Corporate O-1 Sponsorship in 2026: How to Evaluate a Firm

Corporate O-1 sponsorship is the process by which a U.S. company petitions for an employee, executive, or founder to receive an O-1 visa, the category reserved for individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement. The O-1 has no annual cap and no lottery, which makes it a common option for companies hiring senior technical talent or sponsoring a founder who qualifies. The O-1 cannot be self-petitioned, so a company or a designated agent must file on the individual's behalf.

This guide explains how corporate O-1 sponsorship works, what to look for in a firm that handles it, and where Manifest Law and three other firms fit for companies sponsoring O-1 talent in 2026.

Key takeaways

The O-1 is for individuals with extraordinary ability, and it has no annual cap or lottery, so a company can file at any time of year. The petition must be filed by a U.S. employer or agent rather than by the individual.
A company may be able to sponsor a founder's O-1 when there is a separate legal entity and an employer-employee relationship the company can control, such as through a board with the authority to hire and terminate the founder. Whether a particular structure qualifies depends on the facts of the case.
An O-1 petition requires evidence that the individual meets at least three of eight regulatory criteria, or has received a qualifying major award. The strength of that evidence is the main factor in the outcome.
As of June 2026, premium processing is available for O-1 petitions and returns a USCIS response within 15 business days for an additional fee. It can be useful when a start date or project timeline is fixed.
A firm's fit often depends less on its size than on its experience with extraordinary-ability cases, how it builds the evidentiary record, and whether it can support both founder and employee sponsorships.

How corporate O-1 sponsorship works

The O-1 covers people with extraordinary ability across the sciences, education, business, athletics, and the arts. Corporate and startup cases almost always fall under O-1A, typically in the sciences or business fields. (Arts cases go through the separate O-1B category.) There is no annual cap and no lottery, so a company can file when it is ready instead of waiting for a registration window. The category overview is covered in our O-1 visa guide.

The petition must be filed by a U.S. employer or a U.S. agent, and the individual cannot file for themselves. A company sponsoring an employee files as the petitioner and documents both the employment and the individual's qualifications. A company can also sponsor a founder when there is a separate corporate entity and an employer-employee relationship it can control, often through a board with the authority to hire and terminate the founder.

An O-1 petition is built on evidence. The individual must meet at least three of eight regulatory criteria, such as published material about the person, a leading role for a distinguished organization, original contributions of major significance, or a high salary, or show receipt of a major internationally recognized award. The O-1 is initially granted for up to three years, with extensions available in one-year increments. Premium processing is available and, as of June 2026, returns a USCIS response within 15 business days for an additional fee set by USCIS.

Which immigration firms handle corporate O-1 sponsorship in 2026?

All information on firms other than Manifest is sourced from each firm's publicly available website, as of June 1, 2026.

Manifest Law

Manifest Law is a technology-enabled immigration firm with a substantial extraordinary-ability practice across O-1, EB-1A, and EB-2 NIW. For corporate O-1 sponsorship, the firm files as the company's petitioner for employees and founders and structures founder cases around the employer-employee relationship the O-1 requires. Each corporate case is handled by a named attorney through filing, and Manifest’s innovative client portal gives HR and people teams real-time tracking of case status, documents, and deadlines. Manifest quotes corporate rates through a custom rate sheet.

Extraordinary-ability focuses across O-1, EB-1A, and EB-2 NIW, so the same firm can later move a founder from an O-1 to a green card. That continuity matters when the O-1 is a first step rather than the goal. Manifest's published case studies include an O-1A approval for a PhD architect and a founder who advanced from an O-1A to an approved EB-1A green card petition.Named attorney on every petition from intake through filing, with real-time case tracking through Manifest’s innovative client portal included in the standard engagement.

Well-suited for: companies and startups sponsoring a founder or senior technical hire on an O-1 who want extraordinary-ability experience and a path toward a later green card. For more detail, see our guide on O-1 for startup founders or contact the business immigration team.

Alcorn Immigration Law

Alcorn Immigration Law is a boutique firm with offices in Palo Alto and New York that focuses on startups, founders, and companies. Per its site, the firm is led by founder Sophie Alcorn, a California State Bar certified specialist in immigration and nationality law, and it offers a structured program called Legal Launch for O-1A, O-1B, EB-1A, and EB-2 NIW cases.

Founder and startup focus, per its site, with a defined program structure for extraordinary-ability cases.
Reports work with more than 350 tech companies and clients from over 70 countries, per its site.

Reddy Neumann Brown PC

Reddy Neumann Brown is a Houston business immigration firm that, per its site, focuses on employer-sponsored work visas and green cards, including O-1, H-1B, L-1, and PERM. The firm runs a proprietary client portal, LIBERTY, for case status and document collection.

Employer-side practice with a client portal, suited to companies that want a defined corporate sponsorship process. The focus is on employer petitions rather than individual self-directed cases.
Describes itself as woman-owned, with a practice operating since 1997.

Erickson Immigration Group

Erickson Immigration Group, per its site, is a dedicated corporate immigration firm with a high-touch service model that covers the full business immigration suite, including nonimmigrant petitions such as the O-1, with U.S. offices in Arlington and San Francisco and coverage through partners in more than 100 cities.

Dedicated corporate focus with broad international coverage, suited to companies sponsoring O-1 talent as part of a larger program. The partner network extends coverage beyond its U.S. offices in Arlington and San Francisco.
Pricing is not published; engagements are structured as custom corporate arrangements.

Frequently asked questions

It can, in the right circumstances: typically when the company is a separate legal entity and there is an employer-employee relationship the company can control, often through a board with the authority to hire and terminate the founder. The company or a designated agent files the petition, because the O-1 cannot be self-petitioned, and whether a particular structure qualifies depends on the specifics of the case.

Does the O-1 have a cap or lottery like the H-1B?

No. The O-1 has no annual cap and no lottery, so a company can file at any time of year. This is one reason companies consider the O-1 for candidates who are not selected in the H-1B lottery and can meet the extraordinary-ability standard.

How long does an O-1 visa last?

An O-1 is initially granted for up to three years, with extensions available in one-year increments. Premium processing can return a USCIS response within 15 business days for an additional fee set by USCIS.

What evidence does an O-1 petition require?

The individual must meet at least three of eight regulatory criteria, such as published material about them, original contributions of major significance, a leading role for a distinguished organization, or a high salary, or show receipt of a qualifying major award. The quality of this evidence is the main factor in the outcome.

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This material is general information only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Quoted flat fees are for legal services only and do not include government filing fees or other third-party costs.

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