Beyond the Lottery: How the O-1 Visa and Agent Structures Can Keep You Working in the U.S.
If the H-1B lottery did not go your way, or you would rather not leave your future to chance, there is another path that many high-achieving professionals overlook: the O-1 visa for individuals with extraordinary ability.
Join Manifest and The Build Fellowship for a practical, no-fluff conversation designed for international professionals who want to stay and build their careers in the United States. We will walk through how the O-1 actually works, what a realistic O-1 profile looks like, and how agent-based petitions can give you more flexibility than a traditional, single-employer visa.
The discussion will feature Nicole Gunara, Principal Immigration Attorney at Manifest, who will break down what makes an O-1 case competitive and how O-1 agent structures can allow you to work with multiple employers, clients, or projects at once, within your area of extraordinary ability.
She will be joined by Danielle Goldman, CEO and Founder of The Build Fellowship, who works closely with international professionals to build durable immigration strategies, including cap-exempt H-1B options, O-1 roadmaps, and emerging programs that help global talent remain and grow in the United States.
Together, they will help you understand:
Whether the O-1 is a realistic option for your background and how it compares to the H-1B in terms of timing, flexibility, and risk.
What kinds of evidence and track record are typically used to meet the “extraordinary ability” criteria, including publications, awards, high-impact contributions, and compensation.
How O-1 agent petitions work in practice and why they matter if you freelance, consult, or work with more than one employer.
How to bring an employer or agent on board and structure the relationship to support your petition.
Concrete next steps if you did not clear the H-1B lottery and want to explore an O-1 or related pathway.
This will be a conversational, fireside-style session followed by audience Q&A, focused on clear, actionable guidance about one of the most powerful and least understood employment-based visa options in the U.S. system.
Whether you are still waiting on lottery results or already planning your next move, this session will help you see what the O-1 and agent-based structures can unlock for your career and long-term immigration strategy.