L-1

The L-1 is the United States' intra-company transfer visa. It lets multinational employers move existing staff from an overseas office to a US branch, subsidiary, affiliate or parent company. It comes in two forms: L-1A for executives and managers, and L-1B for employees with specialised knowledge of the company's products, services, processes or systems.

The L-1 is attractive precisely because it sidesteps the H-1B's biggest obstacles. There is no annual cap, no wage-weighted lottery and no $100,000 supplemental fee, so it is unaffected by the 2026 H-1B changes. It also allows dual intent, and L-2 spouses are automatically authorised to work.

For companies it is the standard tool for opening a US presence or rotating leadership, and the L-1A in particular dovetails neatly with the EB-1C green card for multinational managers - one of the fastest employment-based permanent-residence routes. The L-1 is best suited to genuine multinationals with a real, ongoing overseas operation.

You must have worked for the overseas entity continuously for at least one year within the three years immediately before the transfer. That foreign employer and the US entity must have a qualifying relationship - parent, branch, subsidiary or affiliate.

For an L-1A you must be moving into an executive or managerial role; for an L-1B you must possess specialised knowledge that is not readily available in the US labour market. New-office L-1 petitions are possible when the US entity has been operating for less than a year, but they receive heightened scrutiny and are granted for only one year initially. There is no minimum salary or degree requirement, though the role and your qualifications must be credible and well documented.

Your employer files Form I-129 with USCIS, with the L supplement, evidence of the qualifying corporate relationship, your one year of qualifying overseas employment, and a detailed description of both your foreign and US roles.

Large multinationals that transfer staff frequently can use a Blanket L petition, which pre-approves the corporate relationship; individual employees then apply directly at a US consulate using Form I-129S, bypassing a separate USCIS petition. For individual petitions, premium processing ($2,805) returns a decision in 15 business days.

If you are outside the US, approval is followed by a DS-160 application and a consular interview, where you should be ready to explain the corporate structure, your managerial duties or specialised knowledge, and the business reason for the transfer. If you are already in the US in valid status, the petition can request a change of status. New-office petitions require extra evidence - a business plan, premises, and proof the office can support the role within a year.

Government fees include the base I-129 filing fee, the $500 fraud prevention and detection fee, and the asylum program fee; new-office and Blanket cases carry additional charges. Premium processing adds $2,805. The DS-160 visa application fee is $205 per applicant for consular cases. There is no $100,000 supplemental fee and no ACWIA training fee. Hidden costs include legal fees ($3,000-$8,000, usually employer-paid given the documentation burden), corporate-relationship evidence preparation, and relocation expenses. Blanket L cases reduce per-employee USCIS costs for high-volume transferors.

A standard individual I-129 petition typically takes two to four months; premium processing cuts that to 15 business days. Blanket L applicants skip the USCIS petition entirely and go straight to a consular interview, where wait times depend on the post. New-office L-1 petitions are approved for only one year and must be extended after the US operation demonstrates real activity. After approval and visa issuance, you may enter the US and begin the transferred role immediately.

L-1A status is granted for up to seven years total, L-1B for up to five years. New-office petitions start with one year before extensions. You may work only for the petitioning employer in the approved role. L-2 spouses are automatically work-authorised on the basis of their status, and children may attend school.

The L-1 allows dual intent. L-1A executives and managers have a strong, fast green card path through the EB-1C category for multinational managers, which requires no PERM labour certification. L-1B holders typically pursue EB-2 or EB-3, which do require PERM. Time spent in L-1A status often directly supports the EB-1C managerial-capacity requirement, making early green card planning worthwhile.