DEV Community: Alex Greene The latest articles on DEV Community by Alex Greene (@alexgreene_dev26). https://dev.to/alexgreene_dev26 https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F4217681%2Fb77a2120-3445-4014-8fc5-8d7f6b936b1f.png DEV Community: Alex Greene https://dev.to/alexgreene_dev26 en Software engineers who applied for an O-1A or EB-1A — what evidence actually mattered? Alex Greene Fri, 30 Oct 2026 16:26:35 +0000 https://dev.to/alexgreene_dev26/software-engineers-who-applied-for-an-o-1a-or-eb-1a-what-evidence-actually-mattered-cm7 https://dev.to/alexgreene_dev26/software-engineers-who-applied-for-an-o-1a-or-eb-1a-what-evidence-actually-mattered-cm7 <p>I'm a backend developer looking into US visa options (O-1A / EB-1A route) for myself, without a firm doing everything for me, and I'm curious about first-hand experience from other engineers here.What I'd love to know:- Did going DIY vs. with a lawyer actually change your odds, in your experience?- Which parts of your portfolio did USCIS seem to care about — open-source work, conference talks, press mentions, recommendation letters, salary data?- Did anyone get an RFE, and what did you do about it?- How long did premium processing actually take in your case?Most of what I find online is law-firm marketing promising the world. Would genuinely appreciate hearing what worked (or didn't) for real people.</p> discuss career help