L-1 Intracompany Transfer: bring your company to the U.S.
If you own or manage a company abroad, the L-1 lets you transfer to a related U.S. office, or open a new one, and run it here. The foreign and U.S. companies must be related as parent, branch, subsidiary, or affiliate, and both must keep doing business during your stay.
L-1A is for executives and managers. L-1B is for employees with specialized knowledge of the company's products, services, or processes. In either case, you must have worked for the foreign company for at least one continuous year within the last three years.
Opening a new U.S. office? The first L-1 for a new office is usually granted for one year, so the business plan, office space, and hiring timeline matter from day one. L-1A executives and managers may later qualify for a green card in the EB-1C category without a labor certification.
Thinking about expanding to the U.S.? Schedule a consultation with immigration attorney Galina Urman to plan the transfer and the U.S. company setup together.