget to bring it when attending your interview. Only people younger than 14 or older than 78 are exempted from scheduling an interview.
8. Start gathering the required documents, you will need to submit them the day of your visa interview. Read the following section to know what documents you should bring. 

After attending your visa interview, you will receive an answer whether your visa application was accepted or denied within 2 or 3 months. Though, if you would like to get a reply sooner, you can pay for premium processing. The cost of this service is $1225.

Required Documents

• DS-160 Form’s confirmation page or barcode.
• Form I-797.
• Documents proving your extraordinary talent.
• Visa interview confirmation letter.
• O-3 visa fees’ payment receipts.
• Job contract or letter of employment.
• In case your spouse or children are also applying, you will need to show evidence of your relationship (e.g. marriage certificate, birth certificate etc.).
• A copy of the applicant’s valid passport.
• A photo of the visa applicant, complying with the official guidelines for US visa photos.