How startup operators secure the L-1 visa.
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You will build and manage the new US entity, not just be a sole contributor. You have a clear plan to hire US professionals (e.g., founding engineers, sales, or ops). Your primary role is directing the launch and setting strategy, even if you are the first "boot on the ground."
You have (or will have) full authority to hire, fire, and set pay for the US team. You have a credible business plan and sufficient funding (e.g., from VC, seed capital, or the foreign entity) to establish the US operation.
You will make the high-level decisions for the US entity. You will set the US product roadmap, establish the go-to-market strategy, or lead US fundraising, not just execute tasks.
Your new US company (e.g., a Delaware C-Corp) and your foreign entity (e.g., the R&D hub in London or Bangalore) are parent, subsidiary, or affiliates.
You were employed full-time by the foreign start-up in a managerial or executive role for at least one continuous year within the last three years.
A "New Office" L-1A for a start-up founder or individual contributor is often a high-stakes petition, but we have numerous examples of success.
The key is to demonstrate future managerial capacity through a detailed, credible business plan. We focus on the metrics of your launch: your 12-month hiring roadmap, the capital secured for the US entity, and the strategy for US market entry, not just your past product success.
Having a well-funded, successful foreign start-up is helpful, but it cannot and is not a guarantee for the L-1A. The focus must be on the viability of the US business plan and your specific, high-level role in executing it.
You will need a strong, detailed immigration business plan, not a general business plan or normal fundraising deck to suit USCIS requirements,
A "New Office" L-1A for a start-up founder or individual contributor is often a high-stakes petition, but we have numerous examples of success.
The key is to demonstrate future managerial capacity through a detailed, credible business plan. We focus on the metrics of your launch: your 12-month hiring roadmap, the capital secured for the US entity, and the strategy for US market entry, not just your past product success.
Having a well-funded, successful foreign start-up is helpful, but it cannot and is not a guarantee for the L-1A. The focus must be on the viability of the US business plan and your specific, high-level role in executing it.
You will need a strong, detailed immigration business plan, not a general business plan or normal fundraising deck to suit USCIS requirements,
Proving Viability
Your primary challenge is proving your role is managerial from Day 1, even if you have no US team yet. You will need a detailed 12-month hiring plan and expert support letters to prove that your primary duty is to direct the US entity (e.g., hire engineers, lead strategy, secure US customers), not to be the sole individual contributor (e.g., the only coder or salesperson).
With guidance, we help founders frame their role correctly—focusing on their authority to hire, fire, and set budgets, and their strategic responsibilities—to illustrate this future-facing managerial capacity to USCIS.
Establishing the "Viability" of the New Start-up
Your challenge isn't just proving your role, but proving the new US entity itself is a real, bona fide operation that is sufficiently capitalized.
This involves providing a solid business plan, proof of sufficient funding to cover the first year's expenses (including your salary and new hires), and a secured physical office space. Your initial L-1A is for one year, and your extension depends entirely on proving you executed this plan.
We pre-vetted our attorneys with strong track records, so you don’t have waste months finding a good one.
We work with Founders to startup operators from Stealth to Series D on L-1 visas.
Work with 15+ years of combined extraordinary talent visa knowledge. Your succeess is gauranteed
We guarantee to complete the petition drafting and submission within 1 month of receiving all supporting documents required to file your long term visa or green card petition. Beyond Border is amongst the fastest legal service provider in the industry, thanks to our tech-enabled approach to petition filing and focus on technologists.
The fee will vary depending on the visa or green card type that best suits your need, but you should budget between US$8,000-10,000, excluding government fees and depending on your long term visa or green card category.
You can visit USCIS's free fee calculator to get an estimate for the associated government fees to process your visa.
Beyond Border is a modern immigration platform founded by immigrants from the technology industry for immigrants. We leverage technology to speed up the end-to-end U.S. immigration petition process, and work with a carefully curated network of attorneys who specialize in U.S. immigration cases for technologists.
Our attorneys maintain a 98% success rate throughout their careers with more than 4,000 approvals. We work exclusively with venture backed tech operators and researchers, which allow us maintain a high approval rate and provide profile building advice given sector expertise.
If your application is rejected, we will review the reasons for denial and help you reapply by addressing any issues or missing documentation.
