2 weeks ago
Indian Techie Wins O-1 Visa After Three H-1B Lottery Rejections
Sohan Sethi is a young man from India who dreamed of working in America.
He studied computer engineering at the University of Mumbai before moving to the United States in 2022.
At the University of Illinois Chicago, he finished his degree in 2023.
After graduating, he got a good job helping a healthcare company understand data.
But there was a problem: the permission he needed to keep working, called an H-1B visa, is chosen like a lottery.
Sohan tried three times and was not picked any time, so he had only about 100 days left to stay legally.
Instead of giving up, he worked very hard to earn a different visa, the O-1, which is for people who are truly extraordinary at their jobs.
He collected more than 700 pages of proof, including awards, articles, and letters from experts, and spent about $13,000 on lawyers.
In the end, his new visa was approved, so he can keep living and working in America for three more years.
Sohan Sethi, a 29-year-old Indian healthcare data analytics and AI professional, secured an O-1 'extraordinary ability' visa after three H-1B lottery rejections.
After his third rejection in March 2026, his STEM OPT (Optional Practical Training) was set to expire on July 5, leaving him a little over three months to legally remain.
He built an O-1 profile featuring media coverage, judging roles, scholarly articles, professional awards, and recommendation letters.
The effort produced a 700-plus-page evidence portfolio and cost approximately $13,000 in legal fees.
His O-1 petition, filed in April 2026 and approved after a Request for Evidence, lets him live and work in the United States for three years, and he continues to manage his healthcare analytics team in Chicago.
- Who
- Sohan Sethi, a 29-year-old Indian healthcare data analytics and AI professional.
- What
- Secured an O-1 'extraordinary ability' visa after being rejected three times in the H-1B visa lottery.
- Where
- United States — he works in Chicago.
- When
- His third H-1B rejection came in March 2026; his O-1 petition was filed in April 2026 and approved after a waiting period that included a Request for Evidence.
- Why
- To legally remain in the United States and continue his career after H-1B lottery rejections left his STEM OPT (Optional Practical Training) set to expire on July 5.
Key facts
- Protagonist
- Sohan Sethi, 29-year-old Indian healthcare AI and data analytics professional
- H-1B Lottery Result
- Rejected three times (second rejection in April 2025, third in March 2026)
- Previous Status
- STEM OPT (Optional Practical Training) set to expire July 5
- O-1 Petition Filed
- April 2026, following a Request for Evidence
- Evidence Portfolio
- More than 700 pages of supporting documentation
- Legal Fees
- Approximately $13,000 in out-of-pocket costs
- Visa Validity
- O-1 approved, granting three years of US work rights
- Current Role
- Manager of analytics and reporting at a healthcare company, based in Chicago
Quotes
Sohan Sethi’s lawyer
Legal representative who handled Sethi’s O‑1 petition
“"Congratulations."”
livemint.com
Sources
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