US L-1 intracompany transferee visa

Who the L-1 is for

The L-1 is designed for multinational businesses that need to move key personnel into their US operations. It applies only where there is a genuine qualifying corporate relationship between the foreign employer and the US entity, such as parent and subsidiary, branch, or affiliate.

• L-1A: employees coming to work in a managerial or executive capacity
• L-1B: employees with specialized knowledge of the organization's products, services, research, systems, or procedures
• Both established US offices and brand-new US offices being set up by the foreign company

Eligibility requirements

The employer must demonstrate the qualifying relationship and that both entities are, or will be, doing business. The employee must meet the prior-employment and capacity requirements.

• A qualifying relationship exists between the foreign and US employers
• The employee worked abroad for the organization for at least one continuous year within the preceding three years
• That foreign work was in a managerial, executive, or specialized-knowledge role
• The employee is coming to fill a role in the same or a comparable capacity
• Both the foreign and US entities remain doing business during the stay

How to apply

The process begins with the US employer, not the employee. Once a petition is approved, an employee outside the US applies for the visa at a US embassy or consulate.

Under a blanket L petition, a qualifying large employer establishes eligibility once, and individual employees can then be processed more quickly using Form I-129S rather than a separate full petition each time.

• Employer files Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, with USCIS (or relies on an approved blanket petition)
• After approval, the employee completes the DS-160 online nonimmigrant visa application
• Pay the visa application fee and schedule a consular interview
• Attend the interview with the petition approval, passport, and supporting company documents
• Canadian citizens may in many cases request L-1 classification directly at a port of entry

Validity and length of stay

Employees transferring to an established US office are generally admitted for up to three years initially. Those coming to set up a new office are limited to a one-year initial stay so operations can be established.

Extensions are granted in increments of up to two years, subject to the overall maximums: seven years for L-1A and five years for L-1B. An initial blanket petition is valid for three years and may later be extended.

Working, dependants and permanent residence

An L-1 worker may only work for the petitioning employer in the approved role. Because the L-1 is a dual-intent visa, the worker can pursue a green card without undermining their L status; the L-1A route in particular aligns closely with the EB-1C multinational manager/executive immigrant category.

Spouses and unmarried children under 21 may come as L-2 dependants. L-2 spouses are authorized to work incident to their status.