O1 Visa to EB1 Green Card For Aliens of Extraordinary Ability

EB1 Green Card Success – Fashion Stylist Dawn, from England

Are You An Alien of Extraordinary Ability and Looking to Convert an O1 Visa to an EB1 Green Card?

We have a number of highly talented clients with very specific job opportunities seeking O-1 Visas whether it be on a special project or a new opportunity in the United States. These individuals, because they have a job offer, often qualify for the O-1 visa, which we are able to successfully secure for them. Other clients come to us after being in the US on the O1 visa for a period of time, tired of the employment based limitations invoked by that non-immigrant visa and seeking opportunities for a permanent residence green card.

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In both cases, having an O1 is a great stepping stone to an EB1 Green Card because, basically, the approval requirements criteria for the O1 visa and EB1 Green Card are very similar.

Some might argue that the threshold is slightly higher in the case of a green card application. In truth, the matter is technically argumentative, which is ‘lawyer’s speak’ for ‘can be argued either way’. There is an O1 visa list of criteria where the alien has to be able to identify at least three categories and for the EB1 there is another list from which the alien must be able to satisfy three of the categories. Nevertheless, when our clients have an O1 visa already, the next natural step is to apply for what is called a priority worker EB1 class Green Card as well. The EB1 option is only worth doing if the client ultimately wishes to become a permanent resident in the US and settle there.

EB1 Green Card Success – Hesam, Film Maker from Iran

The advantages of converting O1 to EB1 Green Card are: –

• As an EB1 Green Card holder, the spouse and children (unmarried or under 21) would all get green card status also, and be able to do whatever they liked. Whereas, the O1 does not create working opportunities for the spouse and children, they must qualify in their own right.
• As an O1 visa holder, you must have an agent or sponsor of some kind offering you work in the US, whereas the EB1 holder does not, and thus you are given more freedom to work as you are no longer bound by your employer.
• The green card is valid for 10 years, and the family could be eligible for citizenship as soon as 5 years after receiving the green card, whereas with the O1, you will need to renew it at least once every 3 years.

As you can see, although the O1 is an excellent visa, the benefits of EB1 status are that much greater.

According to the INA section quoted at the start of this review, the ideal O1 candidate is a person who has received sustained national or international acclaim for their extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business or motion picture industry.

O1 Visa Success – Marc, International Musician from the UK

0-1  For Arts / Music Entertainers: Non-immigrants in the arts must show a high level of achievement as demonstrated by the degree of skill and has received recognition substantially above that ordinarily encountered and is recognized as prominent, i.e. renowned, leading or well known.

O-1 For Motion Picture and Television:  Non-immigrants in television and motion picture industries must show that they have attained a very high level of accomplishment evidenced by a degree of skill and recognition significantly above that ordinarily encountered and are recognized as outstanding, notable, or leading. (8 C.F.R. Section 214.2(O)(3)(ii)

Congress further stated that extraordinary priority worker classification (EB1 Green Card Status) is “reserved for that small percentage of individuals who have risen to the very top of their field of endeavor”. This report further argued that the definition of O1 non-immigrants is identical to that for EB1 priority workers. As discussed above based on reports of Congress many attorneys will file for both O1 and EB1 status. This having been said, success at the O1 level does not automatically guarantee success at the EB1 level. This is especially true for arts and motion picture-based applicants, because a person can be very well known but not be deemed at the very top of their field of endeavor. (INA section 203(b)(1)(a)(i), as amended by IA90, section 121(a).

Start Your O1 Visa to Green Card Conversion Today!

We can, however, work with you to identify three categories that you can satisfy for the EB1 Green Card or develop the categories to meet the requirement of the EB1. Either way, if you are an O1 visa holder, give us a call today to see how we can help put you on a path to a green card.

Immigration Law Offices of Chris M. Ingram

US Immigration Law Offices of Chris M. Ingram
Chris M. Ingram LL.M., ESQ – Immigration Attorney
Admitted in New York.
Practice Specializing in US Immigration Law
401 Wilshire Boulevard, 12th Floor,
Santa Monica,
California 90401
Tel: 310 496 4292

Specializing in the E2 Visa, EB1 Green Card, L-1A Visa, O1 Visa and K1 Visa Marriage-Based Immigration. Attorney Chris M. Ingram is dedicated to providing the very best in US Immigration legal representation. Enjoy our website.

Important Notice: Please note that all videos created by the Law Offices of Chris M. Ingram are intended as general information only and not specific legal advice pertaining your case. If you would like specific legal advice on any immigration matter please do not hesitate to contact this law office accordingly. All pictorial images used in these videos and the website in general are licensed stocked images and not portraits, or otherwise, of anyone from the Law Offices of Chris M. Ingram, nor of its clients unless otherwise indicated by name. All images are used solely for illustrative purposes only. Copyright 2010-2016 All Rights Reserved.