Am I correct in understanding that the wait time for an O-1 interview is significantly shorter than for EB-1? And in general, do the questions at the U.S. consulate interview and the processing times depend on the specific consulate — that is, are there places where the queue is noticeably shorter? I’d like to figure this out before deciding where to apply.
Detailed breakdown of the topic: EB-1A: 10 types of evidence, which 3 you need
yes, the difference is fundamental - for O-1 you book yourself at any convenient embassy, and in many you can grab a slot literally for tomorrow. For EB-1 the date is assigned, and that’s not the only difference - there’s also the NVC with its requests for documents, which can drag on from a couple of weeks to several months. So the workload of a particular consulate for O-1 is a pretty solvable issue - you just look for the nearest slot.
Consulate workloads really vary — in some places you get an appointment in a week, in others you have to wait six months. That’s a plus for O-1 because you can choose; for EB-1 there’s no such option — you’re assigned to the consulate where you filed.