L-1 / L-2 Visa Category

L-1, Intracompany Transferees

The United States L-1 Visa is a non-immigrant visa which allows companies operating both in the US and abroad to transfer employees from its foreign operations to the US. The applicant must have worked for a parent, branch, subsidiary or affiliate office of his current employer for at least 1 year for the last 3 years.

There are two types of employees who may be granted US L-1 visas:

Executives and Managers
Applicant should have supervisory duties for professional staff and/or directs the management of the organization. They are issued with an L1A visa for a three year period, extendible in increments of 2 years to a maximum of 7 years.

Specialized Knowledge Staff
Applicant should have specialized knowledge of the company’s products and services, research, equipment, systems and procedures. They are issued with an L1B visa for a three year period, extendible to a maximum of 5 years.

Upon completing the maximum allowable years for an L-1 status, the employee must work outside the US for at least 1 year before re-applying for an L-1 visa.

L-2, Spouse and Dependents

An L-2 visa may be obtained by an L-1 visa holder’s spouse and unmarried minor children. They are subject to the same period of admission and restrictions as the L-1 visa holder. They may apply for a work permit or engage in full or part-time study.

Since presumption of non-immigrant intent does not apply in this category, the beneficiaries may pursue permanent residence in the US.

An I-129 petition with the L supplement must be filed to request L-1 approval. Petitions must be filed at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office having jurisdiction over the place of intended employment.