L Visa

1. Two Types of L Visas

L-1A: Managers & Executives

For:

• Senior managers

• Executives

• Heads of departments

• General managers

Validity:

• Up to 7 years (initial 3 years, extendable)

• For new offices: initial approval often 1 year

Benefits:

• Pathway to EB-1C green card (fast track)

• Can manage teams or functions

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L-1B: Specialized Knowledge

For employees with:

• Deep company-specific knowledge (process, product, system)

• Hard-to-replace expertise

Validity:

• Up to 5 years total

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2. Key Requirements

For the Employee

• Must have worked for the foreign company at least 1 continuous year within the last 3 years

• Must be employed by a qualifying company abroad (same employer, affiliate, parent, subsidiary)

For the Company

• U.S. and foreign offices must be related (parent, child, affiliate, branch)

• The U.S. office must have physical premises (especially for new office petitions)

• Must show ability to support the position (for L-1A managers)