L-1B
Intracompany specialized knowledge
The L-1B lets a company transfer an employee with specialized knowledge from an office abroad to a related U.S. office. Specialized knowledge means special knowledge of the company's products, services, tools, or methods, or an advanced level of expertise in its processes. The employee needs at least one continuous year with the company abroad within the last three years.
Request a consultIs the L-1B for you?
- Engineers who know a company's internal systems or products in depth
- Team members who built or run a proprietary process
- Companies that need institutional knowledge on a new U.S. team
- Who sponsors
- Employer
- Typical stay
- Up to 5 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.
- 03Knowledge that is distinct or uncommon in the industry, or advanced within the company. How hard it would be to train someone else is a key factor.
- 04A U.S. role that uses that knowledge.
- 05If you will work at a client site, the work must stay under your employer's control and be tied to its own products or services.
Your case, start to finish.
An attorney pins down exactly what knowledge you hold, how you gained it, and how few others in the company share it.
We document it with project records, ownership of internal tools, training you have given, and comparisons with peers.
We show what it would take to train a replacement, using concrete timelines and costs from the employer.
For client-site work, we document who directs your work day to day.
Before you ask.
How long can I stay?
Up to five years in total. A first petition is usually approved for up to three years, with an extension for the remaining time.
Can I move from L-1B to L-1A?
Yes, if you are promoted into a managerial or executive role. After at least six months in L-1A status, your total limit can rise to seven years.
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.
What is a blanket L?
Large multinational companies can hold blanket L approval. It lets them send eligible employees straight to a U.S. consulate without an individual petition first. We check whether your company has one.
Worth comparing.
L-1A
Managers and executives moving from a related company abroad.
Employer · Up to 7 years
H-1B
Specialty occupations that call for a degree. Most employers enter the annual lottery.
Employer · 3 years, extendable to 6
EB-2 / EB-3
The classic employer-sponsored route, through PERM labor certification.
Employer · Permanent
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.