WHAT IS AN L-1 VISA?

AN L-1 VISA IS A VISA DOCUMENT USED TO ENTER THE USA FOR THE PURPOSE OF WORK IN L-1 STATUS.
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  1. It is a non-immigrant visa, and is valid for a specific time based on a reciprocity schedule. With extensions, the maximum stay is seven years.
  2. The applicant must be coming to the USA to provide services to the same employer or a branch office, subsidiary or affiliate.
  3. L-1 visas are available to employees of an international company with offices in both the United States and abroad.  The visa allows such foreign workers to relocate to the corporation’s US office after having worked abroad for the company for at least one continuous year within the previous three prior to admission in the US.
  4. The US and non-US employers must be related in one of four ways: parent and subsidiary; branch and headquarters; sister companies owned by a mutual parent; or “affiliates” owned by the same or people in approximately the same percentages.

The benefits:

      • Spouses of L-1 visa holders are allowed to work without restriction in the US using an L-2.
      • The L-1 visa may legally be used as a stepping stone to a green card under the doctrine of dual intent.
      • L-1 applicants may not be denied a visa on the basis that they are an intending immigrant to the United States, or that they do not have a residence abroad which they do not intend to abandon.
      • In 2010, the U.S Citizenship and Immigration (USCIS) approved 74,719 L-1 visas, out of 91,086 applications (a refusal rate of 18%). In contrast, the same document reports a refusal rate of 21% for the H-1B non-immigrant skilled employment visa (117,409 approvals out of 147,937 applicants) and an overall refusal rate of 23% for all non-immigrant visa categories listed (6,275,540 approvals out of 8,142,444 applicants).
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Types of L-1 visas:

 

The L-1 visa has two subcategories and procedures:

 

  • Regular L-1 visas, which must be applied for and approved for each individual by the USCIS:
    • L-1A for executives and managers, valid up to 7 years.
    • L-1B for workers with specialized knowledge, valid up to 5 years.

 

After the expiration of the 7 or 5 years respectively, the foreign national can generally only qualify for L-1 status again by working abroad for at least 1 year for the parent, subsidiary, affiliate or branch office of the U.S. company.

 

  • Blanket L-1 visas, which are available to employers that meet certain criteria.

In the case of a blanket L-1 visa petition, it has already been determined by USCIS that the company qualifies for the issuance of Intracompany Transferee visa.

FAQs

 

Can an L-1A Visa holder apply for a green card?

Yes. After one year in L-1A status, an L-1 A visa holder can apply for a Green Card without going through the process of Labor Certification.

Can the spouse and children of an L-1 Visa holder work in the USA?

Yes. As long as the L-1 visa is valid, the spouse and children under 21 can get a work permit in USA.

Can an L-2 visa holder start a business?

Yes.

Is there a quota or limit for L Visa category each year?

No.