For Engineers & Tech Talent
The best engineers
build where the
best companies are.
Silicon Valley, New York, Seattle - the companies building the future are in the U.S. Don't let immigration logistics be the reason you're not.
500+
Engineers guided
95%
Approval rate
No lottery
O-1A path
*Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
The Reality
The H-1B isn't
your only option.
Every engineer we've worked with was told the same thing: “H-1B is the standard path for tech.” It's one path. For most engineers we work with, it's not the best one.
The O-1A has no lottery. No employer cap. No spring deadline. If you have documented contributions - conference talks, open source, publications, patents, or a critical role at a leading company - you likely qualify for more than you know.
You don't need to win a lottery
The O-1A and EB-2 NIW have no cap and no lottery. Your approval depends on your merit, not random selection. That's a fundamentally different kind of control.
Open source counts as evidence
GitHub contributions, widely-used libraries, critical projects - USCIS has approved cases built substantially on open source impact. It's not just for academics.
Your employer doesn't control your fate
O-1A and EB-1A cases can be filed with or without an employer's support. You own your petition. That changes everything about how you negotiate and plan.
Engineer Profiles
Does this sound like you?
Your seniority, specialization, and current status determine which path makes sense. The right answer is specific to your situation.
Software engineer at a foreign company
You work at a top tech company outside the U.S. and want to move to a U.S. office, join an American company, or build something of your own in Silicon Valley.
O-1A or H-1B depending on profileEngineer on H-1B looking for alternatives
You're tied to an employer, your options are limited, and you're counting down to lottery results each spring. There are paths that give you more control.
O-1A or EB-2 NIW - no lotterySenior / staff / principal engineer
You've been a tech lead, authored engineering systems at scale, mentored teams, or contributed to widely-used open source. Your profile is stronger than you think.
EB-1A or O-1A - self-petition possibleAI/ML researcher
You have papers, conference presentations, model contributions, or citations. The immigration system has criteria that map closely to the research output you've already built.
O-1A or EB-2 NIW most common
Your destination
“The best tech companies in the world
are hiring - in the U.S.”
Not sure which profile fits you? We'll figure it out together.
Book a free 30-min call →Visa Options
Four paths. One is right
for your engineering profile.
We don't push every engineer toward the same visa. The right path depends on your profile, your employer situation, and your timeline.
No lottery. No employer cap. Decision in weeks.
Best for
Engineers with documented extraordinary ability: publications, patents, open source contributions, conference talks, critical role at a top company, or measurable industry impact.
Why engineers choose this
No lottery. No employer dependency. Can be filed with a new or existing employer. Premium processing in 15 business days.
Not ideal if
Your profile doesn't yet have documented recognition outside your employer.
Timeline
6-8 wks prep + 15 days premium
A green card for engineers whose work advances national interests.
Best for
Engineers working in areas of national importance: AI, cybersecurity, clean energy, healthcare tech, critical infrastructure. No employer required.
Why engineers choose this
Self-petition. No labor certification. Direct path to permanent residency for engineers with documented impact in critical fields.
Not ideal if
Your work is not tied to a recognized area of national importance or lacks documented impact.
Timeline
8-12 wks prep + USCIS
Specialty occupation - the standard employer-sponsored path.
Best for
Engineers with a job offer from a U.S. employer in a specialty occupation role. Typically requires a bachelor's degree or equivalent in a related field.
Why engineers choose this
Well-understood process, widely used, and often the first path engineers explore. Works well when you have a strong employer willing to sponsor.
Not ideal if
You're subject to the lottery - roughly 35% chance of selection. Timing is unpredictable and employer-dependency is high.
Timeline
Lottery in April, start Oct 1
Skip the visa cycle - go straight to a green card.
Best for
Senior engineers with verifiable national or international recognition: widely-cited work, major open source projects, speaking at top conferences, critical organizational role.
Why engineers choose this
Self-petition, no employer required. Permanent residency without going through the H-1B lottery or waiting on a sponsor.
Not ideal if
Your recognition is primarily internal to your employer rather than externally documented.
Timeline
6-10 wks prep + 2-6 mo.
Quick Comparison
If you just want the quick version -
here's how engineer paths compare at a glance.
Path
Speed
Control
Green Card
Best for
O-1A
Fast
High
Fast path, strong documented profile
EB-2 NIW
Medium
High
Self-petition GC, critical national fields
H-1B
Slow
Low
Employer-sponsored specialty occupation
EB-1A
Medium
High
Top engineers, self-petition green card
L-1
Medium
Medium
Intracompany transfer from existing entity
There's no single “best” visa - only the one that fits your profile, your timeline, and your goals.
Not sure which option fits your situation?
Explore your options →Honest Assessment
When these paths may not be the right fit.
Some engineers are earlier in their careers or have profiles that fit a different route. We check this for you - in your free call.
These options may not make sense if:
You don't yet have external recognition beyond your employer
You have no publications, patents, open source contributions, or conference presentations
Your work is not in a field that maps to national importance (relevant for NIW)
You need a guaranteed path with no minimum qualifications
If none of these paths make sense - we'll tell you that.
Book a free call →Engineer Stories
Engineers who made the move.
“I'd lost the H-1B lottery twice. My visa was expiring. A colleague told me about the O-1A and I thought it was for famous people. It wasn't - it was for people who could document what they'd built.”
Priya
India → San Francisco
Senior software engineer, Series B startup
Two conference talks, a widely-used open source library with 4,000 GitHub stars, and a critical role leading a core infrastructure rebuild. Approved without RFE.
Why this path
Speed and employer independence - she couldn't afford another lottery cycle and needed to stay in the U.S.
“I work on AI safety. When PassRight explained the NIW national interest framework, I realized my work literally fit the definition - I just hadn't connected those dots.”
Chen
China → Seattle
ML researcher, AI lab
NeurIPS paper, 800+ citations, work on AI alignment systems with documented national security applications. NIW approved based on critical national importance.
Why this path
Self-petition was the priority - no employer dependency and a direct green card path.
“I was a staff engineer with 12 years of experience and I still thought I didn't qualify for the O-1A. PassRight showed me that the systems I'd built and the team I'd led were exactly what USCIS looks for.”
Erik
Sweden → New York
Staff engineer, fintech
Led engineering org through a critical acquisition, authored two widely-cited technical papers, and served as a judge at a major developer conference. EB-1A self-petition approved.
Why this path
Green card was the goal and his seniority made EB-1A realistic without lottery exposure.
Why PassRight
Most firms treat tech workers like any other professional. We know the difference between a staff engineer and a senior engineer, what NeurIPS means, and how USCIS evaluates open source impact.
We understand technical achievement
GitHub contributions, conference papers, patents, system design impact - we know how to translate engineering work into the evidence USCIS recognizes.
500+ engineers guided
From junior engineers on H-1B to staff engineers filing self-petition green cards. We've seen nearly every tech profile.
Speed for engineers in transition
Whether you're between jobs, on OPT, or approaching a H-1B cap, our process is built to move as fast as the situation requires.
Honest about the lottery
We'll tell you if H-1B is actually your best option - and when it isn't. No firm that depends on H-1B filings will give you that advice.
We speak your language
Pull requests, system design, MLOps, infrastructure - you won't spend calls explaining what you do. We start where other immigration lawyers stop.
Your attorney stays on your case
No bait-and-switch to a junior associate. The attorney who reviews your profile builds your case - from first call to final approval.
“They knew what a staff engineer actually does. They asked about my system's scale, my team's size, my on-call impact. That level of detail made the case bulletproof.”
Erik
Staff engineer - Stockholm → New York
EB-1A approved - self-petition
The Process
6-8 weeks.
You barely notice it.
Engineers are busy. Our process is structured so it doesn't interrupt your sprint cycle. You spend roughly 4-6 hours total - we handle the rest.
Attorney-led from day one.
Not a paralegal. Not a template. Your case.
Free strategy call
We review your contributions, your current status, and your timeline - and tell you honestly which paths make sense.
Attorney case review
Your attorney maps your technical achievements against O-1A or EB-1A criteria and defines the strategy before any documents are collected.
Evidence build
We guide you through collecting exactly what's needed - no random uploads, no over-documentation. Every item serves a purpose.
Filing & follow-through
Your petition is submitted. We stay with you through RFEs, USCIS correspondence, and all the way to approval.
Recommended Reading
Worth knowing.
Digital Evidence for O-1A and EB-1A Petitions in 2026: How AI, Open-Source Work, and Technical Impact Can Support Extraordinary Ability Cases
Read more →
O 1How Taxes Work in the USA for O-1A Visa Holders and EB-1A Green Card Applicants
Read more →
GENERALHow to Build Credit History in the USA From Scratch
Read more →
GENERALThe First 30 Days in the USA: a Complete Checklist
Read more →
The move is possible
Your skills belong in America.
Let's make it happen.
Book a free 30-minute strategy call. We'll look at your profile, tell you which paths make sense, and give you an honest assessment - including if we think you're not ready yet.
No commitment. No sales pressure. Just a real conversation about your situation.
500+
Engineers guided
95%
Approval rate
No lottery
O-1A path