The L-1A Visa is for executives or managers who are being transferred to their company’s U.S. office. The L-1A also allows companies to transfer employees to the U.S. with the intention of starting a new branch or affiliate of the company.
When applying for the visa, the employer must include a list of the employee’s job duties in either an executive or managerial capacity. Employees with an L-1A visa may stay in the U.S. for up to seven years. Employees who are establishing a new office may stay initially for one year and all other employees may stay for three. Extensions may be granted for up to two years at a time until the seven-year limit is met.
The L-1B Visa is for foreign employees with specialized knowledge to be transferred to the U.S. offices of their company.
Like L-1A visas, L-1B also allows companies to transfer employees to the U.S. with the intention of starting a new branch or affiliate of the company. Specialized knowledge means either special knowledge possessed by an individual of the petitioning organization’s product, service, research, equipment, techniques, management, or other interests and its application in international markets, or an advanced level of knowledge or expertise in the organization’s processes and procedures. Employees with an L-1B visa may stay in the U.S. for up to five years. Employees who are establishing a new office may stay initially for one year and all other employees may stay for three. Extensions may be granted for up to two years at a time until the five-year limit is met.
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Stay up to date with L-1 Visa news and learn more about the L-1 process and how you can maximize your chance of success.
The L-1B is a great option for those looking to transfer employees with Specialized Knowledge
The L-1A is a great option for those looking to transfer executives or managers to the US
Everything you need to know about the L-1 Intracompany Transfer Visa
A list of frequently asked questions to help you understand more about how the L-1 Visa works.
L-1 visa application process involves two steps. First, you will have to file Form I-129 with USCIS. After it has been approved, you can apply for the L-1 visa. The filing fee is $460, which is paid by the U.S company and must be submitted with Form I-129.
The fee is required if it’s your first time to apply for an L-1 visa, want your L-1 visa status extended or want the status of your L-1 visa changed. If you have dependents that are applying for the extension of L-2 visa status or want a change of status to L-2 visa status through USCIS, then you will also have to file Form I-539 whose charges are $370.
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.
There is no quota limit on L-1 visas. An L-1 visa holder can also change to an H-1B visa, though that will likely be subject to the H-1B’s annual limit.
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.
As long as you continue working for one of your company’s branches or its affiliated companies, then you can transfer jobs. However, you should notify the USCIS or the attorney carrying out your paperwork before making a switch.
To work for a different company, you will need to apply for a separate visa. You also cannot work part-time for a different company while on the L-1 visa.
An L-1 visa allows you to:
Under regular circumstances, the L-1 processing time ranges between two to five months. However, you can request premium processing to have your visa processed in as little as two weeks.
L-1 premium processing is a service offered by USCIS officials to enable applicants to enjoy faster visa processing. Processing an L-1 visa under premium processing takes at most 15 days, and the applicant is required to pay a fee of $1,440. The fee for the normal L-1 visa application is $460
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