O-1A original contributions: what counts and how to build it
Start hereProducts or open source that people outside your team use.
Sai Veda
Approved for the O-1A twice. Updated October 2026.
You made original contributions of major significance in your field. They can be scientific, scholarly or business work.
Based on 8 CFR 214.2(o)(3)(iii)(B)
My take
This one is about showing your work mattered to people outside your team, like open source with real users or a method others adopted. Usage numbers and letters from those users are what make it strong.
What usually counts
- Open source that other companies or projects depend on
- Products or features with clear use and impact
- Methods, benchmarks or research that others use and cite
- Patents that people use
What usually does not count
- Good work on your job with no proof of impact outside your team
- Projects with no users and no outside recognition
How to build it
- Choose your best one or two projects. Choose the work that changed the most for other people.
- Find the numbers. Users, downloads, stars, revenue, time saved, citations or teams that use it.
- Find users outside your team. Other companies, other projects and the wider community count the most.
- Ask for letters. Letters from people outside your company who use your work are the strongest.
Proof to save
- A one-page impact summary
- Screenshots of use and adoption, with dates
- Letters from people who use your work
- Public mentions
Questions
Does open source count as an original contribution?
It can. Show real use: stars, downloads, dependent projects and companies that use it. Add letters from people who rely on it.
This is what worked for me, not legal advice. Talk to an immigration lawyer about your case.
Sources
Official rules this guide is based on. Check them, and ask your lawyer, before you file.