L-1A
Intracompany manager or executive
The L-1A lets a company move a manager or executive from an office abroad to a related U.S. office. You need at least one continuous year of work for the company abroad within the last three years. It is also a common route for opening a first U.S. office, and its facts line up with the EB-1C green card.
Request a consultIs the L-1A for you?
- Founders and executives expanding a foreign company into the U.S.
- Managers moving to a U.S. parent, branch, subsidiary, or affiliate
- Function managers who run an essential part of the business
- Companies opening their first U.S. office
- Who sponsors
- Employer
- Typical stay
- Up to 7 years
What the case needs
- 01A qualifying relationship between the U.S. company and the company abroad: parent, branch, subsidiary, or affiliate.
- 02At least one continuous year of full-time work for the company abroad within the three years before the petition is filed.
- 03That work abroad was in a managerial, executive, or specialized knowledge role.
- 04A U.S. role that is managerial or executive. This can mean supervising other managers or professionals, or managing an essential function of the business.
- 05Both companies doing business, meaning regular and continuous trade in goods or services, throughout your L-1 stay.
- 06For a new office: secured premises, and a plan showing the office can support a managerial or executive role within one year.
Your case, start to finish.
An attorney maps the ownership chain between the two companies and confirms the relationship with share records and corporate filings.
We document your role abroad and in the U.S. with org charts, staff titles, duties, and how your time is split.
For a new office, we build the business plan, lease, funding records, and hiring plan that the first extension will be judged against.
We plan ahead for the EB-1C green card, which uses much of the same evidence.
Before you ask.
How long can I stay?
Up to seven years in total. A first petition is usually approved for up to three years, and extensions come in increments of up to two years. A new office petition is approved for one year, then extended once the office is operating.
Can a startup use the L-1A?
Yes, if the U.S. company is related to an active company abroad where you worked for at least a year. The new office rules apply, and the extension needs proof that the U.S. office can support your managerial or executive role.
Can my spouse work?
Yes. Spouses in L-2 status are authorized to work because of their status. Children in L-2 status can study but cannot work.
Can I get a green card?
Yes. The L-1 allows you to seek a green card while you hold it. The EB-1C green card covers similar managerial and executive roles and has no labor certification step.
Worth comparing.
EB-1C
Managers and executives of multinational companies.
Employer · Permanent
L-1B
Team members with specialized knowledge of the company, moving from abroad.
Employer · Up to 5 years
O-1A
Extraordinary ability in science, business, or technology. No lottery, no annual cap.
Employer or agent · Up to 3 years, renewable
Tell us about
your case.
Share where you are today and where you want to go. We'll help you understand the immigration path and the work surrounding it.