The L-1 visa is used by large multinational companies to transfer employees to the US. It is also routinely used by smaller companies to transfer their owners and key personnel to the US. Many enter the US to open and run new offices for their companies.
L-1A visas are for managers and owners. L-1B visas are for key personnel.
History
The L-1 visa was created in 1970 to allow multinational companies to send employees to their US ...
... offices. By the late 1960s, companies had started selling their goods worldwide. These companies wanted branch offices in their market-countries and wanted their own employees to run these branch offices.
However, Congress had passed laws in 1965 that delayed employees of these multi-nationals from working in the US. Worried that other countries would retaliate by stopping US workers from entering their countries, US created the L-1 visa category.
The world has changed since the 1970s, when only a few large companies sold their wares internationally. Now even mom-and-pop shops sell to international customers through the world-wide-web. This exponential growth in international sales has resulted in a tremendous growth in the number of L-1 visas being filed.
L-1 visa has become very popular and is used by all sized businesses to establish their presence in the US, which is considered the world’s largest destination market.
To qualify for an L-1 visa, the foreign company must prove that:
If a business owner or manager is coming to the US to open a new office, they must first lease an office space, provide a business plan to show a well thought out plan of action, and also have sufficient funding to prove that the US office will be able to support a new manager within a year.
For a more in-depth look at the criteria for L-1 visas, please visit the USCIS’ website.
L-1 visas are filed by the US company with the USCIS, the government agency responsible for processing visas in the US.
Filing a successful L-1 petition requires careful planning and much documentation. Foreign businesses need to verify their corporate identity, prove that they have multiple employees, sufficient funds and a genuine need to transfer a worker to their US office.
After practicing Business Immigration exclusively for 25 years, and with one of the highest visa approval rates year after year, Immigration Desk attorneys are adept at helping clients file for both L-1A and L-1B visas.
Please read below for typical issues that occur while filing for L-1 petitions and how our experienced attorneys guide clients to obtain visa approvals.
Besides a thorough knowledge of the law, filing a successful L-1 petition requires experience with timing, planning options and organizing the plethora of translated and untranslated documents that our clients forward to us. Filing for a successful L-1 visa requires considerable documentation and a team that understands how business is done in other countries.
If the business is transferring the manager or executive to the US, the USCIS will look very closely at their job duties overseas and in the US to decide whether they meet the definition of “manager or executive”. This is not as easy as it seems. The USCIS definition of "manager" and "executive" has changed several times in the past decade. Knowledge of what the law requires at the time of filing, and what evidence should be provided are crucial to getting the case approved.
Similarly, for an L-1B visa, the employer must prove that the foreign national holds proprietary knowledge about the company. Newer or junior employees rarely hold proprietary knowledge. In these situations, most employers need to know that they can file a L-1A visa also. "Proprietary knowledge" itself also requires extensive documentation.
If the owner of the foreign business is planning to enter the US, they must prove that the company overseas will continue to operate after they relocate to the US. As your attorney, we consider it is our responsibility to help you plan long-term, so when you file for your L-1 extension a year later, or when you want to file for a green card in a few years, you will continue to meet the visa requirements.
We believe that it is our responsibility as your attorneys to get you the L-1 approval in an efficient and cost-effective manner. But beyond this short-term goal, we believe it is also our responsibility to make both the company and the foreign national aware of any options, when they exist, and also to help you chart a pathway for eventual US permanent residency.
At the first consultation, we review all your information to help you decide if an L-1 will suit both your short- and long-term goals.
Many of our clients are overseas businesses transferring employees to their already established US offices. In these cases, we help the employer choose between L-1A and L-1B visas, depending on the company's long-term plan for the employee. Then we help ensure that we are able to obtain the right documents from the different offices and to make the process efficient and timely for our clients. Our trained paralegals -many of whom have business degrees - are experienced in handling corporate documents of overseas companies and easily and quickly create the right organizational paths to get the case approved.
A growing number of our clients are also smaller and medium-sized companies who already have US customers and now want to either start, or to grow their operations in the US. Our skilled attorneys start by discussing your business, your funding, your ideal timeline and your professional and personal goals, to find the best solution for you. For new offices and for business owners who plan to move to the US, this includes helping you establish a timeline for the visa issuance and guiding you on where to incorporate a new business. As experienced and award-winning attorneys, we have taken the time to understand the reality of a foreign company doing business in the US market. The way the US market operates is very different from how business is done in other parts of the world.
We also guide our business-owner-clients once they enter the US with regard to handling the myriad of complexities of starting a business in the United States.
Above, we have described some of the common considerations while filing for a L-1 visa. As attorneys, we believe in helping our clients succeed. It is our privilege to help you and your employees in re-locating to the US.
Please contact us to discuss how we can make the L-1 visa process easy for you and your employees.
L1A granted October 2022 (decision time 10 days)
The people at Immigration Desk were great from the start, professional and organized. Starting with the consultation to advise me which visa type was right for the business I was looking to create in the US, they guided me on the best route and the pros and cons so that I could make an informed decision.
...After deciding on the L1A route, it was clear what I needed to provide for my L1A petition. Everything was managed very professionally, and I was able to submit the petition as soon as the team at Immigration Desk has meticulously checked my documents and everything went as expected.
I received a minor RFE, which was expected since it was the first time my company had applied for a L1A. USCIS requested a minor clarification about my petition and Immigration Desk responded within 3 days. USCIS then issued the approval within 7 days. So once the documents were assembled it was very quick indeed.
I would definitely recommend them for the future and I know I will be needing them to move some of our employees in the near future.
I first found Anu Gupta on Google, searching for "the best immigration lawyer in Boston area." I read lots of good comments about her. Therefore, I decided to try her as my case for L1A (international manager category) application was a bit complicated.
...Anu is very serious lawyer with details and facts, she always looked for small details and connections of facts, so that this application material was flawless and convincing.
I am so glad that my petition was approved in just 5 months from the very beginning of the application. Anu is very impressive as a friend to her clients, her professionalism, knowledgeable background are really helpful for the new businesses in the US.
Thank you, Anu.
Anu Gupta has been handling our Personal and Company cases from L1, H1B and J1; to filing Green Card to Citizenship.
What differentiates Anu from other attorney's is that not only does she have extremely thorough knowledge of Immigration laws, but that she handles each case with total professionalism and a human touch.
...Whenever we are anxious or needed guidance all were handled either through e-mail or conference call with great professional attitude and passion.
When you talk to Anu, she talks to you as if you are the only one that she has as a client and her professional approach rests all your concerns.
I would recommend each and everyone that needs advice on Immigration matters to talk to Anu at least one time and take note of the difference from others.