🇺🇸 United States · Work Visa
L-1 Intracompany Transferee
Transfer from a foreign office to a US office of the same employer. L-1A for managers/executives, L-1B for specialised-knowledge employees.
- Scoring
- Employer-sponsored
- Timeline
- 15d–4mo
- Est. cost
- $6K
- Category
- Work Visa
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The L-1 is the intracompany transfer visa. If you've worked for a multinational employer abroad for at least 12 months out of the past three years and that employer has (or is opening) a US office, the US entity can sponsor you to transfer in, without the H-1B lottery and usually faster than every other employer-sponsored route.
There are two flavours. L-1A is for executives and managers; it allows up to seven years of US stay and is the cleanest bridge to an EB-1C green card (executive/manager category, no PERM). L-1B is for specialised-knowledge employees and caps at five years; it's harder to win in 2025-2026 because USCIS scrutinises 'specialised knowledge' tightly and routinely RFEs cases that lean on general industry skills rather than proprietary, company-specific expertise.
L-1 has a useful 'new office' variant for companies that don't yet have US operations. A founder or senior exec opens the US entity, files L-1A on themselves, and gets one year to establish the business, at the end of which they extend if the entity has grown to a real, operating organisation with employees and revenue.
Is this visa for you?
A strong fit if you…
- You've worked at a multinational for at least 12 months overseas (in the past 3 years) and the same employer is moving you to a US office in a managerial or executive role.
- You're a founder whose non-US company is opening a US office, L-1A new office is the cleanest path in.
- You want a bridge to a green card with no PERM. L-1A → EB-1C is one of the fastest green card paths available, especially for executives.
- You're a senior IC with genuinely proprietary, company-specific knowledge (not just industry skills), L-1B can work, but be honest about the specialised-knowledge bar.
Look elsewhere if you…
- You're moving between unrelated employers. L-1 is exclusively for transfers within a multinational corporate family, parent, subsidiary, branch, or affiliate.
- You've been at the foreign employer less than 12 months in the past three years. There's no waiver of the 12-month rule.
- You're a mid-level engineer claiming 'specialised knowledge' for skills that any senior engineer in your industry has. USCIS denies these.
Key requirements
- 1+ year of employment at a qualifying foreign affiliate (in prior 3 years)
- Transferring to a US office of the same multinational
- Managerial/executive role (L-1A) or specialised knowledge (L-1B)
Eligibility, in plain English
12 months at the foreign affiliate
You need 12 months of full-time employment at a qualifying foreign affiliate within the three years before transfer. Time on the foreign payroll is what counts, internships, contractor relationships, and brief assignments don't. The 12 months don't need to be continuous; they need to total 12 months in the qualifying period.
Qualifying corporate relationship
The US and foreign entities must have a qualifying relationship, parent, branch, subsidiary, or affiliate. Affiliate status requires common ownership and control (typically 50%+ common ownership). The petition has to document the corporate structure with corporate filings, ownership records, and organisational charts.
L-1A: executive or managerial role
Executive: directs the management of the organisation, exercises wide latitude in discretionary decision-making, supervises managers or other professional employees. Managerial: manages a function or essential function (not just supervises day-to-day work). USCIS reads these definitions strictly. 'Manages a team of engineers' is closer to first-line supervision than managerial.
L-1B: specialised knowledge
Knowledge of the company's products, services, research, equipment, techniques, management, or other interests, and advanced knowledge of its processes and procedures. The bar in 2025-2026 is hard: USCIS wants company-specific knowledge that an ordinary worker in the industry wouldn't have, not just general industry expertise. Proprietary algorithms, internal systems, confidential business methods all work; general AWS skills don't.
New office variant
If the US entity has been doing business for less than a year, L-1 'new office' applies. Initial validity is one year (instead of three), and the extension requires showing the US entity has grown into a real operating business, employees hired, revenue generated, office space secured. Founders use this routinely to set up US operations.
Duration: 7 years (L-1A) or 5 years (L-1B)
L-1A: initial 3 years (1 year for new office), then extensions to a maximum of 7 years. L-1B: initial 3 years (1 year for new office), then extensions to a maximum of 5 years. After the cap you must leave the US for one year before re-applying, unless you've moved to a different status by then.
How the application actually goes
- 01
Confirm qualifying employment and corporate relationship
Verify 12 months at the foreign entity within the past 3 years. Document the corporate relationship between the US and foreign entities, ownership records, articles of incorporation, organisational charts, tax filings.
1-2 weeks
- 02
Choose category and prepare petition
L-1A or L-1B based on role. For L-1A, document the executive or managerial nature of the role, organisational chart, scope of authority, supervised staff. For L-1B, build the specialised-knowledge argument with concrete examples of company-specific expertise.
3-6 weeks
- 03
File I-129 with USCIS
US entity files Form I-129 with the L supplement. Premium processing ($2,805) gives a 15-business-day decision. Without premium, 2-4 months. L-1B RFE rates remain elevated in 2025-2026, budget for the possibility.
15 business days (premium) or 2-4 months
- 04
Consulate stamping if outside the US
If you're abroad, take the approval notice to a US consulate for the visa stamp. Wait times vary, major posts (London, Toronto, Mumbai) typically 1-6 weeks. Canadian citizens skip the stamp entirely and present the approval at the border.
1-8 weeks
- 05
Enter the US and start working
On entry CBP gives you up to three years (or one year for new office). Extensions filed before expiry; in-country extensions handled by USCIS.
- 06
Long-term: extend or move to green card
L-1A: extensions to 7 years; common to file EB-1C green card during years 3-5. L-1B: extensions to 5 years; usually need a different green card category (EB-2, EB-3 with PERM, or EB-2 NIW).
What it costs
USCIS I-129 filing fee
$695 for small employers
$1,385
Asylum Program Fee
$300 small, $0 non-profit
$600
Fraud Prevention Fee
Initial L-1 only
$500
Premium processing
Optional
$2,805
L-1 blanket petition fee (if applicable)
For employers with approved blanket L
$510
Consulate visa fee
Plus issuance fee in some countries
$205
Legal fees
Higher for L-1B and new office cases
$4,000-9,000
Total typical employer cost
$8,000-15,000
Common pitfalls
- Misclassifying a first-line supervisor as an L-1A manager. USCIS specifically distinguishes managerial roles from team-lead or shift-lead roles. A genuine L-1A manager directs other managers or controls an essential function with discretionary authority.
- L-1B petitions that rest on industry skills rather than company-specific knowledge. 'Senior cloud architect' is not specialised knowledge. 'Architect of the company's proprietary fraud detection system used by 200+ enterprise customers' might be.
- New office cases that don't show real progress at the one-year extension. USCIS wants employees hired, revenue earned, leases signed, customers acquired. Coming back at year one with 'still ramping up' usually means the extension denial.
- Corporate relationship documentation that doesn't establish common ownership and control. Affiliates need 50%+ common ownership; subsidiaries need majority ownership by the parent. Loose 'we work together' relationships don't qualify.
- Forgetting the 12-month tenure clock. Time as a contractor, intern, or on a different employer's payroll doesn't count. Verify the qualifying employment is on the formal payroll of the qualifying entity.
- Founders filing L-1A new office without a credible business plan. The petition needs to show how the US entity will become a real, viable business, office, hires, customers, revenue path. Vague plans get RFE'd or denied.
Consider these instead
US
O-1A Extraordinary Ability
If you have awards, press, or publications, O-1A is sponsor-flexible (employer or agent) and bypasses the 12-month tenure requirement entirely.
Read more →
US
E-2 Treaty Investor
If you're a national of an E-2 treaty country and would prefer an investment-based route, E-2 has unlimited renewals and is good for founders self-financing US operations.
Read more →
US
H-1B Specialty Occupation
If you don't have the qualifying multinational relationship but have a US employer ready to sponsor and a related degree, H-1B is the conventional fallback (with lottery risk).
Read more →
Frequently asked
Can L-1 lead to a green card?
Yes, and L-1A to EB-1C is one of the fastest paths. EB-1C uses essentially the same managerial/executive standard as L-1A and doesn't require PERM labour certification. L-1B holders typically move to EB-2 or EB-3 (with PERM) or EB-2 NIW for the green card.
What counts as 12 months of qualifying employment?
Full-time employment on the payroll of a qualifying foreign affiliate within the three years immediately before the L-1 petition. Brief breaks are fine if total time hits 12 months. Time as a contractor or on a parent of a parent doesn't count unless the corporate relationship is direct.
Can my spouse work on L-2?
Yes. L-2 spouses get automatic work authorisation incident to status, no separate EAD application needed since the 2022 USCIS policy update. L-2 children can study but not work.
How is L-1B different from L-1A?
L-1A is for executives and managers with up to 7 years of US stay and a clean EB-1C green card path. L-1B is for specialised-knowledge employees with up to 5 years and harder green card alignment. L-1B RFE rates run substantially higher than L-1A because the 'specialised knowledge' standard is genuinely hard to evidence.
What's an L-1 blanket petition?
Large multinationals can pre-qualify the corporate structure via an L blanket petition, letting individual employees apply for L-1 directly at consulates (rather than filing I-129 in the US first). Blanket petitions require meeting size, sales, and existing L-1 thresholds. They're efficient for high-volume transfer programmes.
Can I open a US entity and file L-1 on myself?
Yes, this is the L-1A new office route. You need a real foreign business with you as a qualifying employee for 12 months, then you incorporate the US entity, secure office space and a business plan, and file L-1A. Initial validity is one year; the extension requires showing the entity has grown into a real operating business.
How long does L-1 take?
Premium processing decides in 15 business days. Without premium, 2-4 months. Canadian citizens at land borders can file the L-1 at the port of entry under NAFTA/USMCA procedures and get same-day adjudication in many cases.
Other United States visas
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3-year work visa for individuals with extraordinary ability in sciences, business, education, or athletics. Requires a US sponsor.
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O-1B Extraordinary Ability (Arts)
Same O-1 framework but for arts, film, and TV. Slightly different criteria emphasising commercial/critical success.
Permanent Residency
EB-1A Extraordinary Ability (Green Card)
Self-petitioned green card for individuals at the very top of their field. No employer sponsor needed.
Permanent Residency
EB-1B Outstanding Professor / Researcher
Green card for academic researchers and professors with 3+ years of experience and a US job offer from a university or research institution.
Permanent Residency
EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver)
Self-petitioned green card waiving the job-offer requirement, on the basis that the candidate's work is in the US national interest.
Work Visa
H-1B Specialty Occupation
Lottery-based work visa for specialty occupations. Requires a sponsoring US employer and a bachelor's degree or equivalent.
Ready when you are
Find your immigration path.
Pick where you're headed. We score you against every visa we cover in that country.
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