By Avni Arya

Copyright timesnownews

Bengaluru: A Bengaluru-born techie, who now works at IBM in California, has finally secured an O-1 visa, a special non-immigrant visa for individuals with “extraordinary ability,” after facing repeated rejections in the H-1B visa lottery. His achievement comes after years of dedication to artificial intelligence and software engineering, showcasing how persistence and passion can turn setbacks into success. From H-1B Frustration to O-1 Triumph 26-year-old Tanush Sharanarthi shared his journey on LinkedIn, recounting how he faced repeated disappointment in the H-1B lottery. “From three years of striking out in the H-1B lottery… to finally being approved for the O-1 ‘Einstein’ visa in the field of Artificial Intelligence. For three years straight, I played the H-1B game of chance. Three tickets, three misses. At this point, I was starting to feel like the unluckiest person in Vegas,” he wrote. He continued, “But instead of waiting on luck, I went all in on what I could control: late nights, building products, publishing research, and contributing to the field I love. Turns out, consistency pays better than the lottery. This week, I was approved for the O-1 visa, a special category reserved for individuals at the top of their field. ‘An alien of extraordinary ability.’ (So no pressure, right?).” Sharanarthi also expressed gratitude to his “family, mentors, colleagues, and friends” for cheering him on and thanked IBM for supporting him throughout his journey. Building a Profile for the O-1 Visa The O-1 visa requires applicants to meet at least three out of eight eligibility categories. Sharanarthi explained in an interview: “There are eight categories for eligibility, and you need to satisfy at least three of them. When I went through it, I realised I already satisfied at least two of the criteria: I had published work on artificial intelligence, I used to judge hackathons, and I used to review papers for other conference journals. I had about six years of contributions to my field in AI under my belt.” He said that his work was driven by passion rather than the visa itself, “I wasn’t doing work solely for a visa. My focus has always been on my field, AI and software engineering. Along the way, I’ve worked on research papers, contributed to open-source projects, reviewed papers, and judged hackathons. These were things I was already doing, but they lined up well with the O-1 requirements.” Social Media Cheers His Achievement Sharanarthi’s story has drawn admiration on social media. One user remarked, “That’s impressive. It would be great if you shared your path towards the O1 visa.” Sharanarthi replied, “Yes, definitely!! I would love to share my journey. Do let me know if you have any specific questions, and I will try to answer them. Mainly, I focused on building my profile early and trying to meet multiple criteria. Collaborating with others and definitely trying to work on exciting projects in my domain helped me a lot!” Another comment said, “Congrats! Many will resonate with this — turning setbacks into fuel is what extraordinary ability really means.” A third wrote, “Congratulations on achieving a big milestone!” Advice for Aspiring Applicants Reflecting on his journey, Sharanarthi shared practical advice for others aiming for the O-1 visa, “For me, it took six years of work — from my time at Kimberly-Clark, to my master’s degree, and then my job at IBM. If you’re focused on your field and passionate about it, you’ll naturally start to meet the criteria.” He also highlighted the importance of networking, “Being in Silicon Valley helped, since I was able to learn from others in AI and software engineering.” His key message for aspirants was simple, “My advice is not to do it just for the visa. Be passionate about your field and contribute to it. The rest follows.” What is an O-1 Visa? The O-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa issued to individuals with extraordinary ability in the fields of “sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics,” as well as those who have demonstrated “extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry.” It is often referred to as the “Einstein visa” and is reserved for those recognised as top experts in their respective fields. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Bengaluru and around the world.