L-1 Visa – Transfer to Your Company’s US Office
The L-1 visa lets a company abroad transfer a manager or specialist to its US branch, subsidiary or affiliate. Business owners often use it to open a US office and move over to run it. The US entity files the petition, there is no set investment amount and citizenship does not matter.
We check how the companies are related and your work history, choose L-1A or L-1B, prepare Form I-129 and handle the visa for you and your family. The lawyer’s work starts at $5,500. USCIS and visa fees are separate.
Need our help?
Tell us about your company and your role. A lawyer will tell you whether L-1 fits and what a new office needs.
Who qualifies for an L-1 visa
The requirements apply to both companies and to you.
- a company operates abroad and has, or is opening, a US branch, subsidiary or affiliate
- you worked for the foreign company for at least one continuous year within the three years before the petition
- in the US you will be a manager or executive (L-1A) or use specialized knowledge of the company’s products, processes or methods (L-1B)
- both companies keep doing business for as long as you hold L-1 status
Specialized knowledge does not have to be unique. It has to go beyond what a typical professional in the field knows and be tied to your company. There is no test of the US labor market.
If you have worked for the company for less than a year, L-1 does not work yet. Treaty-country business owners, including Canadians, can look at the E-2 visa. All routes side by side are on the investor visa page.
How long an L-1 takes
USCIS first decides the I-129. Regular processing times are posted by USCIS, and premium processing is available for $2,965. After approval, the wait depends on the consulate’s interview schedule. Canadians filing at the border skip the consulate.
Visa validity and entries depend on your citizenship – check the reciprocity table for your country.
L-1A or L-1B
| L-1A | L-1B | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | manager or executive | specialized knowledge employee |
| Maximum stay | 7 years | 5 years |
| New office | first petition up to 1 year | also up to 1 year |
| Green card | EB-1C, no labor certification | usually employer sponsorship with PERM |
| Family | L-2, spouse can work | same |
For the full requirements and the move to a green card, see our article on L-1 visa requirements and timeline.
Learn more
- L-1A Intracompany Transferee Executive or Manager – USCIS
- L-1B Intracompany Transferee Specialized Knowledge – USCIS
- Visa Appointment Wait Times – US Department of State
Visa categories
Business and investment
Work and immigration
Travel
How we handle your L-1 case
The work runs in five steps, from checking the companies to extensions.
- The companies. We review ownership and the link between the foreign and US entities – parent, branch, subsidiary or affiliate with the required common ownership.
- A new office, if it is just starting. You need secured premises, a hiring plan and evidence that within a year the office can support a managerial position. A new-office petition is approved for one year at most.
- Form I-129. We describe your duties abroad and in the US, your reports and the budget. For L-1B, what the specialized knowledge is and where you gained it.
- Visa or border filing. After approval we prepare the DS-160 for you and your family and get you ready for the interview. Canadian citizens can instead file the petition with CBP at a land port of entry or pre-clearance station. Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 come on L-2.
- Extensions. The first approval is for up to 3 years, or up to one year for a new office. Extensions come in 2-year steps, up to 7 years for L-1A and 5 years for L-1B.
A large group can get one blanket L petition. The US office must have been doing business for at least a year, the group needs three or more branches, subsidiaries or affiliates, and either ten L approvals in the past 12 months, US sales of $25 million, or 1,000 US employees. Employees then transfer with Form I-129S directly through a consulate.
- corporate structure of both companies – formation documents, ownership records, intercompany agreements
- your year of employment – contract, payroll, internal orders
- the US job description and org chart
- company financials – statements, tax returns, bank records
- for a new office – lease, business plan, hiring plan
Manager or doer
For the owner of a small company the key question is what they will actually do in the US office. If the manager also sells, keeps the books and answers the phone, USCIS sees someone doing the work rather than managing it. So the petition shows who handles day-to-day tasks – staff, contractors or the team abroad – and what the manager spends their time on.
Yulia Golinevich – immigration lawyer
Getting your L-1 visa with our help
The lawyer’s fee covers the principal applicant. The petitioning company pays the USCIS fees, and each traveler pays the visa fee.
Government fees: I-129 for L – $1,385 ($1,335 online), small employers with 25 or fewer employees – $695; Asylum Program Fee – $600, small employers – $300; Fraud Prevention and Detection Fee – $500 on the first petition for an employee; $4,500 if the company has 50+ US employees and more than half are in H-1B or L status; L visa fee – $205 per person; premium processing – $2,965, optional.
Fees follow the USCIS G-1055 fee schedule and Department of State rates as of October 2026.
Want to know more about pricing?
All visa and immigration prices are on one page.
L-1 visa FAQ
Can a business owner get an L-1?
Yes, if they worked for their foreign company for a year and will be a manager in the US. USCIS looks at actual duties rather than ownership, so the petition has to show who does the day-to-day work.
How long can I stay on an L-1?
Up to 7 years as a manager, up to 5 as a specialist, with extensions. After that you must spend a year outside the US before a new L or H status.
Can my spouse work?
Yes. L-2 spouses are work-authorized by status, with an L-2S annotation on the I-94. An EAD is optional. Children under 21 can study but not work.
Can L-1 lead to a green card?
Yes, L-1 allows immigrant intent. Managers usually file under EB-1C with no labor certification. L-1B specialists typically go through employer sponsorship with PERM.
Can Canadians apply for L-1 at the border?
Yes. Under USMCA, a Canadian citizen’s employer can file the L-1 petition with CBP at a Class A land port of entry or a US pre-clearance station in Canada, together with the application for admission.
Do we need to invest a set amount?
No. But the US company must be able to pay your salary and operate, so a new office shows its budget and where the money comes from.
What if the new office is not running after a year?
To extend, you prove the office is doing business and can support a managerial role. Without that evidence the extension can be denied, so the hiring plan and first contracts start from month one.
