L-1 Visa
The L-1 visa is for multinational companies to transfer employees within their organization. This visa allows managers, executives, or employees with specialized knowledge who have worked outside the U.S. to be transferred to the U.S. parent company, subsidiary, branch, or affiliate.
Applicants must have worked full-time for at least one year in the overseas affiliate company within the last three years before filing the application, and they must intend to continue working in a similar position at the U.S. company. There are two main categories of the L-1 visa: L-1A for executives or managers, and L-1B for employees with specialized knowledge.
L-1 Visa Application Guide
Two Main Categories of the L-1 Visa
L-1A Visa
The L-1A visa is for multinational companies to transfer their senior managers or executives from overseas to work in a managerial capacity at a U.S. affiliate.
L-1B Visa
The L-1B visa is for multinational companies to transfer employees with specialized knowledge from overseas to work in a professional capacity at a U.S. affiliate.
L-1A Beneficiary Eligibility
- The applicant must have worked full-time for at least 12 months in the past three years at the overseas parent company before submitting the L-1 visa application.
- The beneficiary must hold a senior managerial or executive position at the overseas company and transfer to a similar position at the U.S. affiliate:
Executive: Must have authority to make major decisions regarding the overall operations of the company.
Managerial: Responsible for managing professional employees, supervising a department, branch, or functional unit, or independently managing a key business function with clear managerial responsibilities and decision-making authority.
Visa Duration: The L-1A visa is initially approved for three years, with the possibility of extension up to two years per extension, for a maximum total validity of seven years.
Additional Note: If the U.S. company has been established for less than one year, the L-1 visa can be used to send executives or professionals to the U.S. to set up a branch, with an initial visa validity of one year.
L-1B Beneficiary Eligibility
The applicant must have worked full-time for at least 12 months in the past three years at the overseas parent company before submitting the L-1B visa application.
The beneficiary must provide specialized knowledge and skills to the same company in the U.S., and this knowledge is critical to the company’s success:
Specialized knowledge refers to an individual’s unique understanding of the employer's company in areas such as products, services, research, equipment, technology, management, or its application in international markets, or in-depth or specialized knowledge of internal processes and procedures.
Visa Duration: The L-1B visa is initially approved for three years, with one possible extension for up to two years. The total time in the U.S. cannot exceed five years.
Additional Note: If the U.S. company has been established for less than one year, the L-1 visa can be used to send executives or professionals to the U.S. to set up a branch, with an initial visa validity of one year.
Employer Requirements for L-1 Visa Application
The U.S. company and the overseas company must have a qualified relationship, such as a parent, subsidiary, branch, or affiliate.
The company must have actual business operations, both in the U.S. and abroad, or a clear operational plan. The company must employ a certain number of local employees, have business contracts, maintain bank accounts, and cannot exist solely as a shell company.
L-1 Visa Application Process
Process for U.S. Company to Apply for L-1 Executive Visa for Transfer to the U.S.
Preparation of materials and translation (Chinese and English) takes approximately 3 months, depending on the cooperation efficiency between the Chinese and U.S. companies.
Normal processing time is around 1–6 months. If Premium Processing is selected, the approval result can be obtained within 15 days.
The waiting time is approximately 10–30 days, depending on the applicant’s schedule and the consulate’s appointment availability.
Process for Applying for L-1 Executive Visa to the U.S. for a New Company Established in the U.S.
Takes about 1–14 days, depending on the state of registration and processing speed.
Material organization and translation take approximately 3 months, depending on the efficiency of the information provided by the Chinese company.
Normal processing takes about 1–6 months. If Premium Processing is selected, results can be obtained within 15 days.
Visa processing time is 10–30 days, depending on the applicant’s schedule and consulate appointment availability.
If the application is approved and the applicant is already in the U.S., they may choose to change their status (Change of Status) within the U.S.
L-1 Application Fees
| Government Application Fees | A. I-129 Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker | Small Profit-making Enterprises (fewer than 25 employees) Non-profit $695+$500+$300=$1,495 |
| Regular Profit-making Enterprises (25 or more employees) $1,385+$500+$600=$2,485 |
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| B. USCIS Premium Processing Fee, results within 15 working days (optional) | $2,805 | |
| C. Visa Application Fee | $205/person |
The application fees are based on the official standards published by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The actual amount may vary due to adjustments in USCIS fees.
