A DHS reform rule at the White House, a proposed $103,265 fee, and a weighted-selection proposal have made H-1B planning feel impossible. But if you have a documented record of achievement, you were never actually required to be in that system, and the O-1 agent path is what gets you out of it.

Most O-1 guidance stops at the approval notice — but that's the moment your obligations actually begin. Here's who does what after approval: you disclose, your agent maintains the records and itinerary, and your immigration attorney decides what any change legally requires.