O1 Visa Hacks for founders

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses strategies for founders, especially immigrants, to obtain an O1 visa and start a company in the United States. It debunks common myths about the O1 visa requirements and provides guidance on how to build a compelling application.

🙋 Q&A

[01] O1 Visa Hacks for Founders

1. What are the key requirements for obtaining an O1 visa as a founder?

• You don't need a Nobel prize, funding, or a co-founder to get an O1 visa
• The O1 visa is more flexible than other visas like the TN or H1B, allowing you to be a founder or CTO
• You need to demonstrate your expertise and achievements through criteria like memberships, judging roles, high remuneration, awards, publications, press, original contributions, and critical roles

2. How can solo founders without co-founders still qualify for the O1 visa?

• The O1 visa is an employment-based visa, so you need to demonstrate that you have a role with some level of hire-fire authority, such as having a board of at least 3 people (which can include yourself)
• You also need to show that you have reasonable funds to pay yourself and comply with minimum wage laws, such as by wiring your savings into a startup bank account

3. What types of memberships, judging roles, and other criteria can founders use to build a strong O1 visa application?

• Exclusive memberships like Y Combinator, Thiel Fellowship, or the Global Shapers (World Economic Forum) can demonstrate your expertise and recognition in your field
• Judging roles like reviewing accelerator applications, VC deals, or peer-reviewing journal articles can show your recognized expertise
• High remuneration, such as a high salary abroad or the valuation of your startup's equity, can also be used as criteria
• Awards like venture capital funding, Forbes 30 Under 30, government grants, and major hackathon wins can be leveraged
• Published articles in peer-reviewed journals or major media in your field, as well as press coverage, can also support your application

4. How should founders approach the O1 visa application as a "storytelling" process?

• Rather than just "ticking boxes" with criteria, founders need to craft a compelling narrative that demonstrates why the government should invest in them long-term
• The criteria and evidence, such as letters and supporting documents, should support and reinforce this overarching narrative

[02] How to Build a Startup in the US as an Immigrant

1. What are the key advantages of the O1 visa for founders compared to other visa options?

• The O1 visa is more founder-friendly than visas like the TN or H1B, which have restrictions on job titles, salaries, and work locations
• The O1 visa is a stepping stone to the EB1 green card, providing a faster and more flexible path to permanent residency

2. What are some tips for building a strong O1 visa application as a founder?

• Focus on quality over quantity when selecting the criteria to demonstrate your expertise and achievements
• Leverage your entire career history, not just your US-based work, as evidence for the application
• Structure the application as a compelling narrative, rather than just a list of criteria

3. How can founders without significant funding or a co-founder still qualify for the O1 visa?

• Demonstrate that you have reasonable funds to pay yourself and comply with minimum wage laws, such as by wiring your savings into a startup bank account
• Show that you have a role with some level of hire-fire authority, such as by having a board of at least 3 people (which can include yourself)