Hmm. It says here that "The O-1 petition and approval process takes approximately 3 to 4 months. U-M can submit an O-1 up to 6 months before the intended start

Hmm. It says here that "The O-1 petition and approval process takes approximately 3 to 4 months. U-M can submit an O-1 up to 6 months before the intended start date. If needed, USCIS offers an option for expediting O-1 petitions called “premium processing.” There is a special fee for this service in addition to the normal USCIS filing fee." http://www.internationalcenter.umich.edu/immig/ovisa/ http://www.internationalcenter.umich.edu/immig/ovisa/ So it's more like 3-4 months, and if you need it quickly you can expedite it.