Background
Our client, a project management firm, specializes in airfield and facility improvement projects for commercial and general aviation airports across the U.S. They focus on airfield design, terminal and facility assessments, and hydraulic engineering. Essentially, they have a commitment to providing airports with sustainable infrastructure solutions, and they were making headlines in the aviation industry. Their focus was on the people and their partners, in giving them an opportunity to build more U.S. airports.
The firm wanted to bring on Yousef, a civil project engineer from Morocco. He spoke over 4 languages and brought extensive experience in airport construction management from his work in the Middle East. He founded his own startup, where he managed engineering and maintenance services, market research, and budgeting.
In 2019, Yousef moved to the U.S. on a F-1 visa to pursue a higher education in the field of engineering. As a student, he demonstrated extraordinary skills, winning extensive awards, scholarships, and honors. He won a scholarship every semester, and then ended up going to graduate school in another state. Even though he was a student, he was simultaneously obtaining different certificates in the field of construction management. The certificates and recognition that he was getting put him at a professional advantage in this competitive industry.
VisaNation Case Strategy
Soon enough, Yousef obtained his Florida Certified General Contractor License and decided that he wanted to make the U.S. his permanent residence. The contracting license confirmed Youseff’s compliance with the state’s strict regulatory requirements in the construction industry. He began working on commercial and residential buildings, ensuring all projects met state codes and standards.
Yousef also led development projects for aviation companies in the Southern region, focusing on complex crash alert response systems and other aviation-specific construction management tasks. He was making major progress as a project manager, making valuable contributions to the field.
As he was determined to stay in the U.S., Yousef met with our team, and we determined that an O-1A visa would be the best for him. While some people may doubt that an O-1A visa for a contractor even exists, we were confident we could put together a strong case with Yousef’s extraordinary abilities and accomplishments. The O-1A visa is designed for individuals with extraordinary talents in fields such as science, business, or athletics. To qualify for an O-1A visa, an applicant must meet at least three out of the eight criteria.
Yousef had met four out of the eight criteria, as listed below:
- Holding membership in two recognized organizations that require outstanding achievements
- Original scholarly and scientific work
- Employment in a critical or essential capacity for an organization with a distinguished organization
- High salary or the potential to command a high salary
To many, it may seem like a contractor possesses no extraordinary talent. We demonstrated how his leadership in complex projects, such as aviation-specific construction and crash alert systems, qualified him for the visa, as there were limited professionals in the U.S. doing this line of world. To many. We included supporting documents such as recommendation letters, employment agreements, academic evaluations, previous visas, biographical information, paystubs, awards and other recognitions. It’s not enough to just check off the boxes for eligibility, but to explain how extraordinary the applicant is. Our team was able to successfully prove that a contractor could meet the O-1A’s rigorous criteria for extraordinary ability, with no complications after filing.
Verdict
Within 16 days, Youseff’s O-1A petition was approved. This approval would allow him to continue his work within the aviation and construction management fields.
