Description
There are two kinds of L visas:
- L-1A-for employees in an executive or managerial position, and
- L-1B-for employees in a specialized knowledge capacity
The L-1 visa is a non-immigrant work visa for employees in a specialized knowledge capacity or an executive or managerial position who are being transferred from a foreign company to a U.S. subsidiary, branch, affiliate or parent of the original foreign company. There are no limits to the number of L-1 visas that the US Immigration Service can issue per year and the petitioning company does not have to obtain a prevailing wage approval or file any documents with the Department of Labor. L-1 visa aliens may possess dual intent, allowing them to apply for a permanent residency concurrently with the L application. L-1A aliens do not need to go through the labor certification process when applying for permanent residency, however, L-1B aliens do.
There is currently a premium processing option, which for an additional $1,000 in filing fees, the US Immigration Service will commit to process the application within 15 calendar days from receipt of the application. Processing the application does not mean that there will necessarily be a final decision after 15 days, but rather that there will be a response after this time. This response may be a visa approval, a denial or it may also include a request for additional documentation from the petitioner or the employer. Click here for more information on premium processing.
Who Is Eligible
Employees who are being transferred from a foreign subsidiary, branch, affiliate or parent of a U.S. company:
- who are in a specialized knowledge capacity or an executive or managerial position and
- have been employed for at least one continuous year during the past three years, with the foreign subsidiary, branch, affiliate or parent of the U.S. company applying for them.