Hiring someone who has never worked in the U.S.

What makes the from-abroad case workable

The O-1 runs on the candidate's public record, wherever it was built. No prior U.S. employment, no year on a foreign affiliate's payroll (that's the L-1's requirement, not this route's), no U.S. degree. The evidence travels; the petition is filed stateside by an authorized agent.

The sequence across borders

1. Engage on the record first: their papers, repositories, results. Show us the role — or the person.
2. Your one-page letter becomes part of the itinerary evidence.
3. Petition approved (premium processing: 15 days), visa issued at a consulate, person lands work-authorized.
4. Onboarding is ordinary I-9 onboarding.

Plan honestly around the extras

Consular scheduling adds real calendar time that varies by post — build it into the start date rather than being surprised. Relocation is your ordinary relocation question, unchanged by the visa route.