How do I obtain a L1 visa?
What documentation should I show to have an L-1A visa to open my office/branch in the United States?
- Show proof of a physical space large enough to house the new office. ...
- Proof that the beneficiary has been an executive employee in the company for a consecutive year in the last 3 years. ...
- A business plan proving that within one year of operations in the U.S., the business will support a managerial or executive position.
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. ...
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. ...
Can I travel outside USA with L1 visa?
L1 visas may be beneficial for the following reasons. L-1 visa holder may live and work legally in the US. L-1 visa holder may travel within and outside the US. Spouse and children under 21 years of age are eligible to accompany L-1 visa holder on L-2 visa.
Who are eligible for L1 visa?
To apply for an L1 visa the employee must have worked for an overseas subsidiary, parent, affiliate or branch office of the US company they are transferring to for at least one year out of the last three years. The employee must have worked as a manager, executive, or specialized knowledge worker for this time.
How long is an L1 visa good for?
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.
What does L1 visa stand for?
L-1-A visa is for managers and executives, who are either transferring to a U.S. office, or coming into the US for the purposes of setting up a U.S. office. L-1-B visa is for specialized employees, who have essential specialist skills or knowledge.
Is L1 visa better than H-1B?
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.
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).
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.
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.
What are the benefits of L1 visa?
L-1 Visa Benefits for Foreign WorkersRelatively Low Requirements. ... No Job Offer Required. ... No Annual Limits. ... Period of Stay. ... Educational Requirements. ... Spouses and Dependents Can Work. ... Dual Intent. ... Blanket Petition.More items...
Can your spouse work on L1 visa?
The spouse of the holder of an L-1 visa may typically work. However, the spouse must first apply for work authorization. Application for Employment Authorization can be filed via Form I-765. If the work authorization is granted, the spouse does not typically face any restrictions on his or her place of employment.
Is degree required for L1 visa?
There is no education requirement for the L1 visa. H1B applicants must have at least a US bachelor's degree or equivalent, and the role must be in a specialty occupation which requires the qualification. L1 is dual intent, meaning immigrants can apply for a Green Card while in the US on an L1 visa.
Can I change jobs on L1 visa?
Can I transfer or change jobs on an L-1 visa? Yes, you may transfer employment or change jobs but only to another location with the same company, or to another affiliated company in the United States. You must notify the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) of any significant changes in your employment.
Does L1 visa need sponsorship?
For the HB1 visa, the US-based company must be willing to sponsor the applicant whereas, in the case of L1 visas, the parent company in a foreign country must be willing to sponsor the client. Not all employers have branches in foreign countries which limits their ability to sponsor an L1 visa for the worker.
Can L-1 be converted to green card?
In order to go from an L-1 visa to a green card, you must apply for and get approved for any one of these immigrant visa classifications. Specifically, you'll need to get approved for an immigrant petition with the USCIS through Forms I-130 or I-140 and adjust status by filing a Form I-485.
How long does it take to get a green card from L1A visa?
Unlike the process for an L1B visa, which can take several years to complete, the time it takes to update your L1A to a green card is fairly short. In most cases, the green card process takes less than one year. The L1A visa is a great starting place if you or your family are interested in living in the United States.
When can L1A get green card?
If you are in the US on an L1 visa then you must apply within 2 years of entry to qualify for an EB1C Green Card. The requirements for employment based immigration (permanent residence) under the EB1C immigrant scheme are similar to the requirements for the L1A Executive and Manager visa category.
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 L1 visa?
The L1 visa, also known as intracompany transfer visa, is a temporary nonimmigrant visa that allows international companies with offices in the US and offices overseas to transfer certain qualified employees to their US office.
How many types of L1 visas are there?
There are two types of L1 visas:
How long is an L1A visa valid?
L1A visas are issued for up to 1 year for start-ups and 3 years for existing companies. The L-1A visa is valid for up to 7 years, with extension.
How long is an L1 extension?
L1 visa extensions are given 2 years at a time.
Can a spouse of a L1 visa work in the US?
Spouses of L1 visa holders (L2 visa holders) are allowed to work in the US without restriction.
Can a L1 visa be used for work?
L1 visas may be beneficial for the following reasons. L-1 visa holder may live and work legally in the US. L-1 visa holder may travel within and outside the US. Spouse and children under 21 years of age are eligible to accompany L-1 visa holder on L-2 visa.
What is L-1A visa?
L-1A Visas are for employees who come to the United States to work in a managerial capacity overseeing people or processes. These employees do not need to be currently employed as managers, but their job in the U.S. must be in a managerial capacity.
How long is an L1 visa valid?
Once approved, an individual’s L1 Visa status is valid for a three-year period . The L1 Visa can be renewed for two years at a time, up to a maximum of seven years for L-1A visa holders. L-1B Visa holders can renew their visas for a maximum of five years.
Can a L1 visa holder have a spouse?
The spouse and unmarried children of the L1 Visa holder are eligible for L-2 status. The L-2 status allows dependents to study in the U.S., and L-2 spouses can apply for separate work authorization.
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.
What is L1 visa for USA? Requirements and benefits
The L1 visa is a non-immigrant visa program of the United States Government which is open to foreign businesses, investors and entrepreneurs who want to expand their operations in the United States and t ransfer an executive, manager or employee with specialized knowledge from one of its foreign offices to the affiliated company in the United States..
L1 visa for Investors and Entrepreneurs
In other words, the foreign individuals who are executives, managers or employees with specialized skills can be coming to the United States to be employed in a preexisting US-based office or to establish a new office in the US.
Benefits of L1 Visa
The L1 visa has many benefits compared to other nonimmigrant visas especially for foreign investors or entrepreneurs but also for foreign workers. The most important benefits of L1 Visa are:
How can L1 visa lawyers – Malescu Law – help?
Immigration laws are complex and an L1 visa lawyer can help you determine if the L1 visa is right for you, assist you with the application process and required documents to give your L1 visa application the best chance to succeed.
