Demystifying the O-1 & EB-2 Visa 🇺🇸 for Software Engineers: A Live Q&A with Saja Raoof, Attorney
Join us on Monday, December 1st at 4:00 PM PST for a conversation about navigating visas in 2025 🇺🇸 as a senior software engineer, and what it actually takes to qualify for the O-1, EB-1, or EB-2 🏆
This talk is a great fit for those who:
Are currently on an H-1B but want to explore alternatives like the O-1 or EB-2 🏆
You’ve been considering applying for an O-1 or already started but aren’t sure if you qualify 💡
You’ve recently been laid off and want to understand your visa options 💔
You’ve worked at startups or on innovative projects and wonder if that could strengthen your case 🦄
You’re hiring or advising engineers on visas and want to better support them (People/Talent & Eng Leaders) 🌐
Saja Raoof is an Attorney specializing in Immigration and Naturalization Law 🇺🇸 . She works closely with software engineers, founders, and other technical professionals navigating complex visa processes, and has helped clients across the tech industry strengthen their O-1, EB-1, and EB-2 cases by translating technical impact into clear evidence of extraordinary ability 🏆. Her practice focuses on helping individuals tell their professional stories in ways that highlight their achievements and long-term contributions in the U.S 💡.
In this session, Saja will explain why she focuses on O-1, EB-1, and EB-2 visas, and what software engineers often misunderstand about eligibility ✅ ❌. Many talented engineers assume they don't qualify, but these visas aren't reserved for award-winners or public figures, they're built around demonstrating measurable impact. In reality, many senior software engineers already have the qualifications 🏆 (system design decisions, open-source work, patents, publications, and leadership contributions can all count) they just need to document and frame them correctly to meet visa standards 📝.
By the end of this call, you should be equipped with the resources to:
Know what USCIS adjudicators look for in a strong petition 🏆
Understand your qualifications as a software engineer 🦄
Present your technical work as evidence of extraordinary ability or exceptional contributions 📝
Topics we’ll cover:
Which visa options (beyond H-1B) are worth exploring — and how to know if you have a real shot ✅
What makes someone a strong or risky candidate from an attorney’s perspective ⚠️
How to strengthen your profile for O-1/EB-2 paths, especially if you’ve worked at startups doing innovative work 💡
What kind of “legwork” candidates can do to reduce friction for employers 🔎
What to do immediately after a layoff to protect your status 📝
About Leopard.FYI 💜: We connect women and non-binary senior software engineers to vetted companies with great cultures. Leopard gathers intel on company culture, compensation, gender diversity, interview processes, and more! We also run a free slack community for women/NB engineers (2500+ members) to share, connect, backchannel, mentor, and prepare for interviews together. We also work with 100+ active startups at a time & make intros to qualified candidates who are ready to interview.
💜 For Software Engineers: Join Slack 🌐 | Refer a Friend 👯♀️ | Follow us on LinkedIn 📣 | Refer your Company 🦄
For more info about partnerships or hosting Leopard community events, just grab time with Leopard's CEO Lexi : https://calendly.com/lexilewtan/30min (or email her lexi@leopard.FYI)