L-1A Visa

The L-1A visa enables a U.S. employer to transfer an executive or manager from an affiliated foreign entity to the U.S., or allows a foreign company to send an executive/manager to establish a new U.S. office. A qualifying intracompany relationship is required.

What Is L-1A Visa?

The L-1A Intracompany Transferee visa allows multinational organizations to transfer executives or managers to the United States temporarily to oversee U.S. operations or establish a new corporate presence.

Understanding the L-1A visa's benefits, criteria, process, and potential path to permanent residency is key for effective global workforce deployment.

L-1A Visa Criteria: Employer and Employee Requirements

Both the U.S. employer and the employee must meet specific criteria.

Employeer Requirements

Employee Requirements

One-Year Foreign Employment: Must have worked full-time for the qualifying foreign organization for one continuous year (outside the U.S.) within the three years before admission/filing.
Hold a foreign degree equivalent to a relevant U.S. bachelor's degree or higher.
Executive or Managerial Capacity (U.S. Role): Must be coming to the U.S. to work in an executive or managerial capacity.
- Managerial Capacity: Primarily involves managing the organization/department/function, supervising professionals/managers (or managing an essential function), having personnel authority (or functioning at a senior level), and exercising discretion.
- Executive Capacity: Primarily involves directing management, setting goals/policies, exercising wide discretion, and receiving only general supervision. Actual duties performed are key, not just the title.

Key Benefits of L-1A Visa

Leadership Transfer: Facilitates placing key executives/managers in U.S. operations.
Stay Duration: Allows a maximum stay of up to seven years.
No Labor Certification: Does not require the PERM Labor Certification process
Dual Intent: Allows beneficiaries to pursue permanent residency while in L-1A status.
Spousal Work Authorization: L-2 spouses are eligible to work.
Potential Green Card Path: Often serves as a step towards the EB-1C Green Card category.

New Office Considerations: Initial approval for a new office is only one year, requiring proof of viability for extensions.

L-1A Visa to Green Card

The L-1A visa frequently serves as a stepping stone to U.S. permanent residency (Green Card) through the Employment-Based First Preference category for Multinational Executives and Managers (EB-1C).

This category is designed for managers and executives transferring permanently to a related U.S. company. While EB-1C eligibility mirrors L-1A in requiring a qualifying corporate relationship and a managerial/executive role in the U.S., it imposes stricter standards.

Critically, the required one year of prior foreign employment must have been in a managerial or executive capacity (not just specialized knowledge), and the U.S. entity must have been actively doing business for at least one year before the Green Card petition (Form I-140) can be filed.

L-1A vs. L-1B Visa

L-1A Visa Application Process

Step 1: Filing the Individual Petition (Form I-129)

The U.S. employer files Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, with supporting documents and fees.

Step 2: Utilizing the Blanket L Petition

Large companies can pre-qualify their corporate relationships. The employer then completes Form I-129S for the employee, who usually applies for the visa directly at a consulate (or CBP for Canadians).

Step 3: Post-Petition Approval

Consular Processing: Employees abroad apply for an L-1A visa stamp at a U.S. consulate (DS-160 form, interview).
Change of Status: Employees already lawfully in the U.S. can request a change to L-1A status via the Form I-129.