The Future of Work is Ownership
- Deborah Anne
- Nov 12
- 2 min read
We should all work a little less for employers and a little more for ourselves.
The Illusion of Job Security
The chaos in the job market has been building for years, but Amazon’s recent announcement to cut as many as 30,000 jobs has confirmed what many already feel: traditional job security no longer exists.
For professionals working in the U.S. on a visa, this uncertainty is intensified by changing immigration policies and a visible slowdown in H1B hiring among large employers. The H1B lottery once offered a clear path for talented international workers to build long-term careers in the U.S.
Now, many are realizing they need to explore alternative ways to secure work authorization and protect their livelihoods.
Security with an employer has always been an illusion, but it feels more fragile than ever. While the economy continues to grow, much of that growth comes from automation and process efficiencies rather than new job creation.
Owning Your Career
To build a stable and sustainable career, immigrant workers need to look beyond the 9-to-5. Even small personal projects can create new opportunities, diversify income, and help prevent burnout.
Publish a book and collect royalties.
Monetize a YouTube channel or Substack.
Accept a paid speaking engagement.
Form an LLC and offer consulting services, even if it is just a few hours a month.
However you choose to do it, and however small you start, build something that belongs to you. The future of work is ownership: ownership of your labor, your time, and the value you create. The social contract of the traditional job is broken. When companies can terminate employment at any moment, leaving workers with only 60 days to find a new position or leave the country they call home, international professionals cannot rely on a single employer for stability.
The O-1 Agent Option
Many of the opportunities described above have traditionally been out of reach for workers on CPT, OPT, H1B, E3, and TN visas. These visa holders are typically restricted to performing paid work for only one employer.
Filing an O-1 visa (either O-1A or O-1B) through an O-1 visa agent or O1 agent opens up a wide range of flexible work opportunities, as long as the additional projects fall within the same general category as the visa petition. By working with an O-1 agent as the petitioner, a visa holder can take on multiple paid projects that align with their field without needing to file a new petition each time they change employers.
For professionals working under an O-1 visa agent, there is no invisible countdown clock forcing them to secure another full-time job within a limited time frame. Instead, they gain the flexibility to design a career centered on autonomy, creativity, and control.
The Path Forward
The world of work is shifting, and those who embrace ownership will find the greatest stability in the years ahead. Whether through creative work, consulting, entrepreneurship, or thought leadership, building something of your own is no longer optional. It is essential.
The future belongs to those who create it. By leveraging tools like the O-1 visa agent pathway, international workers can reclaim control of their careers, diversify their income, and build true security through ownership.
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