Skip to main content
Free Case Evaluation

Evaluate your case with our experienced attorneys.

Get Started

US L-1 Intracompany Transfer Visa Attorney

Designed for high-level management transferring from a foreign company to a related U.S. office.

  • Leadership Role: Must be coming to the U.S. to direct the management of the organization or a major corporate function.
  • Prior Experience: Requires at least one continuous year of employment abroad within the last three years in a managerial or executive capacity.
  • Path to Green Card: L-1A holders have a direct pathway to permanent residency under the EB-1C category, bypassing the PERM process.

Not sure if you're eligible? Schedule a free
consultation with our experts and get clarity.

Check Eligibility

Ideal for vital employees who possess proprietary knowledge about the company’s products, services, or internal processes.

  • Proprietary Knowledge: You must possess an advanced level of knowledge or expertise that is difficult to find in the U.S. labor market.
  • Continuous Employment: Similar to L-1A, requires one year of continuous employment with the foreign affiliate.
  • Maximum Duration: The L-1B visa can be extended up to a maximum of five years (unlike the L-1A, which allows up to seven years).

Not sure if you're eligible? Schedule a free
consultation with our experts and get clarity.

Check Eligibility

Perfect for foreign companies looking to send a key employee to establish a brand-new physical presence in the United States.

  • Physical Premises: The company must have secured sufficient physical space to house the new U.S. operation.
  • Initial 1-Year Grant: Visas for new offices are initially approved for one year to give the business time to become fully operational.
  • Financial Viability: You must prove the foreign company is financially capable of supporting the U.S. expansion and paying the employee.

Not sure if you're eligible? Schedule a free
consultation with our experts and get clarity.

Check Eligibility
US L-1 Intracompany Transfer Visa Attorney

Moving a manager or specialist from your company in your home country to your affiliated office in the US is, when structured correctly, one of the fastest paths to global growth. The L-1 intracompany transfer visa does exactly this: it brings your manager to the US by properly documenting the corporate link between the two entities and the employee's qualifying history. Yellow Law Group manages the process end to end, from the application decision to petition approval; we build the company relationship, the one-year foreign employment rule, and the nature of the position in the evidentiary language USCIS recognizes. We cover whether your company and your employee are eligible for the L-1, step by step, in our L-1 eligibility guide.

Why L-1? No Lottery, No Investment Requirement

The L-1 carries clear advantages among work visas. Unlike the H-1B specialty occupation visa, the L-1 has no annual cap and no lottery; an employer can file at any time of year, for any number of employees. Unlike the E-2 investor visa, the L-1 does not require a substantial capital investment; what is sought is not money but the corporate link between the two companies and the employee's qualifying history. The scope and evidentiary standard of the L-1A and L-1B categories are defined in the USCIS L-1A guidance. Our attorney team assesses which category your application fits and the denial risk from the outset.

From L-1A to an EB-1C Green Card: The Path to Permanent Residence

A defining aspect of the L-1A is that, beyond being a temporary work visa, it is a door that opens to permanent residence. The L-1 is a "dual intent" visa, which means you can apply for a green card while maintaining your status. For L-1A managers, the transition to the EB-1C multinational manager green card category is smooth because the capacity definitions are nearly identical, and it skips the lengthy PERM labor certification process entirely. You can review the legal framework of the EB-1 category on the USCIS EB-1 page. Planning your transfer with this green card goal from the very start provides a decisive advantage in both time and cost.

Your Family and the Process: L-2 Spouse Work Authorization and Premium Processing

The L-1 visa covers not only the employee but also their family. Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 come to the US in L-2 status. Your spouse can work in the US thanks to the work authorization that L-2 status carries, without waiting for a separate permit document; this is a decisive convenience for managers relocating with their family. If you want to speed up your petition, premium processing has USCIS act on your application within 15 business days. Yellow Law Group plans, alongside the petition, the status of the spouse and children, the premium processing option, and new office scenarios together. You can also coordinate the process remotely, from your home country.

Why Yellow Law Group?

Yellow Law Group serves from its headquarters in Plano (Texas), with partner offices in Chicago (Illinois), Irvine (California), Alpharetta (Georgia), and Fairfield (New Jersey). In L-1 files, a denial usually stems not from a mistake in the visa process but from the company relationship or the nature of the position being weakly documented from the outset. Our team builds the corporate link through incorporation records and organizational charts, the employee's capacity through the actual job description, and prepares the file to reduce the risk of an RFE. You can review our attorneys on our team page and schedule a free initial consultation through our contact page to discuss the eligibility of your company and your employee.

Got Questions? We're on it.

US L-1 Intracompany Transfer Visa Attorney • Frequently Asked Questions

No. The L-1 by its nature does not require an investment amount; it does not demand putting a substantial fund at risk as the E-2 visa does. The requirement is the qualifying corporate link between your parent company at home and the US company, both companies actively doing business, and documentation that you have the financial capacity to run the US operation.

Because the L-1 has no annual cap or lottery, you can file at any time of year; you do not wait for an application window as with the H-1B. The standard processing time varies by USCIS center. If you want to speed up the process, premium processing has USCIS act on your application within 15 business days, responding with an approval, denial, or request for evidence (RFE) in that time.

The L-1A connects to one of the most direct green card paths available. Because the L-1 carries dual intent, you can apply for permanent residence while maintaining your status. For L-1A managers, the transition to an EB-1C green card is smooth because the capacity definitions are nearly identical, and it skips the lengthy PERM labor certification process. Planning the transfer with this goal from the start shortens the process.

Yes. Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 come to the US in L-2 status. Your spouse can work in the US thanks to the work authorization that L-2 status carries, without waiting for a separate permit document; your children can attend school. This is one of the most concrete advantages that make the L-1 practical for Turkish managers relocating with their family.

Yes, this is called a 'new office' L-1. If your US entity has been operating for less than one year, additional requirements apply: secured physical premises, the financial capacity to support the operation, and a realistic business plan. New office L-1A status is granted for one year initially; at extension, it must be shown that the office is genuinely operating and the position has become managerial. This route is frequently used for a first entry into the US market from Turkey.

With our headquarters in Plano (Texas) and offices in Chicago, Irvine, Alpharetta, and Fairfield, we run immigration, personal injury, and corporate law under one roof. In L-1 files, a denial usually arises from the company relationship or the nature of the position being weakly built from the outset; our team builds the corporate link and the employee's capacity in the evidentiary language USCIS recognizes. We plan the process as a whole, from the application to an EB-1C green card transition, and manage your family's L-2 status together.

Check Your L-1 Visa Eligibility

1 / 8

Have you worked full-time for the foreign company for at least one continuous year in the past three consecutive years?

L-1 requires at least one year of continuous full-time employment abroad within the past three years.

2 / 8

What was your role at the foreign company?

L-1A is for executives/managers; L-1B is for specialized knowledge employees.

3 / 8

What will be your role at the U.S. company?

Your U.S. role must qualify as executive, managerial, or specialized knowledge.

4 / 8

What is the legal relationship between the foreign company and the U.S. entity?

L-1 requires a qualifying relationship (parent-subsidiary, branch, or affiliate).

5 / 8

What is the current status of the U.S. entity?

A fully operational U.S. entity strengthens the petition.

6 / 8

Is the foreign company actively operating and generating revenue?

The foreign company must be actively doing business.

7 / 8

Is your planned U.S. role consistent with what you did abroad?

Consistency between foreign and U.S. roles supports the petition.

8 / 8

Does the foreign company have an established organizational structure (staff, departments, hierarchy)?

An established organizational structure supports the qualifying relationship.

Great! The L-1 Visa could be right for you.

Based on your strong results, you are an excellent candidate for the L-1 Intracompany Transfer Visa. Fill out the form below for a complimentary, no-obligation case review with our immigration experts.

Next Step: Claim Your Free Consultation