What Is an L-1 Visa?

Explaining what an L-1 Visa is and its different types

The L1 visa is a non-immigrant visa that enables all the companies in different parts of the world to send some of their employees to a U.S company. 

The company in the U.S needs to be related to the foreign company. It can either be an affiliate, branch office, or a parent of a foreign company. 

The L-1 visa is primarily divided into two main types. The first one is the L1A visa, and the other one is the L1B visa. 

• L1A Visa: It is for employees that will be working as executives or managers in a U.S company. 
• L1B Visa: It is for employees that will be working for a U.S company having specialized knowledge. 

Benefits of L-1 Visa

Some of the benefits of having an L-1 visa for employers and foreign workers

There are several benefits for the employer as well as for the foreign workers. Let's first analyze the benefits an employer gets. 

1 No Labor Condition Application Requirement: One of the benefits of the L-1 Visa is that an employer is not required to obtain the LCA certification. 

This, however, is needed in the case of an H-1B visa, which can ultimately make the process costly and time-consuming. 

2 Blanket Petition: This means you would not need to file multiple petitions for multiple employees. 

Instead, you can file a single petition for several employees, saving a lot of time and money. 

Following are various benefits that foreign workers can get: 

• Low Requirements: There are just a few of the requirements to fulfill.
• Easy Educational Requirements: To qualify, you don't necessarily need a degree. 
• Dual Intent: This will allow you to apply for Permanent Residency
• Job Offer: There is no job offer required. Qualified L-1 applicants are already employed by a company in the U.S. 

Eligibility of L-1 Visa

What is required to be eligible for this visa?

In order to be eligible for the L-1 visa, the following are a few of the requirements that are needed to be fulfilled:

• There must be an association between the US company and the foreign company.
• Prior to the L1 petition, the particular employee is required to be working for the foreign company for at least one year within the past three years. 
• The worker needs to have specialized knowledge or must be in a managerial or executive post. 

The Process of L-1 Visa

A complete process of L-1 Visa

The process of applying for an L-1 visa is considered to be a challenging one. Following are certain steps that are required to be followed. 

First, your employer will file I-129, which is a petition for a nonimmigrant worker. This will then start the complete process. 

Next, after the approval of I-129, you will be required to apply for a DS-160 visa application. This is especially for those individuals that are residing outside of the United States. 

After that, you will be asked to appear in an interview at your nearest embassy or consulate. Remember to take the print of the application form confirmation page when going for an interview. 

How Can RB Law Help You?

There is no denying that the entire process of applying for an L-1 visa can get very complex and seem like a daunting task, especially for those applicants who are applying for the first time. For that reason, it is vital to take assistance from a professional and RB Law is here to assist you in this matter. Contact us today for more details.

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