'It's US who thinks I am...': Indian man gets rare O-1 visa; What is this no-cap 'extraordinary' visa
AI enthusiast, Piyush Varanjani, said the visa would allow him to go “all in on AI” after quitting his job
- Sep 17, 2025,
- Updated Sep 17, 2025 9:48 AM IST
An Indian man has taken to social media to celebrate receiving an O-1 visa, a decade after first visiting the United States. Piyush Varanjani said the visa would allow him to go “all in on AI” after quitting his job.
“Got my O-1 approved! Time to build my own reality,” he wrote on X. “After my mom, now it's the US who thinks I am an individual of extraordinary ability,” Varanjani added.
The O-1 is a type of non-immigrant visa granted by the United States to individuals of “extraordinary ability” in fields such as science, arts, education, business, or athletics. Unlike an H-1B visa, which allows holders to work in any specialty occupation with a sponsoring employer, the O-1 visa is reserved for individuals at the very top of their respective fields.
For Varanjani, this field is AI. He said he arrived in the US a decade ago with a “fistful of dreams” and his harem pants. He worked at Stripe for over four years, quitting in November 2024, and has since been working on his own AI startup.
“A few months back I left Stripe to go all in on AI, and now finally SF is the new home,” he wrote, adding that he would answer any questions about the O-1 visa. The comments section of his post was filled with congratulatory messages.
More on O-1 visa
O-1A visa is a favourable immigration option because it doesn't rely on an employer's sponsorship, doesn't have yearly limits on the number of visas issued, and isn't subject to sponsorship restrictions. Instead of a potentially lengthy waiting process, the O-1A visa focuses on individual merit and achievement as the primary criteria for approval.
The initial period of stay is typically up to three years, with extensions available in one-year increments as long as the work continues in their area of extraordinary ability. There is no annual cap on O-1 visas, making it an attractive route for highly skilled individuals seeking to live and work in the US.
An Indian man has taken to social media to celebrate receiving an O-1 visa, a decade after first visiting the United States. Piyush Varanjani said the visa would allow him to go “all in on AI” after quitting his job.
“Got my O-1 approved! Time to build my own reality,” he wrote on X. “After my mom, now it's the US who thinks I am an individual of extraordinary ability,” Varanjani added.
The O-1 is a type of non-immigrant visa granted by the United States to individuals of “extraordinary ability” in fields such as science, arts, education, business, or athletics. Unlike an H-1B visa, which allows holders to work in any specialty occupation with a sponsoring employer, the O-1 visa is reserved for individuals at the very top of their respective fields.
For Varanjani, this field is AI. He said he arrived in the US a decade ago with a “fistful of dreams” and his harem pants. He worked at Stripe for over four years, quitting in November 2024, and has since been working on his own AI startup.
“A few months back I left Stripe to go all in on AI, and now finally SF is the new home,” he wrote, adding that he would answer any questions about the O-1 visa. The comments section of his post was filled with congratulatory messages.
More on O-1 visa
O-1A visa is a favourable immigration option because it doesn't rely on an employer's sponsorship, doesn't have yearly limits on the number of visas issued, and isn't subject to sponsorship restrictions. Instead of a potentially lengthy waiting process, the O-1A visa focuses on individual merit and achievement as the primary criteria for approval.
The initial period of stay is typically up to three years, with extensions available in one-year increments as long as the work continues in their area of extraordinary ability. There is no annual cap on O-1 visas, making it an attractive route for highly skilled individuals seeking to live and work in the US.