ErinK

Not trying to scare you. Just sharing what I learned looking into O-1: O-1 visa has pretty high standards and some USCIS service centers have made it more difficult recently. I had 280 citations, multiple articles where I was the first author, multiple national awards, and reviewing experience. However, the lawyer still wanted me to review a few more articles before applying! In the end, I decided not to pursue the O-1 route because leaving the country to obtain a stamp was not feasible for me. If you decide to pursue the O-1 visa, it's crucial to work with a knowledgeable lawyer who specializes in NIW/O-1 cases. Not every lawyer is equipped to handle O-1 cases effectively. Chen Immigration Attorneys-North America Immigration Law Group is a great option. You can send them your CV, and they will evaluate whether your case is suitable for O-1 without charging you for the evaluation. Also FYI, if you are in the north east your O-1 application goes to the Vermont service center and they tend to issue an RFE for every O-1 case which makes the process so much longer. If J-1 is an option for you, I suggest considering it because it's generally easier, and you don't need to leave the country for it. Even if your O-1 gets approved, you would still need to leave the country to obtain a visa stamp.

FYI lawsuit may prompt the DoS to take action, but this doesn't guarantee a positive outcome. Therefore, it's important to have a plan in place before filing a lawsuit, including what your next steps will be if your hardship case is ultimately rejected by the DoS. In my opinion, if possible, explore options for extending your J-1 visa.

Filing a lawsuit does not buy you time. It's a 2-3 months-long process. When you sue them they have (I think) 90 days to respond and they may wait until the last minute and then ask for more time which the judge may or may not agree with. So I would have a backup plan if your status is running out in June. Filing a lawsuit does ultimately force them to decide on your case though. I think anyone who can afford the fees and has a case that is pending with DoS for more than a year should file a lawsuit. It's expensive. Lawyers charge anywhere between 5-10k to file them which is the main reason I haven't filed one yet.

I agree O-1 is a better option than Conrad 30 imo. Just do it with a lawyer that handles A LOT of O-1visas. Some jobs don't let you choose your lawyer and have their own lawyer but if they do let you choose the lawyer, do a lot of research before picking a lawyer. Chen Immigration Attorneys (North America Immigration Law Group) is really good. Also take into account that once your O-1 gets approved with USCIS, you need to leave the country and go to an embassy to get an O-1 visa stamp. You can not change your status to o-1 while in the country.

I was hoping so but since it's everyone's cases it's probably just a technical issue

Same!