L-1 Intracompany Transfer Visa
L Visas
The L-1 nonimmigrant classification permits international companies to temporarily transfer qualified employees from one of its affiliated foreign offices to one of its offices in the United States. It may also be used to establish a parent, branch, affiliate, or subsidiary in the United States.
This L-1 classification has two categories: L-1A for managers or executives; and L-1B for employees with specialized knowledge of the company’s product, service, research, equipment, techniques, or management. The L-1B category includes employees who have an advanced level of knowledge of processes and procedures of the company.
Managers and Executives are permitted to hold L-1A status for a total of seven years while specialized knowledge employes may hold L-1B status for five. The classification also permits children and spouses immigration benefits.
To qualify for l-1 classification, the employer must:
- Prove a qualifying relationship with a foreign company; and
- Currently be, or will be, doing business as an employer in the United States and in at least one other country directly or through a qualifying entity for the duration of the transferee’s stay in the US.
Additionally, the employee transfer must:
- Prove employment for a qualifying organization abroad for at least one continuous year within the three years immediately preceding their admission to the United States; and
- Seek to enter the US to provide service in an executive, managerial, or specialized knowledge capacity for a branch of the same employer or one of its qualifying organizations.
L Visa Specific Resources: