L1 Visa Full Service Requirements: What You Need To Know To Start A Business In The U.S.A.

Are you looking to start a business in the United States? An L1 Visa Full Service can allow you to do just that! This type of visa allows foreign entrepreneurs to come to the United States to establish and manage a business. In this blog post, we will explore the L1 Visa Full Service requirements and eligibility so that you can have all the information you need to get started on your American dream.

  USA Immigration   Feb 6, 2023   0   735  Add to Reading List
L1 Visa Full Service Requirements: What You Need To Know To Start A Business In The U.S.A.

Are you interested in starting a business in the U.S.A. but need to know how to go about it? Then the L1 Visa Full Service is what you need! The L1 visa program is designed to help foreign entrepreneurs come to the United States and open their businesses. In this blog post, we'll discuss the requirements and eligibility you need to meet to be eligible for an L1 visa and successfully launch your business in the U.S.A.

Employees of multinational firms that are being transferred to open a new office in the United States can apply for an L1 visa.

VisaPro's expert immigration attorneys will draft and file the necessary forms to establish your new firm, lease office space, and process your L1 visa petition.

What is an  L1 visa?

An L1 visa is a visa that allows individuals from outside the U.S. to work in the U.S. temporarily. The L1 visa enables foreign employees to transfer to the United States for their employer’s business needs and their reasons. The visa can be used for both permanent and temporary transfers and allows for a spouse and children of the worker to come along.
The L1 visa is most commonly used by companies that need to bring in personnel from abroad, such as executives, managers, or specialized workers. However, it is also possible for an individual who owns a foreign business to open a branch of their business in the U.S. while they remain abroad.
To apply for an L1 visa, the applicant must provide evidence that they are employed by the company in question, that they are qualified to perform the job duties, and that they have worked abroad for at least one year in the past three years in a managerial, executive, or specialized capacity. Additionally, the applicant must show proof that they intend to return home when their stay in the U.S. is over.
Once all the necessary documents have been submitted, the application will be processed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Then, a decision will be made on the applicant’s eligibility. If approved, the applicant will receive an L1 visa complete service package which includes instructions on how to apply for entry into the United States, information about working and living conditions in the U.S., and other essential details.

L1 Visa Full Service Eligibility – It Is Suitable For:

  • Foreign companies to establish a new office in the U.S.
  • Foreign national executives being transferred to the U.S. to establish, develop or manage a new office
  • Foreign national managers being transferred to the U.S. to supervise the work of other supervisory, professional, or managerial employees or who manages an essential function, department, or subdivision
  • Specialized Knowledge employees of companies outside the U.S. that have related U.S. branches, subsidiaries, affiliates, or joint venture partners
  • Employees and partners of international accounting firms
  • Multinational companies to transfer foreign national executives to manage an organization or a primary function or division of a new organization in the U.S.
  • Multinational companies to transfer foreign national managers to supervise the work of other supervisory, professional, or managerial employees or who manages an essential function, department, or subdivision in the U.S.
  • Multinational companies to transfer employees with specialized knowledge such as its products, research methods, and marketing techniques.

L1 Visa for 'New Office' Advantages

You may legally enter the United States as an L1 intra-company transferee to create a new office.
You can freely travel in and out of the United States while holding a valid L1 Visa.

Your dependents are welcome to join you in the United States if you don't mind.
By submitting Form I-765, your spouse can apply for a work visa and begin working.

Who is eligible for an L1 visa?

An L1 visa is an employment-based non-immigrant visa that allows international companies to transfer qualified employees from foreign countries to their existing US offices. This visa enables the company to bring its foreign personnel to the US and grow its business.
To be eligible for an L1 visa, the company must have existed and operated outside the US for at least one year. Additionally, the foreign employee must have worked for the company abroad for a minimum of one year within the past three years. Finally, the employee must enter the US to work in a managerial or executive capacity or possess highly specialized knowledge about the company’s products or services.
Finally, to apply for an L1 visa, you must complete Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, and submit it along with all required documents to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). It is also essential to include proof of the employee’s experience, qualifications, and evidence that the company operates lawfully outside the US. Depending on the circumstances, additional forms may be required. Once USCIS has reviewed your application, they will decide whether or not you are approved.

L1 Visa For ‘New Office’ Requirements

A. If the employee is coming to the United States as a manager or executive to open or to be employed in a new office in the United States, the petitioner shall submit evidence that:

1. Sufficient physical premises to house the new office have been secured;

2. The employee has been employed for one continuous year in the three years preceding the filing of the petition in an executive or managerial capacity and that the proposed employment involved executive or administrative authority over the new operation; and

3. The intended United States operation will support an executive or managerial position within one year of the approval of the petition

B. If the employee is coming to the United States in a specialized knowledge capacity to open or to be employed in a new office, the petitioner shall submit evidence that:

1. Sufficient physical premises to house the new office have been secured;

2. A qualifying relationship exists between the U.S. company and the foreign company abroad; and

3. The petitioner has the financial ability to remunerate the beneficiary and commence doing business in the United States

L1 Visa Full Service 

  • To change the purpose of your visit while you are in the U.S. on an L1 visa, you must change your visa status.
  • The information provided here applies to L1 Visa.
  • Spouses of L1 visa holders may accept employment in the U.S. by obtaining an Employment Authorization Document.
  • Qualified U.S. companies that frequently transfer non-U.S. employees to their U.S. branches, subsidiaries, affiliates, or joint venture partners may do so easily by obtaining L1 Blanket status. Consult with a VisaPro attorney to determine if your company qualifies for L1 Blanket status.
  • Managers and executives holding L1 visas may apply for a Green Card under the first preference category: priority workers. This category is exempt from Labor Certification.

Fees for L1 Visa Full Service

  1. Filing Fee - $460 Regular or $960
  2. Premium filing fees are $2,960 or $3,460.

What are the Types of L1 visas?

Here are the significant type of L1 visas you can apply for as an international citizen who wants to work in  the United States

 There are two types of L1 Visas:

  1. L1A Visa – L1 visa for Managers and Executives.
  2. L1B Visa – L1 visa for Specialized Knowledge staff.

Who Can Obtain the L1A Visa?

What should Manager's duties be to qualify for an L1 Visa?

A manager must perform the following duties to claim that title:

Has the authority to hire and fire employees accordingly if there is no other supervisor of that function. If there is a human resource supervisor, the manager can recommend people for hiring or firing them.
Is in charge of the whole company or a division of it.
Has control over the supervisors and lower-level employees of the organization or the division that the manager heads.
A supervisor who sees day-to-day operations and has another supervisor to whom they report must state that they are a manager. This person would be considered the company's staff since they have no decision-making power and must ask for approval from their superior.

Managers must have e certain degree of control and power over the company and its decisions to qualify for an L1A visa for transferring to the US. An example of a manager could be the Head of the Marketing Department or the Head of Operations of a company.

Who is considered an Executive?

As for an executive, these duties fall under that job position:

It is supervised only by stakeholders or a board of directors, and no others
Makes policy rules and regulations for the company
Has the ultimate decision-making power regarding the company, besides the stakeholders and the board of directors
If the person must report and is supervised directly by another person, except stakeholders and the board of directors, then they need to meet the criteria of being an executive. An executive must be monitored at a shallow degree. An example of an executive is a company's Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Who Can Obtain the L-1B Visa?

The L-1B visa is directed toward individuals with specialized knowledge within a company.

Specialized knowledge professionals are those who are critical employees within a company. They possess extraordinary and inimitable knowledge of the company’s products or services. This knowledge is difficult to transfer to another person and would take time and resources. The person with the specialized expertise has gained this knowledge through years of experience within the company. So without them, the company’s products or services would not be of the same quality.

Many industries can claim specialized knowledge personnel to be eligible for L-1B visa transfers, such as:

Surgeons and physicians in hospitals.

  • Engineers.
  • Lawyers.
  • Teachers.
  • Professors.
  • The L-1B visa is thus given to people whose company can prove that they are indispensable to company functions.

How Long is the L1 Visa Valid?

When your employer files Form I-129, they also determine the length of the contract. When your visa is approved, that is the time you will be allowed to work in the US. That time is also specified on your Form I-94, which you will receive upon entry to the US.

Your employer can file for an extension when this period is close to expiration. If the extension is approved, you can stay in the US longer.

There is, however, a maximum time you can stay in the US on an L1 visa. This depends on the type of L1 visa that you have. For example, if you have an L1A visa, you can work in the US for a maximum of 7 years, while with an L1B visa, you can stay up to 5 years. Then, when your maximum time is up, you can explore other options, leading to a permanent stay in the US.

How many L-1B visa employees may a company have?

It is still being determined how many people may be such crucial workers in a corporation. Therefore, the firm must be able to differentiate between personnel critical to the company's operation and those who serve to create the products or services. As a result, the corporation can argue that many people are essential to the company and request transfers to the United States; however, they must demonstrate that the person's knowledge cannot be obtained from other employees or outside workers.

Conclusion

The L1 visa is an excellent opportunity for entrepreneurs looking to start a business in the United States. It provides access to a wide range of resources, investment opportunities, and opportunities to expand your business and make connections in the US. To be eligible for an L1 visa, you must prove that your company has been operating outside of the US for at least one year and that you are a key employee or executive. Once you have confirmed your eligibility, you must submit the appropriate paperwork and fees to apply for the L1 visa. With all the proper steps taken, you can be on your way to achieving success with your business in the United States.

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