Even if someone is being transferred to the United States by their foreign employer, they will require a United States work visa in order to be in the United States as a legal employee. The visa for expansion of business into the US and employee transfer to the US is the L1 work visa.
This is a very specific visa, and in order for the applicant to qualify they must meet certain requirements.
Applying for an L1 visa – what are the requirements?
There are several requirements for both the employee and the corporation. The employee must be either an executive, a manager or a specialized knowledge employee who has worked one year full time with the company.
The corporation must be related to the United States office so much that it is a branch, subsidiary, parent company, affiliate or joint venture partner, while the company must also remain actively in business after the transfer to the United States.
The L1 visa may be valid for seven years or for five years depending on the employee’s occupation with the company. There is also potential for the L1 visa to lead to permanent residency in the United States through employer petitions.
Are you transferring an employee to a United States office of your company, or are you being transferred? If you want to expand your business to the United States, look no further than the L1 visa. We offer immigration services to the United States, including the L1 visa application for foreign nationals and Canadians. Give us a call at the number above for assistance with this visa or any questions you may have about the application process.