The L-1 category is for intracompany transfers and blanket L petitions — for individuals who have worked for a foreign company with a parent, subsidiary, branch or affiliate in the U.S.
Categories
L-1A, L-1B — and dual intent.
Like the H-1B, the L-1 permits dual intent: a foreign national may apply for a green card while on L-1 status. The individual must have been employed in an executive or managerial position (L-1A) or in a specialized-knowledge capacity (L-1B) for the foreign company before transferring to the U.S. office.
01
Manager
Manages a company or a core component, supervises and controls professionals or essential functions, exercises hire/fire authority.
02
Executive
Directs management of the organization or a core function, sets goals and policies, exercises discretionary decision-making with limited supervision.
03
Specialized Knowledge
Heightened knowledge of the company's products, services, equipment, techniques, or advanced expertise in its processes.
Qualifying
One year abroad, two operating entities.
To qualify for L-1 status, the foreign national must have been employed abroad by the foreign employer on a full-time basis for at least one continuous year during the last three. Both entities must typically have been operating for at least one full year prior to filing, actively doing business with an established workforce and sufficient office space.
Successful applicants are approved for a maximum initial period of three years.
New office petitions
Opening U.S. operations from abroad.
A New Office L-1 petition allows a foreign national to open and expand new operations in the U.S. The petitioner must show a U.S. entity has been incorporated, that sufficient physical space is secured, and that the foreign entity is able to commence doing business in the U.S.
USCIS grants L-1 status for one year initially. If the company commences business successfully, subsequent petitions extend status in three-year increments — to a maximum of seven years for L-1A and five years for L-1B.