Intracompany transfers who work in a management or executive role or have specialized knowledge are eligible for L visas.
Individuals who are transferred to work at a company’s main office, branch, or subsidiary in the United States may be granted this sort of visa. This visa is also granted to business owners who wish to establish a branch of their company in the United States.
The L-1 visa is divided into two types: L-1A and L-1B.
L-1A visas allow US companies to bring in managers and executives from other countries.
The L-1A nonimmigrant visa allows a US firm to move an executive or manager from one of its associated foreign offices to one of its locations in the United States. This classification also allows a foreign firm that does not yet have a US affiliate to deploy an executive or manager to the US to develop one.
L-1B visas are intended for personnel with particular knowledge and abilities, such as IT and design specialists. The L-1B nonimmigrant classification allows a US employer to move a professional employee with specialized knowledge of the organization’s interests from one of its associated international offices to one of its offices in the United States.
L-1 visa requirements: You must have worked continuously in the US subsidiary for at least one year in the previous three years; You must have managerial abilities to qualify for L-1A or specialized knowledge/skills to qualify for L-1B; There has to be a legal relationship between the foreign and US companies, such as one being the parent company and the other being the subsidiary in the US, or both companies are controlled by the same owner.
To acquire an L-1 visa, your employer must file Form I-129 on your behalf, along with documentation and proof showing you have worked for this organization and are eligible for the anticipated role.
There are no government quotas for this visa. L-1 visa processing takes about 6 months on average, however it can be sped up.
The visa is initially valid for up to three years, with a two-year extension option. The longest stay on an L-1A is seven years, and the maximum stay on an L-1B is five years.
