The L1 visa is a non-immigrant visa which allows foreign companies to send a manager, executive, or any employee with specialized knowledge to a US company. The organization can be a parent-subsidiary, branch office or affiliate of a foreign firm.
What is an L1 Visa?
The L1 visa is a non-immigrant visa which allows foreign companies to send a manager, executive, or any employee with specialized knowledge to a US company. The organization can be a parent-subsidiary, branch office or affiliate of a foreign firm.
If you are an employer whose organization is present in the New Jersey, Texas, California, new york or anywhere in U.S or if you wish to establish your own office, the L-1 visa can help in transferring the skilled employees to the U.S. office to expand your company. The L1 visa is allocated to a person who is already employed by the company and being transferred to an American office. The person who is issued the L1 Visa is called an intracompany transferees.
Types of L1 Visa?
L-1A:Â L-1A visas are issued to employees who are transferred and must work for the US firm as managers and executives. Managers supervise the team, monitor the work of employees and oversee the company or a branch of the company. Executives make policy decisions.
L-1B: The visa is specifically called an L1B visa when an employee will perform duties as a person requiring specialized knowledge. The person either has advanced knowledge of the company’s strategies or outstanding knowledge of the company’s products/services.
L1 Visa Eligibility?
To issue L-1A and L-1B visas, employers need to file a petition to obtain approval of qualified employees to be permitted to work and stay in the United States. The L-1A visa is for intracompany transferees who must be in managerial or executive positions in a company which should be located outside the United States. The L-1B visa is for intracompany transferees who must be in a position requiring specialized knowledge.
What Are The L1 Visa Requirements ?
For applying for an L-1 visa, it’s mandatory that both the employee and the employer fulfil the below requirements. There are two major requirements:
- Employer Requirements: The employer in the US and its foreign branch that hires the applicant abroad should have a healthy relationship. Also, till the time a visa holder stays in the US, the employer must be doing business in the US and the qualifying relationship between the Domestic and Foreign entity should continue to exist.
- Employee Requirements: The candidate must have been employed by the foreign employer for at least one continuous year within the last 3 years, in a managerial, executive, or specialized knowledge profession.
Process of The l1 visa Application?
Here is the process of the application-defined:
- Form I-129: Employers must first fill out this form not more than 6 months before the job begins and submit supporting documentation to the USCIS to show that that the employer and employees meet the requirements.
- Consular Processing: If the Employee is outside the country, The employee must appear for an interview at their residence country’s consulate or embassy. They need to fill out the Form DS-160.
Duration of The Process?
The period of processing the application varies it depends on the service centre that is processing the case. If the person is outside the country, the visa processing time will depend on the country of residence. The process at the USCIS can take from 6-8 months. You can upgrade to premium processing for a 30 day processing. Premium processing charges a fee of $2,500.
How We Can Help
If you have any questions about the L1 visa or work visa, email me directly at prashanthi@reddesq.com or call us at (212) 354-1010. My team of US immigration lawyers and I would be happy to help you get your L1 visa.
