The TN visa is the easiest — same-day for Canadians. For everyone else, O-1 (no lottery, 92% approval) beats H-1B (lottery, 35% odds) on every metric except cost.
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Difficulty Rankings
| Rank | Visa | Difficulty | Who | Odds | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | TN | Easy | CA/MX only | ~95%+ | Same day |
| 🥈 | L-1 | Moderate | Multinational employees | 75-80% | 2-6 months |
| 🥉 | O-1 | Moderate-Hard | Extraordinary ability | 92-96% | 15 days premium |
| 4 | H-1B | Hard (lottery) | Specialty workers | 25-35% | Oct start |
| 5 | EB-2 NIW | Hard | Advanced degree | Varies | 12-18 months |
What Most People Get Wrong
Equating "easy to apply" with "easy to get." H-1B is easy to register ($215) but only 35% get selected.
Not knowing TN exists. Canadians and Mexicans can skip the lottery entirely.
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**Which US visa should you apply for?**