L-1 A/L-1B
The “L” or Intracompany Transferee non immigrant category allows foreign companies to transfer executive/managerial personnel (L-1A), or employees with specialized knowledge (L-1B), to subsidiaries, affiliates, or branches in the United States. Although it does not initially grant residency, permanent residency (a green card) is possible for executives or managers once it can be shown that the U.S. entity is sufficiently developed to justify the permanent need for an executive or manager in the U.S. Persons who fall under the specialized knowledge category may not apply for residency.
In order to apply for L visa there must be:
- An actively operating company in a foreign country;
- An actively operating company in United States;
- Common ownership. The company in U.S can be an affiliate, branch, parent or subsidiary of the foreign company;
- The U.S. company must have secured a business premises. The U.S business can not operate from a home address;
- The foreign national coming to U.S must have been employed in foreign company in managerial or executive capacity or in a capacity requiring specialized knowledge, for at least one continuous year, during the last three years.
- The foreign national must be coming to U.S to work for the U.S company in a managerial, executive capacity or in a capacity requiring specialized knowledge.
You do not have to have an established U.S company in order to qualify for this visa. In fact you can get the L visa in order to come to U.S to establish a new business.
Our law firm can help you incorporate your new business as well as arrange the preparation for a business plan by competent professionals specializing in preparing such plans.
Our Attorneys have extensive experience of filing successful L visa petitions. For more information and specific case evaluation please contact our office.