The O-1 visa approval rate was 91.0% in the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2026 (April to June 2026), according to the latest USCIS data. That is down from 93.9% for all of FY 2025, but the rate has stayed between roughly 90% and 95% every year since FY 2020.
This guide covers what USCIS actually publishes and what decides an individual O-1B petition. For the O-1A side, see our O-1A approval rate guide.
Beyond Border attorneys have collectively handled 4,000+ immigration cases across O-1, EB-1, and NIW categories. This guide reflects what we’ve seen when filing petitions for applicants.
Key O-1 Visa and O-1B Approval Trends
USCIS data reports Form I-129 outcomes on a single line for the O classification, which combines O-1A, O-1B, and O-2 support personnel.
The table below uses the combined line for April to June 2026, the third quarter of fiscal year 2026. As of November 2026, it shows approvals divided by approvals plus denials, so it excludes pending petitions and includes both initial and extension filings.
About nine in ten decided O petitions were approved, and about 9% were denied. USCIS publishes these figures quarterly, and the number can change after release because of system updates, so check the latest release before you quote a number.
Requests for evidence are part of the picture. Analyses of the same data report that about 23% of O petitions decided in April to June 2026 had an RFE. An RFE is a request for more proof, not a denial, but it adds months and raises the bar on your response.
What Drives O-1B Approvals?
Several factors affect O-1B approval rates. From strong cases with clear evidence to thin ones with scattered proof, what sets them apart is how well the petition meets the standards in the USCIS Policy Manual.
Here are several factors to keep in mind;
- The standard is a totality test. For the arts, the beneficiary needs sustained national or international acclaim, shown with a significant award or evidence that meets at least three of six criteria. But the Policy Manual says “the evidentiary requirements are not the standard for the classification.” Meaning, meeting the evidence threshold does not, by itself, establish extraordinary ability. USCIS reviews the petition as a whole to make that determination.
- Context carries the evidence. Submitting evidence without providing sufficient context does not prove anything. For each piece of evidence you submit, whether publication venues or metrics, include a corresponding explanation of why and how the evidence is relevant to your petition. Simply stating that a criterion does not apply is also not enough; a bare claim without proof will not support a petition either.
- Your field sets the standard. Motion picture and television petitions must show extraordinary achievement and cannot use comparable evidence. Art petitions can use comparable evidence, but only when a standard criterion does not apply, not because the evidence itself is missing. It also does not lower the overall standard.
- Structure matters as much as achievement. An O-1B petition needs a U.S. employer or agent to file, because an O beneficiary may not petition for themselves. It needs contracts, an itinerary, and a consultation or advisory opinion from a peer group, unless none exists.
Why Do O-1B Petitions Get Denied or Receive an RFE?
Denials and RFEs come from a gap between the petition and the standard. USCIS does not publish denial reasons by percentage, but here are common reasons why this occurs;
- evidence with no context, such as a feature with no explanation of the outlet’s standing;
- a general assertion that a criterion doesn’t apply;
- comparable evidence offered only because a criterion can’t be met;
- any reliance on comparable evidence in a film or television petition;
- structural holes, such as missing consultation or incomplete contracts and itinerary.
When an officer sees the standard isn't met, they will articulate the specific reasons, which becomes an RFE, along with a list of what to fix.
What an RFE Means for Your O-1B Petition
An RFE isn’t a denial. It’s USCIS saying the record doesn’t yet prove something. In the October to December 2025 quarter, 1,226 of the 1,826 O petitions with an RFE were approved, about 67%. The other 600, about a third, were denied. So an RFE leaves the outcome open, and your response's strength matters.
The strongest responses usually answer the specific gap instead of adding extra documents. For example, context for evidence already filed, or independent proof for a criterion the officer did not accept. Treat the RFE text as the officer’s list of what’s missing, and respond specifically to each one.
Start Your O-1B Petition With Beyond Border
A 91% average tells you the category is approved often, not that your record will be. Beyond Border's attorneys will review your evidence against the standard, identify what's missing, and tell you whether your petition is ready or what to build first.
Request a case assessment to see where your record stands and which alternatives apply if it isn't ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A 91% approval rate describes petitions already decided across all O categories, including support personnel and strong, well-built filings. Your odds depend on your own evidence against the standard.
No study supports the claim that the O-1B is easier to get than the O-1A. These are two separate visas that use different standards: distinction in the arts and extraordinary achievement in film and television for the O-1B, so compare your record to the right test.
No. In the October to December 2025 quarter, about 67% of decided O petitions that had an RFE were approved, and about a third were denied. An RFE means the officer found a gap in the evidence. The quality of your response determines the outcome of the RFE.
