What is the procedure to apply for a L1 visa?
Your L1 petition documents must include:
- Documentation verifying the corporate relationship between the U.S. ...
- Documentation verifying capitalization structure of the company (e.g. ...
- Detailed job description and requirements for the position – In case of a specialized knowledge position, detailed description of your unique knowledge to be used by the U.S. ...
How much cost to apply for L1 visa?
L-1 visa filing fee: $460. The first part of the L1 visa petitioning process will be for the organization to complete, sign and file form I-129 with USCIS.. This applies whether the application is for an L-1A worker in a managerial or executive position or an L-1B specialized knowledge worker.. Filing form I-129 incurs a charge of $460 for the employer, which is to be paid at the same time as ...
What are the requirements for L1 visa?
To qualify for an L-1 Blanket Petition, the company must:
- have at least three offices, whether in the US or abroad;
- have an office that has been doing business in the US for at least one year;
- plus meet at least one of the following criteria: have filed at least ten successful L-1 petitions in the preceding twelve months; have minimum 1000 employees based in the US; ...
What does a L1 visa mean in the USA?
What are the benefits of an L-1?
- Fast Processing Times. Average processing time is between 3-6 months. ...
- Work Authorization. Spouses are permitted to apply for work authorization once they enter the US to work for any US employer.
- Tax Advantages. The L-1 is a non-immigrant visa, which means it does not offer permanent residency (Green Card). ...
- Transition to Green Card. ...
Who is eligible for L1 visa?
Under U.S. immigration law, a worker qualifies for an L-1 visa if the person has been employed outside the U.S. by the sponsoring company for at least one continuous year out of the past three years, and is being transferred to the U.S. to work as a manager, executive, or specialized knowledge worker.
How does an L1 visa work?
L-1A and L-1B visas may be issued when an employer files a petition to obtain authorization for qualified employees to be allowed to work and live in the United States. The L-1A visa is for intracompany transferees who work in managerial or executive positions in a company that is located outside the United States.
What type of visa is L-1?
intra-company transfer U.S. visaThe L-1 visa is an intra-company transfer U.S. visa. It allows a U.S. company to transfer a key employee from one of its offices in another country into the United States.
How long does an L1 visa last?
How Long Does the L-1A Visa Last? The L-1A visa has an initial period of stay of three years. Individuals can apply for renewals and may receive two extensions granted in two-year increments. This means individuals on an L-1A visa can remain in the U.S. for a total of seven years.
Is L1 visa difficult to get?
However, despite all of these benefits, the L-1 is not the easiest work visa to obtain. This is because the USCIS is becoming stricter with who qualifies as a manager, executive, or employee with specialized knowledge. The L-1A category is for managers and executives.
What is the salary on L1 visa?
Taxes you pay in the US as H1B or L1 Visa holder For example, If you make about $60,000 USD per year in the USA, which is $5000 per month (Gross Salary). For instance, if you live in a state like Wisconsin, your take-home Net Salary would be $3,600 per month ( approximate).
Can L1 visa lead to green card?
The L1 visa is a non-immigrant visa and so it is temporary and does not directly lead to a green card. In order to go from an L1 visa to a green card, you must apply for and get approved for an immigrant visa classification.
Which is better L-1 or H1B?
H1B has stringent requirements while L1 Visa is more suitable for multinationals and is less time consuming than H1B visas. Also, L-1 and H-1B have ˜dual intent in that visa holders in both categories can aim for green card while staying as a nonimmigrant in the United States.
Can your spouse work on L1 visa?
Spouses and Dependents Can Work If you are in the U.S. on L-1 status, you will be able to bring your spouse and children along with you through the L2 visa. Also, if they qualify for Employment Authorization Documents, they will be able to work in the U.S. as well.
How long does it take to get an L-1 visa for USA?
between 6 to 12 monthsStandard L-1 visa processing usually takes between 6 to 12 months. This includes processing of the I-129 petition, which can take up to six months, and consulate processing which can be expected to take up to six months or longer. If the employer is applying under a Blanket L, processing can be reduced to 1-3 weeks.
How long is L-1 visa interview?
The standard processing time of L1 visa applications is 6 to 12 months. However, if you apply under the L1 Blanket, the application takes approximately 1 to 3 weeks. The standard processing time of L1 visa applications is 6 to 12 months.
How long does it take to get L-1 visa approved?
Generally, the average L1 visa application time can be between six months to a year, depending on the consulate or embassy the application is filed at and the quality and circumstances of the application. This is usually no difference in the processing times between the L1A and L1B classifications.
How long does the L1 visa process take?
between 6 to 12 monthsStandard L-1 visa processing usually takes between 6 to 12 months. This includes processing of the I-129 petition, which can take up to six months, and consulate processing which can be expected to take up to six months or longer. If the employer is applying under a Blanket L, processing can be reduced to 1-3 weeks.
Is L1 visa better than H1B?
H1B has stringent requirements while L1 Visa is more suitable for multinationals and is less time consuming than H1B visas. Also, L-1 and H-1B have ˜dual intent in that visa holders in both categories can aim for green card while staying as a nonimmigrant in the United States.
Can L1 visa lead to green card?
The L1 visa is a non-immigrant visa and so it is temporary and does not directly lead to a green card. In order to go from an L1 visa to a green card, you must apply for and get approved for an immigrant visa classification.
How long does it take to get L1 visa approved?
Generally, the average L1 visa application time can be between six months to a year, depending on the consulate or embassy the application is filed at and the quality and circumstances of the application. This is usually no difference in the processing times between the L1A and L1B classifications.
What Is the L-1A Visa?
The L-1A visa is for foreign nationals who have worked aboard at a foreign affiliate of the sponsoring U.S. entity in an executive or managerial capacity.
How many categories are there under the L-1 visa?
There are two categories under the L-1 visa:
How Long Does the L-1B Last?
The L-1B visa has an initial period of stay of three years. Individuals can apply for renewals and may receive one extension granted in a two-year increment. This means individuals on the L-1B visa could potentially stay in the U.S. for a total of five years.
How many extensions can an L-1A have?
It’s also important to note that an L-1A could have more than one, two or three extensions if the L-1A visa holder travels outside the U.S. They get to recapture that time, meaning someone could potentially stay in the U.S. for an even longer period of time. We recommend speaking to an attorney for more information.
How long do you have to be employed to get a L-1 visa?
for at least one continuous year in the preceding three years at a qualifying foreign entity. There are two categories under the L-1 visa: Both categories have their own eligibility requirements.
What Is L Blanket Certification?
This means the employee can apply for the L visa directly at a U.S. Consulate and not in the U.S.
What is an L1 visa?
The L1 visa is a dual-intent visa, meaning that you may have the intent to temporarily remain in the United States while simultaneously having the intent to possibly immigrate to the United States and become a lawful permanent resident in the future. iv. No Set Wage Requirements.
How many L1 visas can you get?
There is no annual limit to the number of L1 visas that can be issued.
How long is a L1A visa valid?
The L1A visa for managers and executives is initially valid for a period of 3 years and can be extended for a total of 7 years.
How many hours a week do you have to work to get an L1?
The entire year of qualifying employment should be satisfied by the time the L1 application is filed. The employment must be full-time (at least 35 hours a week). There is 1 exception to the full-time requirement in certain circumstances where the L1 beneficiary worked for multiple affiliated companies. iii.
What do you need to work for a foreign company to get an L1 visa?
To qualify for an L1 visa, you must have worked for the foreign company in a managerial, executive, or specialized knowledge capacity.
How long do you have to be employed in the US to file a L1?
The employee coming to work in the US must have been continuously employed full-time by the foreign company for at least 1 year within the last 3 years before filing the L1 petition. The employment with the foreign company must have been in a managerial, executive, or specialized knowledge capacity.
Where to apply for L1 visa?
If you are not doing a Change of Status, then you will likely be applying for your L1 visa at the Consulate of your home country.
What is an L-1 visa?
L-1 visas are available to employees of an international company with offices in both the United States and abroad. The visa allows such foreign workers to relocate to the corporation's US office after having worked abroad for the company for at least one continuous year within the previous three prior to admission in the US. The US and non-US employers must be related in one of four ways: parent and subsidiary; branch and headquarters; sister companies owned by a mutual parent; or "affiliates" owned by the same or people in approximately the same percentages.
How many subcategories are there in the L-1 visa?
The L-1 visa has two subcategories:
How long is an L-1 visa valid?
An L-1 visa is a visa document used to enter the United States for the purpose of work in L-1 status. It is a non-immigrant visa, and is valid for a relatively short amount of time, from three months (for Iran nationals) to five years (India, Japan, Germany), based on a reciprocity schedule. With extensions, the maximum stay is seven years.
How many L-1 visas were approved in 2010?
In 2010, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approved 74,719 L-1 visas, out of 91,086 applications (a refusal rate of 18%). In contrast, the same document reports a refusal rate of 21% for the H-1B non-immigrant skilled employment visa (117,409 approvals out of 147,937 applicants) and an overall refusal rate of 23% for all non-immigrant visa categories listed (6,275,540 approvals out of 8,142,444 applicants).
What is blanket L-1 visa?
Blanket L-1 visas, which are available to employers that meet certain criteria.
Where can I apply for an I-129 visa?
Notice of approval of the Form I-129 is given by the USCIS on a Notice of Action, Form I-797, and using this as the basis of the application, the alien may apply for visa issuance at a consulate or embassy of the United States in the country having jurisdiction over their residence.
Can I get an I-797 visa at the consulate?
An I-797 Notice of Action showing the approval of the visa petition does not guarantee that a visa will be issued at the U.S. consulate or embassy, but L-1 visas are normally approved if the consular officer concludes that the individual is qualified and that both the U.S. company and the foreign parent, subsidiary, affiliate or branch are legitimate.
What is an L-1 visa?
Apart from the H-1B visa , the L-1 is the other type of work visa the United States of America issues to professionals looking to work in the country. Unlike the H-1B, where an individual is looking to join and American company, the L-1 visa is issued to those who are already employed by the company in another country, and who are merely relocating to an American office.
What are the requirements for a visa holder to work in the US?
Also, throughout the visa holder’s stay in the US, the employer must be doing business in the US and at least one other country.
How long do you have to be employed by a foreign company to be a foreign employee?
Employee Requirements: The applicant must have been employed by the foreign employer for at least one continuous year within the previous three years, in a managerial, executive, or specialized knowledge field.
What is an L1 visa?
L1-A visas are for employees who are either the company executives or managers who need to be transferred to the US office or offices for company reasons. But to qualify for an L1-A visa, the employee should have:
What are the advantages of L1-A visa?
You should consider learning more about what is L1 visa and how it can benefit your company. Another advantage of the L1-A visa is that it can be extended . The L1-A visa can have multiple periods of duration as follows:
How much does it cost to get a L1 visa?
The costs of petitioning for L1 visa include a filing fee of $325 as well as an anti-fraud fee of $500. For those organizations that employ fifty or more employees in the US, whose 50% is in the US on L non-immigrant status, then they need to submit an additional fee of $4500 for L1-A and L1-B petitions.
How long does it take to get a L1 petition?
If the petition is applied under L1 Blanket petition then the time period shortens to a few weeks.
How many L-1 visas are approved each year?
On the other hand, there are no limits to how many L-1 visas are approved each year. This means that your petition will not be rejected due to the fact that there are no more available visas.
How long does it take to get an extension for an L-1 visa?
However, unfortunately, L-1 holders are only granted one extension after their initial three years. After that, they must either transfer their status or apply for a new L-1 visa.
How many employees can you have on an L-1?
revenue of at least $25 million or have a minimum of 1,000 employees working in the U.S. An L-1 blanket petition allows employers to file a single petition for multiple employees, ...
How long can you work on an L-1A?
Even though the L-1A allows for holders to work for up to seven years, this limit cannot be exceeded for any reason. For other visas, such as the H-1B or J-1, an extension can be acquired past the usual maximum. There are even some visas like the O-1 and E-2 that allow for unlimited extensions.
What is the most difficult part of obtaining an H-1B visa?
One of the most difficult aspects of acquiring an H-1B, J-1, or TN visa is finding an entity that is willing to sponsor you for the visa. If you are a qualified L-1 applicant, then you are already employed with a U.S. company that will sponsor you.
Is L-1 visa easy to obtain?
Even though the L-1 can be relatively easy to obtain, those same advantages can be considered disadvantages if you are not already employed.
Can an L-1 be sent to a new office?
New Offices. Another equally important L-1 benefit is the fact that, if a multinational employer does not currently have an office or branch in the U.S., an L-1 holder can be sent in order to establish a new one. While there are. While there are different limitations attached to this process, it is extremely advantageous to be able ...
What is L-1A nonimmigrant?
The L-1A nonimmigrant classification enables a U.S. employer to transfer an executive or manager from one of its affiliated foreign offices to one of its offices in the United States. This classification also enables a foreign company that does not yet have an affiliated U.S. office to send an executive or manager to the United States with ...
How to apply for work authorization for L-1 spouse?
Spouses of L-1 workers may apply for work authorization by filing a Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization with fee. If approved, there is no specific restriction as to where the L-2 spouse may work.
Can an L-1 be an employer?
Currently be, or will be, doing business as an employer in the United States and in at least one other country directly or through a qualifying organization for the duration of the beneficiary’s stay in the United States as an L-1. While the business must be viable, there is no requirement that it be engaged in international trade.
What Are Other L-1 Visa Fees?
First, you will have to file Form I-129 with USCIS. After it has been approved, you can apply for the L-1 visa. The filing fee is $460, which is paid by the U.S company and must be submitted with Form I-129.
How many subcategories are there for L-1 visas?
There are 2 subcategories of the L-1 Visa
How long does it take to get a L-1 premium?
Processing an L-1 visa under premium processing takes at most 15 days, and the applicant is required to pay a fee of $1,440. The fee for the normal L-1 visa application is $460.
How much does an I-539 cost?
If you have dependents that are applying for the extension of L-2 visa status or want a change of status to L-2 visa status through USCIS, then you will also have to file Form I-539 whose charges are $370.
What is Immi USA?
At Immi-USA, our attorneys will handle your case with complete privacy and confidentiality. We’ve helped many clients deal with revoked visas, visa extensions, and related applications. To get in touch with one of our expert attorneys, simply complete the contact form here so that we can schedule a consultation for you.
How to apply for an L-I visa?
Once Form I-129 has been approved, you will be required to apply for L-I visa status at the U.S embassy or consulate of your home country . You will also have to file for Form DS-160 at the Department of State and pay $190. The L-1 worker pays this fee. If you intend to change your status from non-immigrant status, you won’t have to pay this fee because you won’t be applying for the L-1 visa. Also, if you are a Canadian citizen, you won’t have to pay this fee because you will apply for an L-1 visa at the Port of Entry.
How many jobs are required for L-1A visa?
There is less pressure to create employment under the L-1A visa when compared to the EB-5 that requires the creation of at least 10 jobs.
Overview
An L-1 visa is a visa document used to enter the United States for the purpose of work in L-1 status. It is a non-immigrant visa, and is valid for a relatively short amount of time, from three months (for Iran nationals) to five years (India, Japan, Germany), based on a reciprocity schedule. With extensions, the maximum stay is seven years.
L-1 visas are available to employees of an international company with offices in both the United …
Types of L-1 Visas
The L-1 visa has two subcategories:
• L-1A for executives and managers, valid up to 7 years.
• L-1B for workers with specialized knowledge, valid up to 5 years
After the expiration of the 7 or 5 years respectively, the foreign national can generally only qualif…
Application process
Application to an L-1 visa begins with the filing of a petition with the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) on Form I-129 along with supporting documentation showing that both the U.S. company and the foreign parent, subsidiary, affiliate or branch meet the qualifying factors set forth in the law and regulations.
Notice of approval of the Form I-129 is given by the USCIS on a Notice of Action, Form I-797, an…
Costs
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (Public Law 114-113), signed into law by President Obama on December 18, 2015, increases fees for certain H-1B and L-1 petitioners who employ 50 or more employees in the United States with more than 50 percent of their employees in the United States in H-1B or L (including L-1A and L-1B) nonimmigrant status. These petitioners must submit an additional fee of $4,000 for certain H-1B petitions and $4,500 for certain L-1A and L-1…
Renewals
L-1 status may be renewed and extended within the United States. Except in the case of blanket petitions, a new I-129 petition must be filed. Renewal in the United States applies to status only, not the actual visa in the passport. For visa renewal, the applicant must go to a U.S. consulate or embassy outside the United States. An alien cannot leave the United States and then reenter without a valid L-1 visa, and must appear personally before a consular officer for visa issuance.
Change of Status from L-1B to L-1A
A petition to change status to L-1A may be filed on behalf of a foreign national in L-1B status in order for the individual to move into a managerial position or an executive position. In order for the L-1B worker to be eligible for the full 7 years of L-1 status typically provided to L-1A workers, the petition must be approved by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services at least 6 months prior to the individual reaching the 5-year maximum period in L-1B status.
Limits on employment authorization
A person in L-1 status generally may work only for the petitioning company. If the L-1 worker enters based on an L-1 blanket, however, it generally is possible for the worker to be moved in the same capacity to any other related company listed on the blanket.
Criticism
Some industry representatives have accused companies of utilizing the L-1 program to replace U.S. workers.