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Communicative, Prepared, Impressive.
What stood out most was their availability: even with my full-time job, I could count on them to be there when it mattered. The quality of their work was top-notch and the detailed prep sheets gave me confidence throughout the whole process.
Angel Song
Founding Team, Sunereum
Arnold & team did a great job to tell my story as an operator, now founder. Particularly impressed with their web 3 domain knowledge to highlight the uniqueness of what I am building. Comfortably explained highly technical aspects of building delta neutral strategies in web3 for my visa narrative. Didn't expect that from an immigration team. Well Done.
They were easy, efficient, and extremely pleasant to work with; highly knowledgeable, gave their utmost attention, would only work with cases of merit, were reactive to all my queries, and have continued showing exemplary customer care after the case.I can’t find a single fault suggestion or improvement with them. And those that know me, know I rarely say this! 10/10.
What stood out most was their availability: even with my full-time job, I could count on them to be there when it mattered. Quality of their work was top-notch and the detailed prep sheets gave me confidence throughout the whole process.
Its not an easy journey, and lots of questions along the way. But what’s great is that Arnold & Camila always come back with great answers. So it helps me focus my efforts and time a lot. I’ve been recommending my friends to Beyond Border.
Seamless. Professionally handled. Clarity on the whole process. Always immediately available and ready to jump on the call. Heard about you guys from one of the founders in my network. Definitely happy to pass on the good work you guys did.
Visa Approved - Say what! So smooth. Thank you so much to Fred, Arnold and the team. Amazing work.
The L-1 visa allows qualifying companies to transfer executives, managers, and specialized knowledge employees from a foreign office to a related U.S. office. This is commonly used for leadership moves, expansion, restructuring, and business-critical relocation.
A strong corporate relocation case must show a qualifying relationship between the foreign company and the U.S. company, such as a parent, subsidiary, affiliate, or branch relationship. Ownership and control documents are central to the case.
USCIS looks at what the employee did abroad and what they will do in the U.S. The petition should clearly show how their foreign role qualifies them for the U.S. transfer.
Strong cases usually include relocation plans, org charts, job descriptions, business need explanations, payroll records, employment history, company financials, and proof that the U.S. role is necessary for continuity or growth.
*This guide draws on real U.S. visa cases handled by Beyond Border’s network attorneys, but it’s provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If you need help understanding the visa process, we recommend speaking with an immigration attorney.
The O-1 visa is designed for individuals whose achievements distinguish them in their field, whether in technology, science, the arts, business, or sports. If you’ve earned recognition, led high-impact work, or built a strong professional reputation, this visa can turn those accomplishments into the opportunity to live and work in the U.S.
At Beyond Border, we help you translate your career milestones into a strategically structured O-1 petition.
The O-1 is more than a work visa; it’s one of the strongest immigration options for high-achieving professionals. Here’s why:
After Beyond Border files your O-1 petition, USCIS will review your case. Processing timelines typically include:
An O-1 visa always requires a U.S. sponsor—but that sponsor doesn’t have to be a traditional employer. You can be sponsored by:
Beyond Border helps structure sponsorship in a way that aligns with your long-term career goals.
To qualify for an O-1 visa, you must meet at least 3 of the criteria established by USCIS. The specific criteria differ depending on whether you apply for an O-1A (science, business, education, athletics) or O-1B (arts, film, television) visa.
To qualify for an O-1A, you must meet at least 3 of the following 8 criteria set by USCIS:
A major national or international award, such as an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, or similar, may serve as standalone evidence of extraordinary ability.
If not, you must meet at least 3 of the following 6 criteria:
Our craft in narrative based visas and industry know-hows in tech, entrepreneurship, and skilled professionals make a difference in our clients case.
From D30 retention rates in Edtech, to Spotfiy Artist to Watch Lists, we know how to best position your professional endeavors into a strong case.
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.
Managerial Or Specialist Capacity
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.
Strategic Contribution
You will make managerial decisions for the US entity, or use your specialist knowledge which is missing in the US entity to contribute there
One Year Abroad
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.
Qualifying Relationship
Your new US company and your foreign entity are parent, subsidiary, or affiliates to each other.
Authority & Business Plan
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.
*Disclaimer: Evidence development support does not guarantee case approval.
After a final review, Beyond Border’s network attorneys will prepare and submit your petition to USCIS. Processing times vary and are determined by USCIS.
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.
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