For business owners and entrepreneurs interested in expanding their business in the U.S. market, one important question is which U.S. visa is right for them. For entrepreneurs who own their own company and wish to open an office in the United States, the L-1 visa may be a good option.

If you are a business owner, you will need to meet the requirements of an L-1 to get an L-1A manager or executive visa.

Dependents of an L-1 holder include a spouse and children under the age of 21. These dependents are given an L-2 visa. L-2 visas have limits similar to those of the L-1 visa.

An L-1 visa allows you to:
- Stay in the U.S. and legally work there for an organization that is a subsidiary, parent, affiliate, or branch of the company which formerly employed you abroad.

- Move outside and within the United States.

- Obtain visas for your family – this is for your spouse and children under the age of 21. Your spouse can work in the U.S., and children can still study in U.S. public and private schools. However, your children cannot engage in paid employment in the U.S.

- Make a permanent residency application (green card) without jeopardizing the status of your L-1 visa.

- Unlike the H-1B visa that requires you to possess a bachelor’s degree, the L-1 visa has no education requirement.

- The L-1A allows managers and executives to travel to the U.S. to start a new branch or office where none exists. However, the initial validity period is only 1 year for this route, though extensions are available.