What is an L1 visa?
The L-1 Visa is for intracompany transfers of executives, managers, and individuals with specialized knowledge from a foreign entity to its affiliate, or subsidiary entity in the United States. For example: If John Smith is the CEO of Koke Enterprise in Germany and is now being transferred to run an existing office or to start the new U.S. office of Koke LLC, he may be eligible for the L-1 visa as an executive being transferred for an executive position to an affiliate or subsidiary company.
Who can qualify for an L-1 Visa?
The L-1 visa is a solution for companies who need to transfer executives, managers, and employees with specialized knowledge to their offices in the U.S. To qualify for an L-1 Visa, the following general requirements must be met:
- The US company must have a qualifying relationship with a foreign company (parent company, branch, subsidiary, or affiliate, collectively referred to as qualifying organizations); and
- Currently be, or will be, doing business as an employer in the United States and in at least one other country directly or through a qualifying organization for the duration of the beneficiary’s stay in the United States as an L-1.
- Generally, the Beneficiary must have been working for a qualifying organization abroad for one continuous year within the three years immediately preceding his or her admission to the United States.
- The beneficiary must be seeking to enter the United States for an executive or managerial position, or a form of specialized knowledge.
Privileges of the L-1 and L-2 visa holders
- Can seek a change of status within the United States or obtain through consular processing.
- Allowed to seek extensions of status for up to 7 years, or 5 years for positions of specialized knowledge.
- The spouse of the L-1 visa holder will receive L-2 status, as well as unmarried children under the age of 21. The L-2 recipient spouse is eligible for work.
- Would you like to convert your L1 visa into a Green Card? The L-1 visa holder could be eligible for permanent residence (green card) through an EB1 visa petition.
- The beneficiary can be the owner/majority shareholder of both companies.
- Eligible for premium processing for faster adjudication.
What is the L1-B Visa?
The L-1B nonimmigrant classification enables a U.S. employer to transfer a professional employee with specialized knowledge relating to the organization’s interests from one of its affiliated foreign offices to one of its offices in the United States. This classification also enables a foreign company that does not yet have an affiliated U.S. office to send a specialized knowledge employee to the United States to help establish one.
Why Should You Seek an Experienced L-1 Visa Attorney?
Immigration attorneys can assist with ensuring the U.S. office and foreign entity are qualifying organizations, guidance with qualifying businesses or enterprise types, and creating a long-term plan to ensure all members of family, including children, obtain and maintain their benefits of L-1. Not all businesses have good models for L-1 visas, and an experienced attorney can discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different business models. Mubarak law offers company formation services for their investor visas clients.
Many clients need assistance with an Arabic or Spanish speaking immigration attorney to help navigate their case through the complex immigration laws. Attorney Mubarak speaks English, Arabic, and Spanish. We can also assist you in Portuguese. We have successfully assisted clients from Venezuela, Brazil, Italy, Dubai, Palestine, India, Egypt, Panama, and Mauritius seeking L-1 status. Our office has an incredible track record for successful L-1 cases. Please feel free to some of our results, and client reviews.
If you are interested in seeking an L-1 visa for one of your employees, please call us at (407) 502-3000 or fill out our online form provided on this page and our Orlando L-1 Visa attorney will get back to you shortly. Your privacy is very important to us and we will keep your information confidential.
