How I Got My O-1A Visa to the U.S. — My Real Experience, Costs, and Tips
From Europe to the U.S. with an O-1A Visa: My Step-by-Step Journey as a Digital Entrepreneur
When you decide to move to the United States, you’ll quickly discover that there’s a visa for every letter of the alphabet. And if you’re like me — a digital entrepreneur with a strong career background — finding the right visa can feel overwhelming. I spent years researching every option, and eventually, I found the one that truly fit: the O-1A visa.
In this blog post, I’ll walk you through my real experience obtaining the O-1A visa — what it is, who it's for, how long it takes, how much it costs, what documents I needed, and what happened when I got an RFE (Request for Evidence). Whether you're an entrepreneur, designer, marketer, or engineer, this might be the visa that opens the door to the U.S. for you — just like it did for me.
🎯 What Is the O-1A Visa?
The O-1A is a U.S. non-immigrant visa for individuals who possess extraordinary ability in fields such as:
Business
Science
Education
Athletics
It’s commonly referred to as the “artist visa,” but that’s only one side of the story. Entrepreneurs, startup founders, software engineers, marketing professionals, and other high-achievers in their industry can qualify — as long as they meet the right criteria.
👨💻 My Background
I’m a computer engineer by education, but I’ve spent the past decade building a career in digital marketing, branding, and business development. I previously earned my Master’s degree in the U.S., and over the years, I’ve founded and grown multiple projects across Europe and the U.S.
At some point, I knew I wanted to move back to America and expand my business there. That’s when I stumbled upon a YouTube video by GrapeLaw, featuring attorney Muhammed Uzum and cybersecurity expert Mert Sarica. They were talking about the O-1 visa, and I realized — this is the one for me.
🔍 Who Qualifies for O-1A?
You don’t need a Nobel Prize. But you do need to prove your excellence with hard evidence. USCIS provides a list of criteria, and if you meet at least 3 of them, you're eligible to apply.
Here are the main criteria:
International or national awards
Serving as a judge (jury) in your field
Published material about you in major media
Critical roles in distinguished organizations
Membership in elite associations
High salary compared to peers
Original contributions to your field
Authorship of scholarly articles
✅ My Matching Criteria
These are the criteria I used in my application:
I held executive roles in companies and led critical decision-making processes.
I founded Vedego Media, and managed major marketing projects.
I’m a member of a prestigious global marketing association that requires 10+ years of experience.
I’ve appeared in media — TV, newspapers, and online publications.
I earn a high income relative to others in my industry, which we proved using salary benchmarks and accountant-certified income reports.
I’ve developed original marketing methods, including AI-integrated systems that brought measurable results.
We also gathered strong letters of recommendation — some from colleagues I worked with, and others from industry leaders who knew my work and achievements.
🧾 The Documentation
The file we submitted was over 300 pages long. It included:
Contracts, project samples, screenshots
Tax documents and income statements
Media appearances
Membership certificates
Letters of recommendation
You must be extremely detail-oriented. Think of it as building a legal case for your talent.
📨 RFE (Request for Evidence)
Even though our file was strong, I received an RFE. At first, I panicked. But my attorney told me this is completely normal. USCIS simply wanted additional proof for some of the criteria.
We worked for another month to provide:
Stronger evidence of high income
More details on jury duties
More proof of original contributions
And then, 10 days later, we received the approval!
That moment was unforgettable — my wife and I celebrated with our daughter at home. We danced, we cried. It was a dream come true.
🏢 Company Sponsorship: Yes, You Can Use Your Own Company
Here’s something most people don’t know:
You can start your own U.S. company and sponsor yourself through it, as long as you structure it correctly and prove that the company is real, active, and employs you in a meaningful, managerial or expert role.
In February 2024, we established our company in the U.S. with the help of our attorney. It became my petitioning sponsor.
💵 Costs
Let’s talk about money.
Depending on the lawyer, application type, and whether you go with premium processing, total costs can range from:
$10,000 to $15,000 USD
That includes:
Attorney fees
USCIS filing fees
Premium processing (optional, but I did it — $2800)
👨👩👧 What About My Family?
I received the O-1 visa (valid for 3 years).
My wife and daughter got the O-3 visa, which allows them to stay with me in the U.S.
🔄 After 3 Years: Renewal or Green Card?
Yes, you can renew your O-1 visa indefinitely — 1 year at a time after the first 3 years.
But my advice? If your plan is to stay long-term, start working on your EB-1 green card application.
That’s what I’m doing now — and again, I’m working with GrapeLaw, because their support has been amazing.
💬 Final Thoughts + Free Call Offer
So many people have asked me about this process. That’s why I made this post.
I’m not an attorney, but I’ve been living abroad for 20+ years and have personally gone through this journey. I want to share what I’ve learned.
👉 If you leave a comment or message me, I’ll select 3 people for a free 1-on-1 call, where I’ll help you assess if your profile fits the O-1 pathway.
Subscribe to my blog or YouTube if you're planning to work or live in the U.S.
I’ll continue to share honest, experience-based content to help others like me.
Thanks for reading. See you on the other side of the dream. 🇺🇸
— Said Murat