THE PETITIONER JOURNAL
Policy changes.
The drafting implications.
Recent USCIS developments, the distinction between proposals and current rules, and what each means for the attorney preparing an O-1 petition.
LATEST PROPOSAL · PROPOSED RULE / SEPTEMBER 2026
The proposed 60-day grace-period repeal: preparing an O-1 employer change.
DHS's September 2026 proposal is not yet a final rule. A practical analysis of status records, employment dates, and O-1 change-of-employer drafting.
Read the analysis 8 min readPOLICY IN PRACTICE / FOUNDER CASES
O-1A founder cases: prove the person's work, not just the startup's promise.
What USCIS's January 2025 guidance clarified for founder-owned petitioners, and how attorneys can test funding, adoption, and role evidence in a 2026 filing.
8 min readRead the analysisUSCIS POLICY / AUGUST 2026
After the August 2026 RFE update, review the filing before you polish the letter.
USCIS restored broader discretion to deny incomplete requests without an RFE. An O-1 review method for missing evidence, unsupported claims, and contradictory records.
8 min readRead the analysisKEEP BESIDE YOUR DRAFT
A checklist for the filing record.
Work through the documents to review before assembling an O-1A petition.
YOUR NEXT PETITION
Put the record to work.
Organize the evidence, prepare a draft, and work through the details in Petitioner.