If you are choosing between Beyond Border and Ellis Porter for an O-1, the price is the same, and most of the package is too. What separates them is how quickly they work, what you get back if it fails, and who does the work.
This article compares how each firm handles the O-1 visa. All details below reflect information published on each firm's website as of September 2026. Pricing and terms change, so confirm current details directly with each firm before deciding.
Quick Answer
Go with Ellis Porter if you want to be certain of a refund. It refunds the attorney fee in full if a qualifying applicant's O-1 is denied. Ellis Porter is a law firm with a dedicated attorney from start to finish, and it publishes 90,000-plus approvals over 23-plus years and a 4.9/5 client review rating.
Choose Beyond Border if speed to filing matters most. It commits to drafting and submitting within one month of receiving your complete documents, which Ellis Porter does not publish an equivalent for, and the O-1 is central to its practice.
About Beyond Border
Beyond Border is a technology-enabled immigration firm that works on U.S. employment-based visas for founders, engineers, researchers, and executives. It specializes in four major categories: O-1, EB-1 (A, B and C), EB-2 NIW and L-1.
Beyond Border provides immigration document-preparation services, and affiliated licensed attorneys handle its legal services. Its client base includes professionals from Salesforce, Google, Yelp, Chime, Visa, and Mastercard, as well as startup founders from pre-seed to Series B
What Beyond Border publishes about its model:
- An O-1 service fee of US$8,000 to US$10,000, "varying by visa category and case complexity"
- A fee covering "case strategy, evidence mapping, petition drafting, attorney review, filing, RFE support"
- Drafting and submission "within one month of receiving all supporting documents"
- A self-reported 98% approval rate across more than 4,000 cases
- A money-back guarantee of up to 50% of legal fees on select cases
- Specialized focus on four major employment-based categories.
- A 50/50 payment plan offered to individuals
- A free profile evaluation, requested through a form
About Ellis Porter
Ellis Porter describes itself as "Immigration Attorneys" and is a law firm. Its practice is broader than Beyond Borders'. The firm covers temporary and permanent visas, compliance, and family work, including fiancé(e) and marriage-based green cards, family sponsorship and naturalisation.
What Ellis Porter publishes about its model:
- A flat US$8,000 attorney fee for a complete O-1A or O-1B petition with evidence strategy
- RFE responses at no additional cost
- We stand behind our work. For applicants who qualify, we refund our attorney fee if your O-1 petition is denied
- 90k+ Immigration approvals secured for individuals, families, and employers
- 23+ Years guiding clients through a system that rarely stands still
- Flexible 16-month payment plans available on the EB-1A and EB-2 NIW.
Beyond Border vs. Ellis Porter at a Glance
Preparation Timelines: Beyond Border vs Ellis Porter
Beyond Border commits to completing drafting and submission "within one month of receiving all supporting documents." That is a stated deadline covering the work through to filing.
Ellis Porter's O-1 page says timelines depend on the evidence and the petitioner. It does not publish its own filing or case-preparation timeline.
This is often where O-1 applications get stuck. Once you have your evidence ready, the main difference is whether the firm commits to a specific timeline. With a firm that promises to file within a month, you at least have a date you can count on.
Just keep in mind that the real bottleneck isn't the filing itself; it’s the months of prep work needed to gather letters, press, and proof of your achievements. No law firm can speed that part up.
Visa Coverage: Comparing Beyond Border and Ellis Porter
Both firms handle O-1s, EB-1As, and EB-2 NIWs, the green cards most O-1 holders go for next.
The difference is scope. Ellis Porter does almost everything: family green cards, marriage visas, naturalization, and corporate compliance. Beyond Border focuses strictly on four work visa categories: O-1, EB-1A, EB-2 NIW, and L-1.
If someone in your family needs a marriage-based green card or citizenship help down the road, Ellis Porter can take care of it under one roof. But if you prefer a team that sticks strictly to high-skilled work visas, Beyond Border might be the better fit.
Pricing: What Beyond Border and Ellis Porter Charge
For O-1 visas, starting prices are identical. Ellis Porter charges a flat $8,000. Beyond Border ranges from $8,000 to $10,000 depending on complexity, so simpler cases cost the same while trickier ones cost more. Neither price includes government filing fees, which you pay to USCIS either way.
What both firms’ pricing covers is also identical. It includes: petition strategy, RFE responses at no extra charge, and recommendation letter drafting.
For green cards, Ellis Porter is cheaper. Ellis Porter charges $8,000 flat for EB-1A and $6,000 for EB-2 NIW, compared to Beyond Border’s $10,000 to $15,000 range. If you plan to apply for a green card down the line, that price gap is definitely worth keeping in mind.
Ellis Porter also offers 16-month payment plans for green cards, whereas Beyond Border only offers a 50% deposit plan at initial intake while you pay the rest as the case progresses.
Target Audience: How Each Firm Positions to Serve
Beyond Border positions for:
- Founders and executives filing an O-1 as the first step toward an employment-based green card
- High-skilled technology professionals with a documented record of recognition
- Applicants who want a stated filing deadline rather than an estimate
- People who want a provider working only on cap-free employment categories
Ellis Porter positions for:
- Applicants who want a law firm and a named attorney on the file
- Households with more than one immigration need, including family and naturalisation matters
Client Experience: Support Through the Process
Ellis Porter offers a better refund if your petition gets denied. They promise to refund their full attorney fee for qualifying applicants. Plus, they check whether your case qualifies before taking you on. Beyond Border, on the other hand, refunds up to 50% of legal fees for select O-1A cases.
That initial check is super helpful. It means Ellis Porter decides upfront if they're confident enough to back your case, giving you an honest reality check before you pay anything.
Neither firm posts every detail online, though. It’s better to ask both what counts as a denial, especially if USCIS approves your petition but a consulate rejects it, since those are two different decisions.
Both firms offer free evaluations to start. You can request a review on Ellis Porter's website or book a free consultation directly with Beyond Border.
How Each Firm Operates
Beyond Border
Beyond Border splits the entire process into four steps: gathering your documents, mapping out your case strategy, building the petition, and filing for approval. Once your paperwork is together, Beyond Border aims to draft and file everything within a month.
Beyond Border isn't a traditional law firm. They handle document preparation, project management, and coordination, while a network of partner attorneys handles the legal work.
This model works well if you want a single team managing your case from start to finish. However, if working directly with a dedicated lawyer at a traditional law firm is important to you, Ellis Porter might be a better fit.
Ellis Porter
Ellis Porter assigns a dedicated attorney to your case from start to finish, so you work directly with the same person throughout the process.
Their process involves evaluating your best pathway, building the evidence, drafting and filing the petition, and handling any follow-ups. Responses to RFEs are included in the flat fee, and they lay out government fees clearly before filing so there are no surprises later.
Where Ellis Porter May Fit You Better
- The refund is fuller: For qualifying applicants, the whole attorney fee comes back on a denial.
- You want a law firm and a named attorney: Ellis Porter is a law firm and assigns a dedicated attorney per case. Beyond Border states it is not a law firm.
- Someone else in your household needs help too: It files marriage and family green cards and naturalisation. Beyond Border does not.
Where Beyond Border Stands Out
- A filing deadline you can plan around. One month from complete documents to drafted and submitted. Ellis Porter does not publish an equivalent commitment, and on the O-1 that is the single clearest difference between the two.
- The O-1 is the centre of the practice, not one service among ten. So you are working with a dedicated immigration firm specialized in employment-based visas,
- Transparent filing timeline: Beyond Border commits to filing within one month of completing the evidence documentation.
- RFE support is included in the base fee, with no separate arrangement.
- You want to spread the cost: Beyond Border offers a 50% deposit payment plan on its employment-based categories
- One continuous pathway from the O-1 through to an EB-1A or EB-2 NIW with the same team, if you would rather not change provider partway.
If you want an honest read on whether your record clears the O-1 standard, including when it does not yet, book a free consultation with Beyond Border.
