Overview
The L-1 visa allows multinational companies to transfer certain employees from a foreign office to a U.S. office. The L-1A is for managers and executives, and the L-1B is for employees with specialized knowledge of the company’s products, services, or processes.
Key requirements
The employee generally must have worked for the qualifying related entity abroad for at least one continuous year within the preceding three years, and the U.S. and foreign entities must have a qualifying relationship (such as parent, subsidiary, affiliate, or branch). The L-1A can also support the opening of a new U.S. office. L-1A managers and executives may have a streamlined path toward EB-1C permanent residence.
How Do Law can help
We assess the corporate relationship and the employee’s role, prepare petitions that clearly establish managerial, executive, or specialized-knowledge capacity, and support new-office and blanket-petition strategies for growing companies.