The L-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa category in the United States that allows companies to transfer employees from their foreign offices to their offices in the U.S. It is designed to facilitate the temporary intra-company transfer of employees with specialized knowledge or executive/managerial roles. visaarabiesaoudite
There are two subcategories of the L-1 visa:
L-1A Visa: This is for managers and executives who are being transferred to a U.S. office. Managers and executives must have been employed in a managerial or executive capacity for at least one continuous year out of the last three years by the overseas affiliate, parent, subsidiary, or branch of the U.S. employer.visaarabiesaoudite
L-1B Visa: This is for employees with specialized knowledge who are being transferred to a U.S. office. Specialized knowledge refers to an advanced level of expertise in the organization’s processes and procedures, as well as its products, services, research, equipment, techniques, or management. visaarabiesaoudite
Key points about the L-1 visa:
It is a non-immigrant visa, meaning it is temporary.
The employer must have a qualifying relationship with the foreign company (parent, subsidiary, branch, or affiliate). visaarabiesaoudite
The employee must have worked for the foreign employer for at least one continuous year within the three years preceding their admission to the U.S.
The duration of stay initially granted is up to three years, with extensions possible up to a total of seven years for L-1A visa holders and five years for L-1B visa holders. visaarabiesaoudite
The L-1 visa is a valuable option for multinational companies to transfer key personnel to the U.S. while continuing their employment relationship and contributing to the growth of the U.S. operation.