Transfer executives and managers from foreign offices to U.S. operations or establish new U.S. offices
The L-1A nonimmigrant classification enables a U.S. employer to transfer an executive or manager from one of its affiliated foreign offices to one of its offices in the United States. This classification also enables a foreign company which does not yet have an affiliated U.S. office to send an executive or manager to the United States with the purpose of establishing one.
The employer must file Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, on behalf of the employee.
To qualify for L-1 classification in this category, the employer must:
Note: While the business must be viable, there is no requirement that it be engaged in international trade. "Doing business" means the regular, systematic, and continuous provision of goods and/or services by a qualifying organization and does not include the mere presence of an agent or office of the qualifying organization in the United States and abroad.
Also to qualify, the named employee must:
Generally refers to the employee's ability to make decisions of wide latitude without much oversight.
Generally refers to the ability of the employee to supervise and control the work of professional employees and to manage the organization, or a department, subdivision, function, or component of the organization. It may also refer to the employee's ability to manage an essential function of the organization at a high level, without direct supervision of others.
Reference: See section 101(a)(44) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended, and 8 CFR 214.2(l)(1)(ii) for more complete definitions.
For foreign employers who are seeking to send an employee to the United States as an executive or manager in order to establish a new office, it must also be shown that:
Qualified employees entering the United States to establish a new office will be allowed a maximum initial stay of one year.
All other qualified employees will be allowed a maximum initial stay of three years.
For all L-1A employees, requests for extension of stay may be granted in increments of up to an additional two years, until the employee has reached the maximum limit of seven years.
The transferring employee may be accompanied or followed by his or her spouse and unmarried children who are under 21 years of age.
Such family members may seek admission in L-2 nonimmigrant classification and, if approved, generally will be granted the same period of stay as the employee.
If these family members are already in the United States and seeking change of status to or extension of stay in L-2 classification, they may apply collectively, with fee, on Form I-539.
Spouses of L-1 workers may apply for work authorization by filing Form I-765 with fee. If approved, there is no specific restriction as to where the L-2 spouse may work.
Certain organizations may establish the required intracompany relationship in advance of filing individual L-1 petitions by filing a blanket petition.
In order to establish eligibility for blanket L certification, the employer:
The approval of a blanket L petition does not guarantee that an employee will be granted L-1A classification. It does, however, provide the employer with the flexibility to transfer eligible employees to the United States quickly and with short notice without having to file an individual petition with USCIS.
In most cases, once the blanket petition has been approved, the employer need only complete Form I-129S, Nonimmigrant Petition Based on Blanket L Petition, and send it abroad to the employee along with a copy of the blanket petition Approval Notice and other required evidence, so that the employee may present it to a consular officer.
The U.S. employer must file Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, on behalf of the employee with USCIS.
USCIS will review the petition and supporting documentation to ensure all requirements are met.
Once approved, the employee must apply for the L-1A visa at a U.S. consulate or embassy abroad.
Upon approval, the employee may enter the United States and begin working in the executive or managerial capacity.