O-1 Visa Approval Rate: USCIS Data, FY2025 and FY2026
USCIS approved 93.9% of O petitions decided in FY2025 and 91.0% so far in FY2026. RFE rates, monthly data and CSV downloads, versus H-1B and L-1.
Page reviewed October 8, 2026.
Quick answer. USCIS reports its own decisions on Form I-129 petitions for the O classification, which covers the O-1A, the O-1B and the O-2 for essential support staff. In fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025) it decided 31,681 such petitions and approved 29,733, or 93.9%. From October 2025 to June 2026 it decided 23,417 and approved 21,321, or 91.0%. The share of decisions that involved a Request for Evidence rose from 19.7% to 24.2%. These are USCIS figures for all O petitions together, not a prediction for any single case.
- of O petitions approved, FY2025
- 93.9%of O petitions approved, FY2025
- approved, Oct 2025 to Jun 2026
- 91.0%approved, Oct 2025 to Jun 2026
- of FY2026 decisions involved an RFE
- 24.2%of FY2026 decisions involved an RFE
O petitions, fiscal year 2025 and fiscal year 2026 so far
Percentages are computed from the USCIS counts: approved or denied out of petitions decided. Petitions still pending are not in the denominator.
| Measure | FY2025 (Oct 2024 to Sep 2025) | FY2026 (Oct 2025 to Jun 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Petitions received | 33,808 | 25,722 |
| Petitions decided (approved plus denied) | 31,681 | 23,417 |
| Approved | 29,733 (93.9%) | 21,321 (91.0%) |
| Denied | 1,948 (6.1%) | 2,096 (9.0%) |
| Decisions that involved a Request for Evidence | 6,244 (19.7%) | 5,678 (24.2%) |
| RFE decisions that were approvals | 4,427 (70.9%) | 3,793 (66.8%) |
What changed between the two periods
- The approved share of decided O petitions was 93.9% in fiscal year 2025 and 91.0% from October 2025 to June 2026.
- Decisions that involved a Request for Evidence went from 19.7% of the total to 24.2%.
- Among decisions that involved an RFE, 70.9% were approvals in fiscal year 2025 and 66.8% in fiscal year 2026 so far. An RFE is a request for more documentation, not a denial.
- Monthly approval shares in the two tables below ranged from 89.7% to 91.9% in fiscal year 2026 so far.
Fiscal year 2025 by classification
The same USCIS measures for the main temporary worker classifications, October 2024 to September 2025.
| Classification | Petitions received | Decided | Approved | Denied | Decisions with an RFE | RFE decisions approved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O (O-1 and O-2) | 33,808 | 31,681 | 93.9% | 6.1% | 19.7% | 70.9% |
| P (athletes, artists, entertainers) | 11,961 | 11,424 | 93.7% | 6.3% | 17.4% | 67.6% |
| H-1B | 456,724 | 415,275 | 97.9% | 2.1% | 8.5% | 86.0% |
| L-1A | 26,551 | 24,539 | 91.8% | 8.2% | 24.1% | 70.6% |
| L-1B | 15,861 | 13,894 | 92.3% | 7.7% | 26.2% | 74.0% |
| L blanket | 1,377 | 1,333 | 98.6% | 1.4% | 22.5% | 94.7% |
| TN | 17,048 | 17,241 | 94.8% | 5.2% | 13.1% | 70.6% |
| R-1 | 11,045 | 10,385 | 95.0% | 5.0% | 17.8% | 77.8% |
| H-2A | 30,884 | 30,615 | 98.1% | 1.9% | 9.0% | 82.4% |
| H-2B | 16,448 | 16,195 | 98.3% | 1.7% | 8.6% | 86.8% |
Fiscal year 2026 so far, by classification
October 2025 to June 2026. Fiscal year 2026 ends in September 2026, so these are nine months.
| Classification | Petitions received | Decided | Approved | Denied | Decisions with an RFE | RFE decisions approved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O (O-1 and O-2) | 25,722 | 23,417 | 91.0% | 9.0% | 24.2% | 66.8% |
| P (athletes, artists, entertainers) | 7,599 | 7,203 | 91.5% | 8.5% | 19.9% | 60.5% |
| H-1B | 312,830 | 278,650 | 97.0% | 3.0% | 8.5% | 81.7% |
| L-1A | 20,766 | 18,553 | 91.2% | 8.8% | 25.9% | 71.2% |
| L-1B | 11,296 | 10,263 | 91.3% | 8.7% | 29.4% | 74.5% |
| L blanket | 998 | 990 | 98.1% | 1.9% | 22.6% | 92.9% |
| TN | 12,411 | 11,349 | 94.9% | 5.1% | 13.0% | 67.7% |
| R-1 | 7,963 | 6,881 | 95.9% | 4.1% | 18.2% | 83.3% |
| H-2A | 27,233 | 26,425 | 98.1% | 1.9% | 7.9% | 84.5% |
| H-2B | 12,832 | 12,695 | 98.7% | 1.3% | 7.1% | 89.6% |
O petitions by month, fiscal year 2026
Counts are by the month USCIS made the decision, not the month the petition was filed.
| Month | Received | Decided | Denied | Approved | Decisions with an RFE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | 2,843 | 2,727 | 221 | 91.9% | 24.6% |
| November | 2,397 | 2,049 | 186 | 90.9% | 26.3% |
| December | 2,774 | 2,299 | 232 | 89.9% | 26.8% |
| January | 2,318 | 2,490 | 230 | 90.8% | 24.1% |
| February | 2,940 | 2,272 | 196 | 91.4% | 24.0% |
| March | 3,180 | 2,821 | 242 | 91.4% | 23.7% |
| April | 2,893 | 2,909 | 248 | 91.5% | 23.2% |
| May | 3,117 | 2,865 | 233 | 91.9% | 23.0% |
| June | 3,260 | 2,985 | 308 | 89.7% | 23.7% |
O petitions by month, fiscal year 2025
| Month | Received | Decided | Denied | Approved | Decisions with an RFE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | 2,671 | 2,777 | 180 | 93.5% | 20.7% |
| November | 2,407 | 2,256 | 108 | 95.2% | 18.2% |
| December | 2,667 | 2,208 | 120 | 94.6% | 17.8% |
| January | 2,417 | 2,657 | 145 | 94.5% | 17.6% |
| February | 2,548 | 2,693 | 149 | 94.5% | 18.3% |
| March | 2,855 | 3,049 | 162 | 94.7% | 17.4% |
| April | 2,975 | 2,792 | 163 | 94.2% | 19.2% |
| May | 3,083 | 2,627 | 143 | 94.6% | 18.3% |
| June | 3,099 | 2,477 | 186 | 92.5% | 20.9% |
| July | 3,249 | 2,765 | 190 | 93.1% | 20.9% |
| August | 2,872 | 2,646 | 173 | 93.5% | 23.2% |
| September | 2,965 | 2,734 | 229 | 91.6% | 23.7% |
What these numbers do not tell you
- They cover the whole O classification: the O-1A, the O-1B and the O-2 for essential support personnel. USCIS does not split them in this report.
- They include both initial petitions and extensions. Extensions are usually stronger cases, so the rate for first-time petitions can differ.
- They count initial USCIS decisions only. Revocations, remands and later actions are excluded.
- They describe every petitioner, whatever the quality of the evidence or who prepared it. They say little about how any one petition will be decided.
- A petition decided in one month may have been filed months earlier, so monthly rows do not pair received and decided petitions.
- USCIS revises these tables as its systems update. Figures here are from workbooks queried in July 2026 and checked in October 2026.
How to cite and reuse this data
The source is U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, I-129 quarterly request for evidence workbooks (fiscal year 2025 quarter 4 and fiscal year 2026 quarter 3). The calculations on this page are by Lando. You may quote the figures and tables with a link to this page. The data is also available as CSV files.
Common questions
What is the O-1 visa approval rate?
USCIS approved 93.9% of the O-classification petitions it decided in fiscal year 2025 (29,733 of 31,681) and 91.0% from October 2025 to June 2026. The O classification includes the O-1A, the O-1B and the O-2, and the figure includes extensions, so it is not a rate for first-time O-1 petitions alone.
Does USCIS publish the O-1A and O-1B rates separately?
Not in the I-129 quarterly report used here. It reports the O classification as a whole, which combines the O-1A, the O-1B and the O-2 for essential support personnel.
How often does an O petition get a Request for Evidence?
19.7% of O petitions decided in fiscal year 2025 involved a Request for Evidence, and 24.2% from October 2025 to June 2026. An RFE asks for more documentation and is not a denial.
Is an O-1 harder to get than an H-1B?
By USCIS's own figures, the share of decided petitions that were approved was lower for the O classification (93.9% in fiscal year 2025) than for the H-1B (97.9%). The two are different tests filed by different kinds of petitioners, so the comparison does not show which visa is easier for a given person.
Does this predict whether my petition will be approved?
No. These are figures for all O petitions together. How a petition is decided depends on the evidence in it and on USCIS's judgment, and no one can guarantee a result.
Does Lando publish its own approval rate?
No. The figures on this page are USCIS's, for the whole O classification. Lando does not publish an approval rate for its own cases, and past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Lando is not a law firm. Petitions are prepared in coordination with licensed U.S. immigration attorneys.
Sources
- USCIS: Immigration and Citizenship Data, I-129 quarterly request for evidence (fiscal year 2026 quarter 3)
- USCIS: I-129 quarterly request for evidence (fiscal year 2025 quarter 4)
- USCIS: Immigration and Citizenship Data
- USCIS: O-1 visa, individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement
Checked October 2026.
Lando is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Petitions are prepared in coordination with licensed U.S. immigration attorneys.