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L-1 visa requirements for intracompany transferees: L-1A and L-1B eligibility, branch or representative office setup, and comparisons with H-1B, O-1 and E-2.
18 articles tagged L-1 Visa
E-2 needs no company size threshold but requires proof of fund source. L-1 needs 10+ staff but skips the money trail. Real cases compared, plus the EB-1C path.
Officers compare E-2, L-1 and EB-1C petitions against applicants' Instagram and Facebook. Here's what mismatches can trigger a denial or a permanent bar.
L1 requires a signed 12-month lease already in place at filing. E2 has no formal office rule, but skipping one raises real risk. Here's what matters.
EB-1C is a green card for executives and managers, not scientists — no publications or citations required. Learn the four requirements and what proves real leadership.
L-1, EB-1C, O-1, EB-1A, H-1B, and EB-3 compared: company and employee requirements, renewal limits, and the path from a work visa to a green card.
E-2 needs treaty citizenship and investment, L-1 needs overseas staff, O-1 fits solo creators without a company. A breakdown of which visa fits content creators.
The L-1 is a US nonimmigrant visa that lets a multinational company transfer an employee from a qualifying foreign entity to a related US parent, branch, subsidiary or affiliate. The employee must have worked for the foreign company for at least one continuous year within the three years before the petition. L-1A covers managers and executives, while L-1B covers staff with specialized knowledge of the company's products, processes or procedures.
The US employer files Form I-129 with USCIS, and large companies that qualify can use a blanket L approval so individual workers apply directly at a consulate. Unlike the H-1B, the L-1 has no annual cap or lottery and no degree requirement. A petition to open a new US office is usually approved for one year at first, and the extension depends on whether the business has actually grown and can support a managerial role.
Total stay is capped at seven years for L-1A and five years for L-1B. Spouses and children receive L-2 status, and L-1A managers often move to a green card through the EB-1C category, which does not require labor certification.