O-1 Visa for Founders
If you are building a company in the U.S., or planning to move here to build one, the O-1 is the most realistic visa available to international founders. It does not have a lottery, and it does not tie you to a single employer.
At Manifest Law, we help founders use their funding, press, accelerator selection, and advisor work as the core of an O-1 petition.
Flat fees with payment plans, no hourly surprises
Ex-USCIS officer review available on every plan as an add on
Live case tracking through the Manifest portal
Founder-specific evidence playbook covering funding, press, accelerators, and advisor roles
Do you qualify for the O-1 as a founder?
Do you qualify for the O-1 as a founder?
USCIS expects you to meet at least three of eight criteria. For founders, the strongest criteria are usually press, original contributions (your company and product), critical role, and judging (advisor and mentor roles).
MEET AT LEAST 3 OF 8
Awards
TechCrunch Disrupt finalist, Forbes 30 Under 30, named startup awards, government innovation grants, or accelerator demo-day awards.
Membership in selective organizations
Y Combinator, Techstars, an a16z accelerator, On Deck, or other selective programs you were admitted to based on demonstrated achievement.
Published material about you
Funding announcements in TechCrunch, Forbes, Bloomberg, The Information, or industry trade press. Founder profile pieces and podcast interviews on reputable shows can also count.
Judging the work of others
Advisor roles at other startups, accelerator mentor or partner roles, hackathon judging, or pitch competition judging.
Original contributions of major significance
Your company and product, including a novel business model, a new technology, or a patent. The bar is real impact, not just existence.
Critical role at a distinguished organization
Founder, CEO, or CTO of a venture-backed company, especially one with name-brand investors, partnerships, or customers.
High salary
Founder compensation is often low in early stages, but your funded valuation, equity, and offer letters can be used to demonstrate market value.
What strong evidence looks like for founders
Funding announcements with dollar amounts, lead investor names, and press links.
Cap table or term sheet excerpts showing investor identities, subject to NDA carve-outs.
Press coverage in tier-1 outlets, including author bylines, dates, and publication context.
Accelerator acceptance letters and program details.
Advisor agreements with other startups that show you in a judging role.
Patent filings and product traction data, including users, revenue, and partnerships.
How Manifest builds your O-1 case
The details make or break an O-1 petition. Here is how Manifest's attorneys approach each case.
Sponsorship structure first
Founders often cannot be sponsored by their own startup if they are also the controlling owner. We design the right structure — usually a U.S. agent — so the petition holds together and renewals are not blocked.
Press and funding, packaged for an officer
We translate fundraising and traction into the language USCIS uses. We do not just dump press links. We pull the substantive paragraphs, name the outlets, and explain why each one matters.
Advisor and judging evidence that actually counts
We help you document advisor roles, accelerator mentorships, and pitch competition judging in a way that maps cleanly to the USCIS judging criterion.
RFE-aware drafting
We know which O-1 criteria USCIS pushes back on most for founders — usually original contributions and critical role. We address the common objections inside the initial petition.
Client stories
Manifest Law gave me clear, practical advice on my potential O-1 visa. Everything was easy to understand, and I felt confident moving forward. Thank you.
Katya
I connected with Manifest Law while preparing my O-1 application (third attempt). From the first call, they delivered a straight, strategic plan with timelines and costs clearly laid out. After years of frustration with others, their approach was refreshing—efficient, honest, and exactly what immigration support should be.
Ivan K.
The team at Manifest Law was responsive and supportive throughout my process. They answered quickly, and the attorney guided me with clear, knowledgeable advice. I felt well taken care of from start to finish.
Vidhi
