L-1A visas are issued to the foreign national employees working in an executive or managerial capacity. In order to get qualified for L-1A visa, executives/managers should have supervisory responsibility for professional staff and/or for a key function, department or subdivision of the employer. This visa document is initially issued for a period of 3 years and may be extended up to a total of 7 years. Intracompany executives/managers have greater options for
green card processing.
L-1B visas are issued to the foreign national employees who will be transferred to the U.S. to fill a job which requires specialized knowledge of the organization's services, products, equipment or other functions. The specialized knowledge must be unique to the organization. Initially, it is granted for a period of 3 years and may be extended up to a total of 5 years.
Upon the expiration of validity period, the foreign national employee must leave the U.S. for an aggregate of 365 days and must work for an affiliate or branch of the U.S. Company during that time.
There are two types of L-1 procedures:
- Regular L-1 visas - which must be applied for and approved for each individual by the USCIS. To qualify for this visa, the petition must be filed with the USCIS.
- Blanket L-1 visas - which are available to employers who hire Intracompany Transferees every year. To qualify for blanket L-1 visa, a petition must be filed with the nearest U.S. Consulate/Embasssy. Along with the petition, the applicant must submit documents supporting personal qualifications.
