Bengaluru techie gets US' O-1 'Einstein visa' after three rejections

Software engineer says his focus on skill, research and persistence helped him win coveted visa

A software engineer in Bengaluru has been granted the coveted O-1 visa to work in the United States after three rejections. Tanush Sharanarthi, who works for IBM in California, said his work in artificial intelligence (AI) helped him qualify for the visa reserved for people with extraordinary ability.

From setbacks to success

H-1B, which is popularly called Einstein visa, is granted through an annual lottery system that caps approvals, meaning many qualified candidates miss out despite strong profiles. Sharanarthi, aged 26, was rejected three years in a row. “It felt like playing a game of chance and losing each time,” he wrote on LinkedIn, explaining how he doubled down on his efforts by:

 

 

• Publishing research papers in AI 
• Contributing to open-source projects 
• Reviewing academic papers 
• Judging hackathons

Over six years, his work in AI and software engineering allowed him to meet multiple O-1 eligibility benchmarks. “I wasn’t doing it solely for the visa but the contributions aligned well with the criteria.”

What is O-1 visa

O-1 visa is a non-immigrant category granted to individuals with extraordinary ability in science, education, business, arts, and athletics. Applicants must demonstrate evidence across at least three out of eight recognised criteria, such as published work, original contributions, or serving as a judge of peers’ work. 

 

The visa enables highly skilled professionals to live and work in the US with employer sponsorship. For Sharanarthi, the visa is not just a legal status but a validation of years of work.

Sharanarthi said people who want a O-1 visa must:

 

Focus on their expertise: Passion and contributions should precede visa goals. 

Build a strong profile early: Projects, publications and collaborations compound over time. 

Network actively: Connecting with peers in Silicon Valley helped him learn and grow.

 

“Luck runs out, but effort compounds,” he wrote.