Approval stories
O-1, EB-1A and EB-2 NIW approval stories: real experience
Updated: Author: Alina Kanametova
Real cases from community members, told first person and anonymized: how the filing went, which criteria were claimed, whether there was an RFE, what the consulate asked and what they would do differently.
Key answer
These are 129 anonymized approval stories from the public community chats - not a curated set of "perfect cases" but what people themselves shared after getting the visa or green card. Each story has a facts table, a timeline, the claimed criteria and the author's own post from the chat, in Russian and not retold. Names, links, employers and lawyers are removed.
Based on: 129 approval stories told by their applicants · filed 2022-2026
129stories
42%without RFE
86%premium
61 daysmedian duration
By visa
By field
Latest stories
- O-1 approval for a product analyst: RFE and visa in 3 monthsO-1 · Product manager (IT) · after an RFE · 2026
- EB2 NIW approval for a researcher: no RFE and with premium processingEB-2 NIW · Researcher · no RFE · premium · 2026
- O-1 approval for a photographer: journey through two interviewsO-1 · Photographer · premium · 2026
- EB-1A approval for an executive: the path to immigrationEB-1A · Executive / C-level · after an RFE · premium · 2026
- EB-1A approval: premium processing and no RFEEB-1A · Analyst (data / business) · no RFE · premium · 2026
- EB-1A approval for a software engineer: green cards in 6 monthsEB-1A · Software engineer · no RFE · premium · 2026
- EB-1A approval for a founder: status change without leaving the U.S.EB-1A · Founder / entrepreneur · 2026
- EB-2 NIW approval for a researcher: the path to a green cardEB-2 NIW · Researcher · after an RFE · premium · 2026
- EB-1A approval for a founder: RFE and visa in 4 monthsEB-1A · Founder / entrepreneur · after an RFE · premium · 2026
- EB1A approval for an art director: the path to successEB-1A · Product manager (IT) · no RFE · 2025
- EB1A approval for an HR specialist: the path through denialEB-1A · HR / recruiter · after an RFE · 2025
- O-1 approval for an analyst: green card in 6 monthsO-1 · Analyst (data / business) · premium · 2025
The stories are anonymized community experience, not legal advice and no guarantee of an outcome: officers may decide similar cases differently. Requirements and timelines change - verify on uscis.gov.