Do I understand correctly that the wait time for an O-1 interview is significantly shorter than for EB-1? And more generally, do the interview questions and timelines at US consulates depend on the specific consulate — in other words, are there places where the queue is noticeably shorter? I’d like to figure this out before deciding where to apply.
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.
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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.
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