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Hi Peter! Thanks for doing this. I'm a college dropout working as a SWE at one of the FAANG companies in Europe. I understand that there are two paths I can t

Hi Peter! Thanks for doing this. I'm a college dropout working as a SWE at one of the FAANG companies in Europe. I understand that there are two paths I can take -- getting transferred by my company on an L-1B or try to compensate a degree with 12+ years of experience for an H1-B. Do you have any tips for people without degrees from what you've seen in practice? How often do you see people without a degree getting any of the visas? Is there any chance I can get an o1 if I have a really good resume (10+ YOE, half of it at very-well-known companies)?

pclmulqdq 2y ago
Isn't the O-1 visa (in tech fields) mostly for PhDs with a strong research track record? I would assume you can get one if you have a bunch of publications and citations without a PhD, but isn't that the usual path?
- kevinfinnerty34 2y ago
  I guess you're right. I was under the impression that you can apply for the O-1 solely based on a successful career in tech, not necessarily academic success.
  - ahussain 2y ago
    You can definitely apply for an O-1 based on a successful career in tech: https://blog.awais.io/o1-visa https://blog.awais.io/o1-visa
yorkshireChai 2y ago
hey granted im not an expert like Peter is, But I have gone through a similar series of events as you are describing here. I transferred to the US on a L1B visa in 2022 and after an unfortunate round of layoffs late 2023 I scrambled for another role and managed to get sponsored and obtain O1 status. I had a good background of experience working on some prestigious products, a degree and written testimonials from people "high" up in my industry, studio heads, people high up in award academies etc. there may be extra steps for you as you don't have a degree (if I'm reading that right) but i believe you can prove you have had "equivalent training" to a degree maybe using your experience.

pclmulqdq 2y ago

Isn't the O-1 visa (in tech fields) mostly for PhDs with a strong research track record? I would assume you can get one if you have a bunch of publications and citations without a PhD, but isn't that the usual path?

kevinfinnerty34 2y ago
I guess you're right. I was under the impression that you can apply for the O-1 solely based on a successful career in tech, not necessarily academic success.
- ahussain 2y ago
  You can definitely apply for an O-1 based on a successful career in tech: https://blog.awais.io/o1-visa https://blog.awais.io/o1-visa

yorkshireChai 2y ago

hey granted im not an expert like Peter is, But I have gone through a similar series of events as you are describing here. I transferred to the US on a L1B visa in 2022 and after an unfortunate round of layoffs late 2023 I scrambled for another role and managed to get sponsored and obtain O1 status. I had a good background of experience working on some prestigious products, a degree and written testimonials from people "high" up in my industry, studio heads, people high up in award academies etc. there may be extra steps for you as you don't have a degree (if I'm reading that right) but i believe you can prove you have had "equivalent training" to a degree maybe using your experience.