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L1 intracompany
transferees
Our law firm has
successfully obtained L1 visas for a number
of companies at a reasonable legal fee.
Contact us for a free review to determine your
eligibility for the useful L1 visa.
Global multinational
corporations are constantly transferring their staff from abroad to their
U.S. workplaces. Congress created the L1 visa to facilitate this transfer
of personnel. Applicants must satisfy the following qualifications.
Applicants must have been
employed for at least one year within the past three years prior to the
submission of the application of the L1 visa. The applicant must be
coming to the U.S. to continue providing services for this same employer.
Finally, the alien must be working in a capacity as a manager, executive
or in a position that requires specialized knowledge.
Typically, the approved L1 is
granted for a period of three years. Thereafter, extensions are usually
given in two-year increments. The total period of stay permitted for
managers and executives is seven years. For specialized workers, the total
duration is five years. Once the maximum duration has been reached, the
alien must reside abroad for at least one year, then he or she may return
to the U.S. in L-1 status. It is important to note that the times spent in
L-1 status AND H status are added together and counted toward the total.
Thus, if a specialized worker had spent 2 years in H status and then spent
3 years in L status, he will not be able to obtain an extension.
The application for an L-1
visa will contain information about the company and the alien. Information
concerning the company will detail the nature of the business and the
relationship it has with its U.S. affiliate. Information regarding the
alien will provide a job description and discuss how the position is
either a manger, executive, or specialized worker position. The support
letter should also discuss the qualifications of the alien and how she is
suitable for this position.
One benefit to the L-1 program
is that it permits companies to apply for "blanket" L-1. This
enables the company to avoid having to file individualized applications
for each employee it wishes to transfer to the U.S. thus saving the
company significant time. Instead, the alien can take a copy of the I-797
approval notice and apply directly at the nearby U.S. consulate to obtain
a L-1 visa stamp in his passport.
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