A 26-year-old Bengaluru techie, now working at IBM in California, shared his journey of getting an O-1 visa after being rejected thrice for an H-1B visa. In a LinkedIn post, Tanush Sharanarthi attributed his O-1 visa approval to his exceptional work and research in artificial intelligence, showcasing his “extraordinary ability”. He shared that after being rejected three times in the H-1B lottery, he was finally approved for an O-1 visa, after being recognised for his exceptional abilities in Artificial Intelligence.
Mr Sharanarthi further wrote that instead of relying on luck, he focused on what he could control, putting in extra effort through late nights, building products, publishing research, and contributing to his field.
“But instead of waiting on luck, I went all in on what I could control: late nights, building products, publishing research, and contributing to the field I love. Turns out, consistency pays better than the lottery. This week, I was approved for the O-1 visa, a special category reserved for individuals at the top of their field. An alien of extraordinary ability. (So no pressure, right?),” Mr Sharanarthi wrote.
He also expressed gratitude to his family, mentors, colleagues, and friends for their support and thanked IBM for backing him throughout his journey.
See the post here:
On social media, many remarked that his achievement was impressive and requested him to share his journey towards getting the O-1 visa. In response, Mr Sharanarthi said that building his profile early, meeting multiple criteria, collaborating with others, and working on exciting projects in his domain were key factors that helped him secure the visa.
One user wrote, “Congrats! Many will resonate with this — turning setbacks into fuel is what extraordinary ability really means.”
Another commented, “Congrats, Tanush. Your journey from H‑1B struggles to O‑1 success is truly inspiring. would love to hear any advice you have for others on the same path.”
What is an O-1 visa?
The O-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa tailored for individuals with exceptional abilities in fields such as sciences, arts, education, business, athletics, or those with outstanding achievements in the film and television industry. This visa is ideal for high achievers seeking to work in the US, offering benefits like no annual cap, unlike H-1B visas, which are subject to annual limits. With an O-1 visa, individuals can work for sponsoring employers or agents, and it also provides a potential pathway to permanent residency through the EB-1 category.
The applicants must demonstrate extraordinary ability through national or international awards and recognition, publication of scholarly articles or major media coverage, membership in prestigious professional associations, or original contributions in significant innovations or achievements.