Intracompany Transfers: L-1 Visas

This is a non-immigrant visa, allowing an employee to be transferred to the U.S. and work legally for the U.S. branch, subsidiary, affiliate or joint venture partner of the company.   You must have been employed outside the U.S. as a manager, executive or person with specialized knowledge for at least one out of the past three years.

Big companies may apply for blanket L-1 visas.  This enables the qualified company to transfer employees to the U.S. company frequently without filing for each individual employee.

Privileges

·        Once approved by the Citizenship and Immigration Service, spouse and children under age twenty-one may come to the U.S. with the transferred employee.  Spouse may apply for work authorization to work legally in the U.S.

·        You may travel in and out of the U.S. anytime

·        If you have an L-1 visa for an executive or managerial level position in the U.S. company, the company may petition a green card for you and your family.

 

Restrictions

·        You are restricted to working only for the U.S. company that sponsored your petition.

·        Visas can be issued for up to 3 years, extensions of 2 years at a time may be allowed until you have been in the U.S. for a total of seven years

For purposes of this visa category, Citizenship and Immigration Services has specific requirements for those who are considered executive and managers, and persons with specialized skills.  L-1 visas are available only to employees of companies outside of the U.S.  that have related U.S. braches, subsidiaries, affiliates or joint venture partners.  For visa purposes, these terms have specific definitions. 

Applications must include supporting documents to proof: length of employment abroad; position of employment abroad is of manager, executive or person with specialized knowledge; the U.S. and Non U.S. companies are engaged in trade or the rendering of services; a qualifying relationship exists between the U.S. and Non U.S. companies.

We can evaluate if you are eligible to apply under this visa category, please contact us to arrange for an initial consultation.