Updated October 31, 2026

O-1 visa requirements: what USCIS needs to see

To get an O-1 visa, a US employer or agent must file a petition showing you have extraordinary ability. For O-1A (science, education, business or athletics), that means a major international award or at least 3 of 8 criteria. For O-1B (arts, film and TV), it means a major award or nomination, or at least 3 of 6. USCIS then weighs all the evidence together, and the petition needs an advisory opinion from a peer group.

Below: every criterion in plain words with the evidence the regulation names, who can file, how long you can stay, and what it costs as of October 31, 2026.

Which O visa fits you?

What are the O-1A criteria?

The petition needs a major, internationally recognized award, such as the Nobel Prize, or evidence of at least three of these eight. The second column is our plain-words reading of the evidence the regulation describes.

If these criteria don't readily apply to your occupation, the regulation lets the petitioner submit comparable evidence instead.

What are the O-1B criteria?

For both O-1B paths, a nomination for or win of a significant national or international award, such as an Academy Award, an Emmy, a Grammy or a Directors Guild award, is enough on its own. Otherwise the petition needs at least three of these six:

1. You have performed, and will perform, as a lead or starring participant in productions or events with a distinguished reputation.
2. You have national or international recognition, shown by critical reviews or other published material in major newspapers, trade journals or magazines.
3. You have performed, and will perform, in a lead, starring or critical role for organizations with a distinguished reputation.
4. You have a record of major commercial or critically acclaimed successes, such as ratings, standing in the field or box office receipts.
5. You have significant recognition from organizations, critics, government agencies or recognized experts, in testimonials that show the author's expertise.
6. You command, or will command, a high salary or other substantial pay compared with others in the field.

The arts path allows comparable evidence when the criteria don't readily apply. The regulation's film and TV section has no comparable evidence clause.

Is meeting 3 criteria enough?

Not by itself. The USCIS Policy Manual says evidence meeting three criteria doesn't necessarily establish eligibility. An officer first checks that the minimum number of criteria, or a qualifying award, is met. Then the officer decides whether the totality of the evidence shows you meet the standard: acclaim at the very top of the field for O-1A, distinction for the arts, or extraordinary achievement for film and TV.

The Policy Manual adds two rules for athletics: USCIS treats a male athlete having competed against women as a negative factor when deciding if he's at the very top of the field, and it doesn't treat a male athlete acclaimed in men's sports who wants to compete in women's sports in the US as continuing work in his area of ability.

Can you change jobs or start a company on an O-1?

It can be. An O-1 petition must show the US work continues your area of extraordinary ability, and the USCIS Policy Manual reads that phrase broadly for O-1A and O-1B arts. It covers the occupations where you earned acclaim and other occupations that share their skills, knowledge or expertise.

The manual's examples of such a move: an acclaimed athlete becoming a coach, a STEM professor or researcher joining a private company, an engineer starting a technology company, and a dancer becoming a teacher or choreographer. Officers look at the totality of the evidence, including whether the two occupations are in the same industry and whether people commonly move from one to the other.

Who can file an O-1 petition?

• A US employer, a US agent, or a foreign employer through a US agent. You can't petition for yourself.
• Your own company can. The Policy Manual says a separate legal entity you own, such as a corporation or LLC, may file the petition for you.
• An agent for several employers. A petition covering more than one employer can be filed by a person or company in business as an agent for the employers and you, with a complete itinerary giving the dates of each engagement and each employer's name and address.
• One person per O-1 petition. O-2 support staff need their own, separate petition.
• Not too early. The petition can't be filed more than one year before the work starts.

What has to be in the petition?

Under 8 CFR 214.2(o)(2), the Form I-129 petition comes with:

• the evidence for your classification (the award or criteria above)
• copies of written contracts with you, or a summary of the terms of an oral agreement
• an explanation of the events or activities, their start and end dates, and any itinerary
• a written advisory opinion from the right consulting group

The advisory opinion. For O-1A and O-1B arts, it comes from a peer group in your field, which can include a labor organization or a person with expertise in the area. For film and TV it must come from both the union for your occupation and a management organization. USCIS may waive it for O-1B arts workers returning to do similar work within 2 years of a previous consultation.

Letters from employers or experts must describe your recognition and ability in factual terms, and say who the writer is and how they know your work.

How long can you stay on an O-1?

The Policy Manual also says USCIS shouldn't deny an O-1 extension because a green card petition was filed for you.

How much does an O-1 visa cost?

Fees as of October 31, 2026, from USCIS Form G-1055 (edition 10/26/26) and the State Department's fee schedule. The totals are our math for a paper filing.

Each O-3 family member applying for a visa pays the $205 application fee too. Some nationalities also pay a reciprocity fee when the visa is issued.

What happens after USCIS approves the O-1?

If you're outside the US, you file a DS-160, pay the visa fee and interview at a US embassy or consulate. The officer has the approved petition and mostly checks that you're the person in it and that your plans match it. Our O-1 visa interview questions guide covers what they ask about your field, your work and your petitioner. O-1 practice is coming to Visaful soon. The closest interview today is the H-1B stamping interview, covered in our H-1B interview guide.

Visaful is an AI mock interview app for US visa interviews: an AI officer asks your visa's questions out loud and shows what to fix.

This is interview practice, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. Visaful is not affiliated with the U.S. government or the Department of State.