The issue is the O1A is oversubscribed because it includes "Sciences, education, business, or athletics" and in reality, the only thing needed to get an O1 through the door is a good lawyer and around $50k-60k in legal fees.

As such, an O-1 is now being used the way an L-1 should have been, an L-1 is being used the way an H1B should have been, and an H1B is used the way an OPT should have been.

Most academics, nurses, PhD students turned ML Researchers, etc will be filed on an H1B or (in the latter case OPT to H1B).