I’m preparing to apply for the O-1 myself without an agent. I’m an IT developer and I need an offer. I’ve been sending out my resume for about two weeks — I’m not even getting invited to initial screenings. I set the location to the US, and in the application forms under work authorization I honestly put No; in the cover letter I mention the O-1. Could that be the problem? How did you find an offer for an O-1?
An honest “No” on the authorization form is what kills responses right at the start. Recruiters don’t know what an O-1 is — to them it’s an unfamiliar term and an automatic reject; nobody wants to bother digging into it. And if you’re also outside the US, that’s two red flags at once. When I was looking for an offer with O-1 status, it took four months — and that was without requiring US-level pay; they paid at local market rates.
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I know a case — an IT guy spent almost a year sending applications himself, honestly answering “No” and getting zero replies. Then he found a recruiter who specializes in O-1 cases; through his network an offer arrived in a month and a half. For most HR people, O-1 is an unfamiliar word and an automatic reject — you won’t break through that wall on your own.
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