Last Updated on February 2, 2024 by Linda Lee
Non-Immigrant Visas for Workers
An L-1 visa allows a foreign worker of an international company to relocate to the company’s office in the United States, on the condition that he or she has worked abroad for at least one uninterrupted year within the three years prior to admittance. It is a non-immigrant visa that is valid for a period that is determined by a reciprocity schedule. Extensions are allowed, although a stay with this visa cannot extend beyond seven years. The international company the applicant works for must have one of the following types of relations with the U.S. office:
- Parent and subsidiary;
- Brand and headquarters;
- Sister companies owned by a mutual parent; or
- “Affiliates” owned by the same groups or people with similar percentages.
The experienced southern California immigration law attorneys at the Immigration Law Office of Los Angeles, P.C. can guide you through the process of applying for an L-1 visa so you don’t make any mistakes that may delay your admission into the U.S. We are quite proficient in this field of law and have efficiently handled many immigration cases before with satisfactory results. For more information about the services we provide, please call us today at (866) 935-3257.
TYPES OF L-1 VISAS
There are two subcategories for the L-1 visa. Executives and managers should apply for the L-1A visa, while workers with specialized knowledge should apply for the L-1B visa. A foreign employee with an L-1A visa can stay in the U.S. no more than seven years, L-1B no more than five years.
Applicants may go through one of two processes for the L-1:
- Regular L-1 Visa: Each foreign employee of a company must individually apply for this visa and be approved by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
- Blanket L-1 Visa: An employer can qualify all of their employees if they meet certain requirements.
Qualifying companies may be issued an Intracompany Transferee visa, which allows their employees to attain an L-1 visa just by providing a copy of the approved blanket petition in addition to documents that detail their qualifications for the position.
L-1 VISA APPLICATION PROCESS
An employee must file a petition with the USCIS on Form I-129 in order to initialize the L-1 visa application process. The petition should be accompanied by supporting documentation that shows the company and its U.S. counterpart meets the requirements under immigration laws and regulations. If approved, the USCIS grants the employee a Notice of Action, Form I-797, which can be used as a supporting document for visa issuance at the jurisdictional US consulate or embassy.
HELPING CLIENTS NAVIGATE COMPLEX IMMIGRATION ISSUES
Our office will provide you with an individualized assessment of the employee and employer’s qualifications to determine what visa is the best fit for your particular situation. Because of our many years of experience with these types of cases, our firm is confident that we can guide you and effectively represent you with filing an approvable L-1 visa application. Our office ensures that our clients’ applications are in line with USCIS’s most recent requirements, policy memos and regulations. When you work with our office, we make certain that we provide you with detailed responses to all of your questions and concerns. We will maintain constant communication with you and provide you with the care and professionalism your case deserves.
To get started on your case, please get in touch with us today.
