Find the best L1 visa lawyer for your application. Learn L1 visa benefits, requirements, how to get L1A/L1B visa, processing time, and company eligibility in 2025.
Transferring employees to the United States sounds straightforward. It's not.L-1 visas are complex, requiring proving a qualifying corporate relationship, demonstrating that the US role is truly executive, managerial, or specialized, and often preparing detailed organizational charts and business plans. One mistake costs months.An immigration lawyer will conduct a thorough assessment of the applicant's work history, job role, and company structure to ensure they qualify for an L-1A or L-1B visa. This evaluation catches problems early.Immigration lawyers can assist you in ensuring that the foreign company, the US company, and the applicant are qualified for the L-1 Visa, and can guide and create a long-term plan to ensure that dependents and the applicant can obtain and maintain the benefits.Perhaps the most important aspect of any immigration matter including the L-1 visa petition is to support the case with verifiable evidence that satisfies the burden of proof. Lawyers know what works.
Beyond Border's experienced L1 visa lawyers have helped hundreds of companies successfully transfer key personnel to US operations with comprehensive legal support.
Not all firms handle L1 cases well.Strong L-1 Visa Lawyer experience and deep knowledge of L-1A visas, L-1B visas, and USCIS processes combined with best in class service and commitment to open, responsive communication at affordable flat rates distinguishes quality firms.L1 visa lawyers have the necessary insight and expertise to guide you through the complexities of the application process, ensuring your journey towards obtaining an L1 visa is as smooth as possible.An L1 lawyer provides free consultation to help you determine if the L1 visa is the right option for you, as sometimes another Visa can be better suited depending on your needs. Get an expert assessment first.The L-1 Visa can be highly complex, and while it can be proven easier than other visa categories, USCIS has become stricter and more critical of L-1 visa petitions due to widespread abuse. This makes legal help crucial.
Beyond Border provides transparent pricing, clear communication, and experienced attorneys who specialize in L1 visa cases for multinational companies.
The process follows specific rules. The applicant must be employed at a multi-national company whose one subsidiary, affiliate, or parent branch is in the US, and the employee must work in the organisation for at least a year before being transferred to the branch in the US. The employee must be currently employed by a qualifying multinational organization with a relationship to the US employer, which must be a parent company, subsidiary, affiliate, or branch office of the US entity. The L1 visa is not eligible for self-petition, as the US company must file the petition on the employee's behalf by submitting Form I-129. Employers control the application. The documents you submit should prove the qualifying relationship between the foreign company and the US company, that you worked in the foreign company continuously for at least a year within 3 years before transfer, and that you worked in a managerial, executive, or specialized knowledge capacity. While not mandatory, hiring and consulting with an immigration lawyer can help you during your application, as the L1 visa process can be complex and would require experience, strategy and preparation.
The L-1 visa is not subject to numeric limits like the H-1B visa which requires applicants to go through an annual lottery, and employers can apply for blanket petitions simplifying the application process when the company needs to petition for many employees. If you are in the US on L-1 status, you can bring your spouse and children along through the L2 visa with the same validity period, and if your spouse qualifies for an Employment Authorization Document, they can work in the US as well. Families stay together. The L-1 is considered by USCIS to be dual intent, meaning that L-1 holders can pursue lawful permanent resident status during their stay, unlike work visas such as the J-1 and TN classifications through which pursuing a green card would violate your status. The L-1 does not require that you obtain Labor Condition Application certification when petitioning for an employee transfer, which can add expense and time for H-1B or E3 employees. Starting in fiscal year 2025, L-1 visa applicants will owe a $250 visa integrity fee at the time of visa issuance, in addition to other required fees. Budget accordingly.
Beyond Border helps you maximize L1 visa benefits while planning your long-term immigration strategy including green card pathways.
Difficulty depends on preparation.Any application for an L1 visa will be scrutinized by US immigration authorities to verify that the role being filled by the non-US workers could not be filled by a US-resident worker, creating an extremely high threshold to meet and evidence.USCIS carefully scrutinises petitions to ensure roles meet the executive, managerial, or specialised knowledge standards, with common reasons for refusal including vague or insufficient job descriptions, insufficient staffing levels, and specialised knowledge not being defined or proven as unique to the organisation.Avoid these mistakes to increase approval chances: vague job description that can't prove specialized knowledge, weak connection between foreign and US entities, and insufficient evidence of qualifying relationship.
Corporate structure determines eligibility.The US and foreign entities must have a qualifying relationship such as parent owning at least 50% of subsidiary, same entity operating in both countries, or both entities owned and controlled by the same parent company or individual.To qualify for L1 blanket visa certification, the US company must have an office in the US doing business for one year or more, have 3 or more domestic and foreign branches, and have obtained approval of petitions for at least 10 L1 workers within the last year or have combined annual sales of at least $25 million.If the US subsidiary is sold, dissolved, or ceases operations, the employee's L1 visa will generally be invalidated, as the L1 visa depends on a valid corporate relationship between entities that must remain in place for the duration of the employee's stay.
Beyond Border helps structure corporate relationships properly and ensures your company qualifies for L1 blanket petitions when applicable.
1.Can L1 visa holders change companies?
No, the L1 visa is tied to the sponsoring employer and the qualifying corporate relationship, and a change of employer generally requires a new or amended petition that cannot be actioned without USCIS approval.
2.How long does an L1 visa application take?
L-1 visas tend to have much faster processing times than other work visa categories, with premium processing available for an additional fee of $2,805 guaranteeing expedited review.
3.When can an L1 visa be applied?
The employee must have been employed by the foreign company for at least one continuous year within the three years immediately preceding application to the United States.
.jpg)
