Non-Immigrant Visas
L-1
Intracompany Transferee
Transfer to the United States within your multinational organization.
An L‑1 visa is a temporary U.S. work visa that allows a multinational company to transfer a manager, executive, or employee with specialized knowledge from one of its foreign offices to a related U.S. entity. The foreign and U.S. companies must have a qualifying relationship, such as parent, branch, subsidiary, or affiliate, and the employee must have worked for the foreign company full‑time for at least one continuous year within the three years before coming to the United States. L‑1 status is available in two main categories: L‑1A for managers and executives, and L‑1B for workers with specialized knowledge of the company's products, services, systems, or procedures.
The L‑1 visa is often used when a foreign company wants to expand into the U.S. market or strengthen its U.S. operations. In some cases, it can also be used to send a qualifying employee to help open or manage a new U.S. office. Unlike some other work visas, the L‑1 does not require a specific minimum wage level set by the government or a labor condition application, but the position must be legitimate and the compensation must be consistent with the employee's role and responsibilities.
Because the eligibility rules and documentation requirements are detailed and closely scrutinized, careful planning matters for the L‑1 case and for any later green card application. ByLaw helps multinational companies and key employees evaluate eligibility, structure qualifying corporate relationships, prepare strong L‑1 petitions (including new office cases), and plan long‑term options such as EB‑1C green cards. If you are considering transferring to or expanding in the United States on an L‑1 visa, we can guide you through each step.
Eligibility Criteria
Foreign Employment Requirement: You have worked full-time for a qualifying foreign company (parent, branch, subsidiary, or affiliate of the U.S. entity) for at least one continuous year within the last three years.
Specific Professional Role: You are coming to the U.S. to work for a related U.S. company in an executive, managerial (L-1A), or specialized knowledge (L-1B) role.
Corporate Relationship: The foreign and U.S. companies have a qualifying corporate relationship and both are actively doing business (or, for a new office, have a credible plan to do so).
Position Genuineness: Your offered position in the U.S. is genuine, primarily managerial/executive or truly requires your specialized, company-specific knowledge.
Intent and Compliance: You intend to work only for the petitioning U.S. employer in the approved L-1 role and you meet any additional requirements for that specific position.
“The L-1 lets a multinational company bring its own people to the U.S. without going through the H-1B lottery.”
How We Help
Our L-1 Services
L-1A Petitions
Manager and executive petitions prepared to meet the strict USCIS standards for managerial capacity.
L-1B Petitions
Petitions showing special knowledge of the company's products, services, or other interests and how they apply in international markets, or advanced knowledge of its processes and procedures.
New Office Petitions
Full business plan development and supporting documentation for companies establishing a US presence.
Blanket L Petitions
Corporate-wide blanket petition programs for large multinationals with frequent transferee needs.
Extensions
L-1A extensions up to 7 years; L-1B extensions up to 5 years with ongoing compliance review.
EB-1C Green Card Strategy
Planning the move from L-1A status to an EB-1C green card, including timing the I-140 and the use of premium processing.
How We Work
Our Approach
Relationship & Role Analysis
We verify the qualifying corporate relationship and assess whether the role meets L-1A or L-1B criteria.
Evidence Compilation
We build the evidentiary record: org charts, financial statements, employment history, role descriptions.
Petition Filing
For individual L-1 petitions, we prepare and file Form I-129 with the L Supplement with USCIS, and guide clients through consular visa processing where needed. For companies seeking blanket L approval, we help with the initial petition and then with Form I-129S for eligible employees.
Green Card Planning
For L-1A holders, we start EB-1C green card planning at the same time.
L-1 FAQ
Initial L‑1 status is usually granted for up to three years, with a total maximum of seven years for L‑1A managers/executives and five years for L‑1B specialized knowledge workers. Time spent physically outside the United States for work or travel can sometimes be recaptured to extend your stay within those limits.
Yes. Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can usually accompany you in L‑2 dependent status. L‑2 spouses are generally eligible to work in the United States once they are admitted in that status, while L‑2 children may study but are not authorized to work.
An L‑1 visa does not automatically convert to a green card, but it is a "dual‑intent" status and can be a good path toward employment‑based permanent residence. Many L‑1A managers and executives qualify for an EB‑1C multinational manager/executive green card, and L‑1B workers may pursue other employment‑based categories through their employers.
"Better" depends on your situation. L‑1 visas do not require a degree in a specific field, are not subject to an annual lottery, and may offer a faster route to an EB‑1C green card for qualifying managers and executives, but they are limited to multinational transferees and require a qualifying corporate relationship. H‑1B visas are more widely available for professionals with at least a bachelor's degree in a specialty occupation, but they face a strict annual cap and lottery and have different wage and compliance requirements.
The cost depends on the type of petition and the employer's situation. Besides the USCIS filing fee, the Asylum Program Fee, the fraud prevention and detection fee, and other required fees may apply. Consular visa fees and the optional premium processing fee can add to the total. Legal fees depend on the scope and complexity of the case. Before we start, we go over which fees apply to you and what costs to expect.
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Ready to start your L-1 process?
We offer a confidential consultation to understand your situation and outline your options, in English or Türkçe.