Born in 2002, Already a CEO: O-1A Approved for a Gen Z Founder Building AI for the Construction Industry
Born in 2002, Already a CEO: O-1A Approved for a Gen Z Founder Building AI for the Construction Industry
An O-1A approval for a 24-year-old founder, born in 2002, who co-founded and runs a venture-backed AI company that automates construction reviews and regulatory checks. Approved on the first try, under premium processing, with no questions asked back by USCIS.
An O-1A approval for a 24-year-old founder, born in 2002, who co-founded and runs a venture-backed AI company that automates construction reviews and regulatory checks. Approved on the first try, under premium processing, with no questions asked back by USCIS.
June 22, 2026
June 22, 2026
Petition Type | Processing | RFE | Status |
O-1A Extraordinary Ability | Premium | None | Approved |
Case Background
Case Background
This is the kind of profile that breaks the usual mold. He is not a seasoned executive with decades behind him. He is a Gen Z founder who built a real company and reached the top of his field while still in his early twenties. Here is who he is:
A Kazakhstani national pursuing an O-1A in the field of business
Born in 2002 and only 24 years old, already the co-founder and CEO of a US-incorporated AI company that automates construction project reviews and regulatory checks
Raised 1 million dollars in pre-seed funding, reached 288,000 dollars in recurring revenue, and won a place in one of the world's most selective startup accelerators, ranked the top accelerator by how much funding its graduates go on to raise
Launched the first national-scale deployment of AI-powered construction permitting, in partnership with his country's government permitting authority
Earlier, a senior business development leader at one of his country's most distinguished engineering firms, and a key figure in setting up a joint venture with an Italian multinational that is now running petrochemical projects worth more than 9.8 billion dollars
Featured across global and regional business and technology media, and a top-tier member of two selective founder networks
Field: Business
This is the kind of profile that breaks the usual mold. He is not a seasoned executive with decades behind him. He is a Gen Z founder who built a real company and reached the top of his field while still in his early twenties. Here is who he is:
A Kazakhstani national pursuing an O-1A in the field of business
Born in 2002 and only 24 years old, already the co-founder and CEO of a US-incorporated AI company that automates construction project reviews and regulatory checks
Raised 1 million dollars in pre-seed funding, reached 288,000 dollars in recurring revenue, and won a place in one of the world's most selective startup accelerators, ranked the top accelerator by how much funding its graduates go on to raise
Launched the first national-scale deployment of AI-powered construction permitting, in partnership with his country's government permitting authority
Earlier, a senior business development leader at one of his country's most distinguished engineering firms, and a key figure in setting up a joint venture with an Italian multinational that is now running petrochemical projects worth more than 9.8 billion dollars
Featured across global and regional business and technology media, and a top-tier member of two selective founder networks
Field: Business
The Challenge
The Challenge
A few things about this case usually make USCIS look harder.
1. He is a Gen Z founder
Born in 2002 and only 24, he is far younger than most CEOs who reach this level. O-1A asks for proof that you are among the small few at the top of your field, and adjudicators usually expect that from a long career. We had to show that a founder this young had genuinely earned that standing.
2. He filed through his own company
When the company petitioning is the applicant's own startup, USCIS looks closely at the arrangement. The record had to establish the company as a real, funded, operating business with the ability to pay him, alongside a clean separation between the company and the individual.
3. Much of his acclaim was earned outside the US
A large part of his record was built in his home country and the wider region rather than in the US. We had to show that this was genuine international acclaim at the top of the field, backed by hard numbers and independent recognition, not just local attention.
A few things about this case usually make USCIS look harder.
1. He is a Gen Z founder
Born in 2002 and only 24, he is far younger than most CEOs who reach this level. O-1A asks for proof that you are among the small few at the top of your field, and adjudicators usually expect that from a long career. We had to show that a founder this young had genuinely earned that standing.
2. He filed through his own company
When the company petitioning is the applicant's own startup, USCIS looks closely at the arrangement. The record had to establish the company as a real, funded, operating business with the ability to pay him, alongside a clean separation between the company and the individual.
3. Much of his acclaim was earned outside the US
A large part of his record was built in his home country and the wider region rather than in the US. We had to show that this was genuine international acclaim at the top of the field, backed by hard numbers and independent recognition, not just local attention.
Our Strategic Approach
Our Strategic Approach
We built the case around five qualifying criteria, which is two more than the minimum of three, and tied them together into one clear story.
1. Critical role
He is the co-founder and CEO of a venture-backed AI company, where he shaped the product and strategy, raised 1 million dollars in funding, and delivered a landmark national-government deployment. Before that, he was a senior business development leader at a distinguished engineering firm serving the country's largest oil and gas operators, and a key figure in establishing a multi-billion-dollar industrial joint venture. Senior leaders at these organizations confirmed his role in writing.
2. High salary
His pay was checked against three independent salary sources for his role and market. He earns far more than the highest reported figures, from 2 times the 90th percentile to 49 times the highest salary reported for comparable professionals in his country.
3. Media
He was the subject of feature coverage in a global business news outlet and four regional technology and startup publications, one of them reaching close to 3 million readers a month. The coverage was about him and his company's milestones, not just generic industry news.
4. Membership
He holds the top tier of membership in a selective Silicon Valley founder network that accepts about 3 percent of applicants, and in a London-based community for top founders from his region. Both admit people only after a strict review by recognized experts.
5. Original contribution
He built the first commercially deployable AI system that automates construction compliance checks at national-government scale, in a global construction sector worth more than 15 trillion dollars a year. Earlier, he created a new client-focused commercial model at a major engineering firm that cut procurement timelines by about 40 percent. Independent experts confirmed in writing that the work is original and significant.
On top of these five areas, we added letters from people who worked with him, independent proof of how respected his companies are, and opinion letters from outside experts who vouched for his standing in the field.
We built the case around five qualifying criteria, which is two more than the minimum of three, and tied them together into one clear story.
1. Critical role
He is the co-founder and CEO of a venture-backed AI company, where he shaped the product and strategy, raised 1 million dollars in funding, and delivered a landmark national-government deployment. Before that, he was a senior business development leader at a distinguished engineering firm serving the country's largest oil and gas operators, and a key figure in establishing a multi-billion-dollar industrial joint venture. Senior leaders at these organizations confirmed his role in writing.
2. High salary
His pay was checked against three independent salary sources for his role and market. He earns far more than the highest reported figures, from 2 times the 90th percentile to 49 times the highest salary reported for comparable professionals in his country.
3. Media
He was the subject of feature coverage in a global business news outlet and four regional technology and startup publications, one of them reaching close to 3 million readers a month. The coverage was about him and his company's milestones, not just generic industry news.
4. Membership
He holds the top tier of membership in a selective Silicon Valley founder network that accepts about 3 percent of applicants, and in a London-based community for top founders from his region. Both admit people only after a strict review by recognized experts.
5. Original contribution
He built the first commercially deployable AI system that automates construction compliance checks at national-government scale, in a global construction sector worth more than 15 trillion dollars a year. Earlier, he created a new client-focused commercial model at a major engineering firm that cut procurement timelines by about 40 percent. Independent experts confirmed in writing that the work is original and significant.
On top of these five areas, we added letters from people who worked with him, independent proof of how respected his companies are, and opinion letters from outside experts who vouched for his standing in the field.
The Outcome
The Outcome
APPROVED | NO RFE |
Premium Processing | O-1A Extraordinary Ability |
The case was approved on the first try, under premium processing, with no request for more evidence. The approval recognizes him as a person of extraordinary ability and lets him keep leading his US company for up to three years, the full initial period an O-1A allows.
For a founder who reached this level at 24, the approval sends a clear message: what you build and the impact you create can matter more than how long you have been at it.
APPROVED | NO RFE |
Premium Processing | O-1A Extraordinary Ability |
The case was approved on the first try, under premium processing, with no request for more evidence. The approval recognizes him as a person of extraordinary ability and lets him keep leading his US company for up to three years, the full initial period an O-1A allows.
For a founder who reached this level at 24, the approval sends a clear message: what you build and the impact you create can matter more than how long you have been at it.
Key Success Factors
Key Success Factors
1. Five areas, not just three
Showing five qualifying criteria instead of the minimum three gave USCIS plenty of overlapping proof and made a request for evidence far less likely.
2. We turned his age into a strength
Instead of treating how young he is as a weakness, we made it the headline: a Gen Z CEO who had already raised institutional funding and delivered a national-scale deployment in his early twenties.
3. We made his international achievements count
We presented his work in his home country and region as genuine global acclaim, anchored by independent recognition and hard numbers, so location was never a reason to discount it.
4. We backed every claim with real numbers
Concrete figures carried the case: a 1 million dollar raise, a top-ranked accelerator, a first-of-its-kind national deployment, a salary 2 to 49 times the local benchmarks, and earlier work tied to industrial projects worth more than 9.8 billion dollars.
5. We kept the founder-led filing clean
By fully documenting the company's funding, operations, and ability to pay, we cleared the procedural questions that often arise when a founder petitions through his own company, keeping the focus on his extraordinary ability.
1. Five areas, not just three
Showing five qualifying criteria instead of the minimum three gave USCIS plenty of overlapping proof and made a request for evidence far less likely.
2. We turned his age into a strength
Instead of treating how young he is as a weakness, we made it the headline: a Gen Z CEO who had already raised institutional funding and delivered a national-scale deployment in his early twenties.
3. We made his international achievements count
We presented his work in his home country and region as genuine global acclaim, anchored by independent recognition and hard numbers, so location was never a reason to discount it.
4. We backed every claim with real numbers
Concrete figures carried the case: a 1 million dollar raise, a top-ranked accelerator, a first-of-its-kind national deployment, a salary 2 to 49 times the local benchmarks, and earlier work tied to industrial projects worth more than 9.8 billion dollars.
5. We kept the founder-led filing clean
By fully documenting the company's funding, operations, and ability to pay, we cleared the procedural questions that often arise when a founder petitions through his own company, keeping the focus on his extraordinary ability.
Why Founders Trust OpenSphere
Why Founders Trust OpenSphere
OpenSphere prepares O-1A and other extraordinary ability cases for founders, CEOs, and business leaders, including young and emerging-market talent whose achievements run ahead of their years.
A proven way to turn fast, recent traction into a strong, top-of-field case
Smart positioning for founder-led filings and young profiles, from how we frame your work to how we choose your recommenders
Deep experience presenting international and emerging-market achievements as genuine global acclaim
Whether you are a founder, a CEO, or a builder defining a new category, OpenSphere can help you build a case that stands on its own.
Get your free visa evaluation at opensphere.ai
Note: Client details have been anonymized to protect confidentiality while preserving the essential facts of the case.
OpenSphere prepares O-1A and other extraordinary ability cases for founders, CEOs, and business leaders, including young and emerging-market talent whose achievements run ahead of their years.
A proven way to turn fast, recent traction into a strong, top-of-field case
Smart positioning for founder-led filings and young profiles, from how we frame your work to how we choose your recommenders
Deep experience presenting international and emerging-market achievements as genuine global acclaim
Whether you are a founder, a CEO, or a builder defining a new category, OpenSphere can help you build a case that stands on its own.
Get your free visa evaluation at opensphere.ai
Note: Client details have been anonymized to protect confidentiality while preserving the essential facts of the case.