The L1 visa is the premier pathway for multinational companies to transfer their key executives, managers, and specialized knowledge employees to U.S. offices — without a cap, without a lottery, and with a direct path to permanent residency for qualifying L1A holders.
At Ozek Law Firm, we assist international businesses and foreign nationals with navigating the complexities of the L1A and L1B intracompany transferee visa categories. The L1 visa is designed for employees of multinational companies who wish to transfer to a U.S. branch, parent, affiliate, or subsidiary — allowing businesses to deploy their best people where they are needed most.
The L1A visa is for executives and managers transferring to the U.S. to work in a similar capacity. The L1B visa is for employees with specialized knowledge of the company's products, services, systems, or operations. Neither category is subject to an annual numerical cap — making the L1 visa one of the most strategically valuable nonimmigrant visa options for global businesses.
We provide tailored legal advice to help both employers and employees meet the specific requirements for these visa categories — from petition preparation and qualifying relationship documentation to RFE responses and transitions to permanent residency through EB-1C.
The L1 visa is divided into two distinct categories based on the nature of the transferee's role. The category determines the evidentiary standard, the maximum period of stay, and the pathway to permanent residency.
The L1A visa is for executives and managers of multinational companies who are transferring to a U.S. office in a managerial or executive capacity. An executive directs the management of the organization or a major component, exercises wide latitude in decision-making, and receives only general supervision from senior personnel. A manager manages the organization, a department, subdivision, function, or component, and typically supervises professional-level employees or manages an essential function.
The L1B visa is for employees who possess specialized knowledge of the petitioning company's products, services, research, equipment, techniques, management, or other interests — and their application in international markets — or an advanced level of knowledge or expertise in the organization's processes and procedures. Specialized knowledge is distinguished from general knowledge possessed by others in the field and is often proprietary to the specific company.
A foundational requirement for every L1 petition is that the U.S. entity and the foreign entity must have a qualifying relationship — meaning one must be a parent, branch, subsidiary, or affiliate of the other. The nature of that relationship determines which documentation is required and what ownership or control standards must be met.
Establishing the qualifying relationship clearly and convincingly — with corporate ownership charts, registration documents, financial records, and organizational diagrams — is one of the most critical elements of a well-prepared L1 petition. We advise on the most effective way to document each relationship type.
A qualifying parent/subsidiary relationship exists where one entity owns more than 50% of and controls the other. This is the most common L1 structure — a foreign parent company transferring an employee to its U.S. subsidiary, or a U.S. parent transferring to a foreign subsidiary.
A branch is an office or operation of the same legal entity — not a separately incorporated company. An employee transferring between the headquarters and a U.S. branch operates within a single legal entity, and the qualifying relationship is established through common ownership rather than inter-company ownership.
Affiliates are two entities owned and controlled by the same parent or the same group of individuals, each of whom owns and controls approximately the same share. Establishing the affiliate relationship requires careful documentation of the shared ownership structure — often through LLC membership agreements, shareholder registers, or trust documents.
Companies establishing a new U.S. office may use the L1 visa to transfer a qualifying executive, manager, or specialized knowledge employee to launch the new operation. New office petitions are granted for one year initially and require evidence of premises, a realistic business plan, and a staffing plan demonstrating that the transferee will be operating in the qualifying capacity.
The L1 petition process is employer-driven — the U.S. entity files on behalf of the transferee — and moves through USCIS before proceeding to consular processing or adjustment of status. We manage every stage on behalf of both the employer and the transferring employee.
“Whether you are transferring a single executive or building out an entire U.S. operation with multiple L1 transferees — we provide the precise legal guidance and comprehensive support that makes the process as smooth and efficient as possible.”
Tolga Ozek — Founding PrincipalThe U.S. employer files Form I-129 Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker with USCIS — accompanied by a detailed support letter, evidence of the qualifying corporate relationship, documentation of the employee's qualifying employment abroad, evidence of the executive/managerial capacity or specialized knowledge, and all required fees. Premium Processing (I-907) is available to expedite USCIS adjudication to 15 business days.
USCIS reviews the petition and supporting documentation. If approved, the I-129 approval notice is issued. If USCIS has questions or concerns, a Request for Evidence (RFE) may be issued — requiring a detailed response within the specified deadline. We monitor all USCIS activity and respond to any RFE comprehensively and strategically.
Once the I-129 is approved, the transferee applies for the L1 visa stamp at a U.S. consulate abroad — attending an interview and presenting the approval notice. If the transferee is already in the U.S. in a valid nonimmigrant status, a change of status may be requested within the same I-129 petition, allowing the transition without departing.
L1A visas may be extended in 2-year increments up to a total of 7 years. L1B visas may be extended once for 2 years, for a total of 5 years. For L1A holders seeking permanent residency, we advise on and manage the EB-1C immigrant petition — which does not require PERM labor certification, making it one of the fastest employment-based Green Card pathways available.
The L1 visa offers a combination of speed, flexibility, and long-term optionality that few other nonimmigrant categories can match — making it the preferred vehicle for multinational companies building U.S. operations with trusted, experienced personnel.
Unlike the H-1B visa, the L1 is not subject to an annual numerical cap and does not require entry into a lottery. Petitions may be filed at any time, and approval is based solely on eligibility — making workforce planning far more predictable for employers.
L1 visa holders are permitted to have dual intent — meaning they may simultaneously hold nonimmigrant L1 status and pursue permanent residency through the EB-1C category (for L1A holders) or other employment-based categories. This makes the L1 a natural bridge from temporary assignment to permanent U.S. residency.
The L1 visa holder's spouse and unmarried children under 21 may accompany them to the United States under the L-2 dependent visa category. L-2 spouses are authorized to work in the U.S. incident to status — without needing to separately apply for an EAD — following the DHS rule effective January 2022.
At Ozek Law Firm, we have extensive experience handling L1 visa cases for both employers and employees. We understand the intricacies of the L1 visa process — the qualifying relationship documentation, the evidentiary standards for managerial capacity and specialized knowledge, and the strategic planning that connects the L1 to a long-term permanent residency pathway.
We handle both L1A executive/manager and L1B specialized knowledge petitions with equal depth — advising on the specific evidence required for each category and building the strongest possible case for each individual transferee profile.
Establishing the qualifying corporate relationship convincingly is critical to every L1 petition. We advise on the most effective documentation strategy for parent/subsidiary, affiliate, and branch structures — and work directly with corporate counsel where needed.
We have assisted numerous companies with new U.S. office establishment — advising on the premises documentation, business plan requirements, staffing projections, and the first-year extension strategy that demonstrates the qualifying executive or managerial capacity.
For L1A holders ready to pursue permanent residency, we seamlessly manage the EB-1C immigrant petition — advising on timing, evidence requirements, the I-140 filing, and the adjustment of status or consular processing pathway that follows approval.
Attorney-at-Law — Intracompany Transferee Immigration (L1A / L1B)
Tolga Ozek brings over 13 years of experience advising multinational companies and their transferring employees on L1A and L1B visa matters — from new office launches and qualifying relationship documentation through petition filing, RFE responses, extensions, and the strategic L1A-to-EB-1C Green Card transition. Licensed in D.C., MD, NY with federal immigration practice across the U.S. and the Istanbul Bar, he is uniquely positioned to serve the international companies — including those with Turkish, Middle Eastern, and European operations — that form a significant part of the firm's global client base.
Whether you are a multinational company seeking to transfer executives or specialized knowledge employees to the U.S., or a foreign national being transferred to a new role — Ozek Law Firm is here to guide you through the L1A and L1B visa process with expertise and efficiency. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
