Tailored US relocation guide for cross border teams.
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You will build and direct the new US entity, or use your specialist knowledge to build up US operations. You have a clear plan to hire US professionals Your primary role is building a team, or bringing your domain knowledge unique to your company to the US business.
For managers, you will have full authority to hire, fire, and set pay for the US team; while as individual contributor, you have a specialist knowledge in your firm You have a credible business plan and sufficient funding (e.g., a formal intra-company capital transfer) to establish the US operation.
You will make managerial decisions for the US entity, or use your specialist knowledge which is missing in the US entity to contribute there
Your new US company and your foreign entity are parent, subsidiary, or affiliates to each other.
You were employed full-time by the foreign tech company in a managerial or executive role for at least one continuous year within the last three years.
L-1A/B are common, but tricky, US visa for corporate relocations. We have a high success rate in these cases.
The key is to prove the employee's knowledge is managerial, or advanced and proprietary. You need to prove that your skill relates specifically to your company's internal products, processes, or systems, not just general senior-level skills (e.g., "Agile methodology" or "cloud computing").
We focus on the knowledge they hold: the architecture of a proprietary platform, the unique process for a 0-to-1 product build, or deep knowledge of a legacy system vital to the US launch.
You will need highly detailed, credible organisational proof, from training evidence, letters of proof of specialised knowledge and required tasks in the US to support your application.
L-1A/B are common, but tricky, US visa for corporate relocations. We have a high success rate in these cases.
The key is to prove the employee's knowledge is managerial, or advanced and proprietary. You need to prove that your skill relates specifically to your company's internal products, processes, or systems, not just general senior-level skills (e.g., "Agile methodology" or "cloud computing").
We focus on the knowledge they hold: the architecture of a proprietary platform, the unique process for a 0-to-1 product build, or deep knowledge of a legacy system vital to the US launch.
You will need highly detailed, credible organisational proof, from training evidence, letters of proof of specialised knowledge and required tasks in the US to support your application.
Proving Knowledge is Specialized:
Your primary challenge is proving your expertise is proprietary to your company, not just a high-level version of skills available on the open market. You will need hard evidence and expert letters to prove that your knowledge of your firm's internal platform, proprietary codebase, or unique processes is indispensable and would be nearly impossible to find in a new hire.
Establishing the "Essential" Need in the US:
The L-1B employee is not a manager. The challenge is proving their knowledge is "essential" for the new US entity to launch its product, service a key US client, or integrate with the global platform. This involves properly defining their US role, their direct influence on implementing the proprietary tech for the US market, and ensuring the petition strongly articulates why a local US hire cannot do this job without significant disruption and ramp-up time.
With guidance, we help applicants get the proper internal documentation, such as training matrices showing a long ramp-up time, documents on internal-only projects, or proof of your unique role on a critical R&D initiative, to illustrate this specialized knowledge to USCIS. non-transferable value to USCIS.
We pre-vet our attorneys with strong track records, so you don’t have waste months finding a good one.
Managers and specialists in all fields trust us to manage their US mobility needs.
Work with 15+ years of combined extraordinary visa knowledge. We are confident in your approval.
The L-1 visa for corporate relocation is typically used when an international company wants to move a key employee from a foreign office to a related U.S. office as part of a broader expansion or relocation plan. It is not a general relocation visa for any employee. The transfer must fit the standard L-1 framework for managers, executives, or specialized knowledge professionals.
Yes, but only in a limited and structured way. A company can use L-1 to relocate qualifying employees from a foreign entity to a related U.S. entity if the corporate relationship is real and the employee independently qualifies. USCIS does not allow L-1 as a blanket relocation route for general staff or broad workforce movement.
The strongest candidates are executives and managers under L-1A, and employees with company-specific specialized knowledge under L-1B. In practice, that often includes senior operators, regional heads, country managers, implementation leaders, technical specialists, and employees who carry important internal know-how into the U.S. business.
Yes. USCIS requires that the employee must have worked abroad for the qualifying organization for at least one continuous year within the three years before the transfer, subject to the normal filing rules. This is a core L-1 requirement and one of the first things that has to be verified before treating a case as relocation-ready.
Yes. USCIS allows new-office L-1 filings, which are often central to corporate relocation strategy when a company is setting up a U.S. branch, subsidiary, or affiliate. But the burden is higher. The company must show a qualifying structure, sufficient premises, and a credible plan showing the U.S. office can support the proposed role within the required timeframe.
The core evidence usually includes proof of the relationship between the foreign and U.S. entities, proof that the foreign company is doing business, documents showing the employee’s qualifying foreign employment, and clear foreign and U.S. job descriptions. In new-office cases, USCIS also expects evidence such as premises and supporting documents that show the U.S. operation is real and viable.
It depends on the category. L-1A managers and executives can remain in L-1 status for up to seven years, while L-1B specialized knowledge employees can remain for up to five years, subject to the normal approval and extension rules. That longer runway is one reason L-1 is often useful in serious cross-border relocation planning.
90% of Beyond Border's clients are startups with cross border entities and relocation needs via L-1 visa. This is a well drilled process for us to advise startups on how to manage cross border operations.
