Application systems ask one question — “Will you now or in the future require sponsorship?” — and candidates on the O-1 path answer yes and vanish before anyone reads the résumé. O1DMatch shows you exactly those people. Your part is one page, and it is not a petition.
You are not the visa petitioner. The candidate’s case is filed through an authorized agent or petitioner — your company does not file, you do not pay a USCIS filing fee, and you are not running an H-1B sponsorship process.
H-1B registrations fell from 343,981 to 211,600 in one year — a 38.5% drop — and this year’s cap closed on July 17, 2026 with no second lottery. The next registration window opens approximately March 2027. Companies that relied on the lottery are carrying open roles they cannot fill through it right now.
The O-1 has no annual cap, no lottery, and files year-round — with premium processing, USCIS acts within 15 days.
The agent-based O-1 structure is how organizations like Team Canelo, the Raiders, the Packers, the Chargers, NASCAR teams, ONE Championship, Top Rank, the NBA G League and others engage extraordinary-ability talent without becoming the petitioner. That is the visa category’s track record across sport, media and finance — and the same structure O1DMatch runs for technical talent.
These are the employer modules from the free course — the real product, not a promo reel.
What a free employer account looks like on day one — company profile, dashboard, and where your roles and matches live. About 90 seconds.
Posting a role takes a few minutes and costs nothing — this is the listing candidates on the O-1 path actually get to answer.
Candidates arrive with organized evidence records mapped to the USCIS criteria — you evaluate a documented case, not just a résumé.
Want the full picture first? The free 12-video course walks the entire platform, both sides, no login.
No. The candidate’s case is filed through an authorized agent or petitioner — your company does not file, you do not pay the USCIS filing fee, and you are not running an H-1B sponsorship process.
Nothing. Posting a role, browsing candidates, and receiving matches are free, and no payment method is collected anywhere in the flow.
A short, non-binding statement that your company would engage the candidate if they are authorized to work. It is not an offer, not a contract, and not a petition — and your counsel can review it before you sign.
The O-1 has no annual cap and no lottery, so it files any time of year. With premium processing, USCIS acts on a petition within 15 days. Timing of the overall case depends on the evidence record, and nobody can promise an outcome.
It is an established structure in the regulations, used for decades in sport and entertainment. The legal read belongs to your attorney; the employer and itinerary problem belongs to O1DMatch.