How to Sponsor An O-1A Extraordinary Ability Visa

Review the international scholar’s eligibility for an O-1A visa on our O-1A Extraordinary Ability Visas page. Begin as early as possible, but at least 5 months in advance of the desired start date. Sponsors can contact ISO at any stage to get an estimate on how long the process will take.

Fill out the O-1 Sponsorship Request (with assistance from the candidate, as necessary) and route it for approval by the appropriate parties (usually the chair and dean), and then send it to ISO at acadvisa@uw.edu, along with the candidate’s CV.
ISO will review the request to determine whether the candidate appears eligible for O-1A status, and make a recommendation to the Vice Provost for Academic Personnel & Faculty, who will make a final decision. ISO will communicate the decision to the unit.

Obtain a copy of the offer letter and the ad from the recruitment (if a competitively recruited position). Have the scholar complete pages 1-3 of the H-1B Visa Intake Form, then unit administrators will complete pages 4-7 of appointment information. (ISO uses the H-1B Visa Intake Form and H Visa Request form for other visa types, including O-1A, TN, and E-3.)
Note that some appointment titles may require submission of supporting documentation with the visa request. Make sure the information on the intake form is consistent with supporting documents.

Enter the H-1B Visa Intake Form information into the H Visa Request form online and hit “Submit”. The person who submits the visa request will receive an email from our ticketing system confirming receipt and will be issued a Visa Request Tracking Number. Use this tracking number when inquiring about the status of the visa request.
Note: Only an authorized staff member in the UW department or program sponsoring the international scholar may prepare a visa request. A UWNetID is required.

ISO will review for (1) visa eligibility and timeline issues and (2) appointment eligibility. As part of this review, ISO may reach out for more information or documentation.
After the review is complete, ISO will send the Conditionally Approved Visa Request to the person who submitted the visa request by email.
Note: Once the conditionally approved PDF has been sent, the visa request may not be altered without prior approval from ISO. From this point forward, ISO will bill hourly for work performed.

Assemble the Conditionally Approved Visa Request and supporting documents, following the guidelines in our O-1A Required Documents page. Route it for signature by the appropriate parties (usually the chair and dean), and then send it back to ISO by one of the following methods:

• By campus mail to campus mailbox 351245
• As one complete PDF by replying to the email sent with the approved visa request
• As one complete PDF uploaded to the visa request using the “Manage Files” function

When the packet arrives at ISO, the person who submitted the visa request will receive an email confirming receipt.

ISO will review all documentation and contact the unit for any further information. As part of this review, ISO may ask for more information or additional documentation if supporting documents are missing or inconsistent.

ISO will work with the candidate to draft and procure signed letters of support and other supporting evidence regarding their contributions to the field. This step often takes several months and is dependent on the candidate’s ability to fully participate and support in framing and documenting their eligibility for O-1A status.
Once most of the evidence is prepared and assembled, ISO will work with the candidate to draft an “employer letter” that fully explains the candidate’s qualifications and eligibility for the O-1A visa.

ISO will route the draft “employer letter” for review with the unit head, S/C/C leadership, and the Vice Provost. Once the letter is reviewed and approved, ISO will work with the unit and S/C/C to obtain signatures, and will prepare a complete I-129 petition for the Vice Provost’s signature. ISO will then file the complete signed petition with USCIS.

ISO will send the I-129 petition to USCIS for processing. ISO will send a scan of the finalized petition to the unit; provide this to the scholar for their records. USCIS will issue a receipt notice within a week with a tracking number; ISO will send this to the unit as well.

Please note: If this is an extension, amendment, or change of employer for an existing O-1A, the scholar can keep working (or move to the new position) if the petition is filed with USCIS before the current O-1A expires.

USCIS will take action (meaning approval, request for evidence, or notice of intent to deny) within 15 business days of filing. In the event of a request for evidence or notice of intent to deny, ISO will contact the unit to obtain any additional information or evidence necessary to respond.

Please note: UW requires payment of the USCIS premium processing fee for all O-1A petitions. USCIS may issue a biometrics appointment notice to the O-1A beneficiary for additional security screening/background checks. If this happens, processing on the petition will be paused, and a Request for Evidence may be issued to ISO. If the beneficiary receives a biometrics appointment notice, they should contact ISO by emailing acadvisa@uw.edu for further support.

Upon approval, USCIS will mail an approval notice to ISO, which ISO will forward to the unit. Give the original full-page notice to the beneficiary; units may retain a full-page photocopy for their records. Visa stamps cannot be issued without the original approval notice, and it can be difficult to reenter the U.S. without the original approval notice. If the original approval notice is lost or stolen, ISO may have to submit a new application to USCIS, with additional associated fees and processing time.

If the candidate is outside of the U.S., they must then apply for an O-1A visa stamp in order to enter the U.S. The candidate may enter the U.S. up to 10 days before or after the start date on the approval notice.

Review the international scholar’s eligibility for an O-1A visa on our O-1A Extraordinary Ability Visas page. Begin as early as possible, but at least 3 months in advance of the desired start date. Sponsors can contact ISO at any stage to get an estimate on how long the process will take.

Contact ISO to request outside counsel assistance. ISO will schedule an initial meeting to discuss timeline and process, and gather any necessary information/documentation to support handoff to outside counsel, including completion of an Assignment Letter setting the terms of the representation.

ISO will hand the case off to outside counsel, who will work directly with the scholar to document and assemble the case. This step often takes several months and is dependent on the candidate’s ability to fully participate and support in substantiating and documenting their eligibility for O-1A status.
Once most evidence is prepared and assembled, outside counsel will provide ISO with a draft “employer letter” (explaining the candidate’s qualifications and eligibility for the O-1A visa) and draft I-129 petition forms for ISO to circulate for review.

ISO will route the draft “employer letter” for review with the unit head, S/C/C leadership, and the Vice Provost. Once the letter is reviewed and approved, ISO will work with the unit and S/C/C to obtain signatures on the letter and the I-129 petition forms, and send them back to outside counsel. Outside counsel will then file the complete, signed petition with USCIS.

Outside counsel will send the I-129 petition to USCIS for processing. Outside counsel will send a scan of the finalized petition to ISO and/or the unit, and the scholar; provide this to the scholar for their records. USCIS will issue a receipt notice within a week with a tracking number; outside counsel will send this to ISO and the unit as well.

Please note: If this is an extension, amendment, or change of employer for an existing O-1A, the scholar can keep working (or move to the new position) if the petition is filed with USCIS before the current O-1A expires.

USCIS will take action (meaning approval, request for evidence, or notice of intent to deny) within 15 business days of filing. In the event of a request for evidence or notice of intent to deny, outside counsel will contact ISO, the unit, and/or the scholar to obtain any additional information or evidence necessary to respond.

Please note: UW requires payment of the USCIS premium processing fee for all O-1A petitions. USCIS may issue a biometrics appointment notice to the O-1A beneficiary for additional security screening/background checks. If this happens, processing on the petition will be paused, and a Request for Evidence may be issued.

Upon approval, USCIS will mail an approval notice to outside counsel, which they will forward to the unit. Give the original full-page notice to the beneficiary; units may retain a full-page photocopy for their records. Visa stamps cannot be issued without the original approval notice, and it can be difficult to reenter the U.S. without the original approval notice. If the original approval notice is lost or stolen, UW may have to submit a new application to USCIS, with additional associated fees and processing time.

If the candidate is outside of the U.S., they must then apply for an O-1A visa stamp in order to enter the U.S. The candidate may enter the U.S. up to 10 days before or after the start date on the approval notice.