From O-1A to EB-1A: the 18-month founder playbook

March 20, 2026

The strategic picture

O-1A is a temporary work visa; EB-1A is a green card. The two share the same 8-criterion framework, but EB-1A holds you to a slightly higher bar of "sustained" acclaim.

Smart founders file O-1A first, **use the next 18 months to deliberately build evidence**, then file EB-1A as a clean second petition.

The 18-month build

**Months 0-3:** File O-1A. Get the visa.

**Months 3-9:** Add 2-3 scholarly publications. Get 1-2 program committee invites. Place 1 major-trade press piece.

**Months 9-15:** Document downstream impact. Citation counts, production users, awards.

**Months 15-18:** File EB-1A. Cite the entire O-1A evidence record as the foundation.

Why this works

Each criterion gets harder to fake the longer you've held it. Two years of scholarly publications and three years of program-committee service is a much stronger record than the same evidence assembled in the four weeks before filing.