✅ O-1: approval
The author shares their experience obtaining an O-1 visa after the previous visa had expired. Both times the embassy interview went well, despite the officer not understanding the specifics of the work.
How it all went
I filed the case and petition two years ago and got the first visa then. The visa expired, but the petition did not. I obtained the visa again. At the embassy the two submissions were arranged more or less the same way. The questions were generally the same. The main question: Describe your extraordinary abilities specifically. Give an example of a project.
Overall it feels like a simple foolproof test — just a check that the case isn’t fake and that you really are a specialist in the field you’re applying in. I calmly explained what I do. Both times the officer hinted that they didn’t understand anything about it and asked me to explain it in simple terms. Then approval. The second time they also asked what I had been doing during the two years while the visa was active.
Main insight
“It’s important to be able to explain your work simply and clearly, even if the officer isn’t familiar with your field.”
Evgeny Bondarev (@bondarev_eu)
Author of the story
Evgeny Bondarev (@bondarev_eu), from the chat @talentvisahelp. Original message in the chat.
Useful on the topic
All information about O-1 / EB-1A / EB-2 NIW
More success and refusal stories: channel @o1eb1