Terpollari & Terpollari, LLC are experienced immigration attorneys located in Jacksonville and Tampa, serving clients across the USA. They specialize in various areas of immigration law, including asylum and refugee status, citizenship and naturalization, deportation defense, and family-based immigration.
L-1 Visa Attorney: Intracompany Transfers
L-1 Visa Attorney: Intracompany Transfers for Executives, Managers & Specialized Employees
L-1 Visa Attorney: Intracompany Transfers for Executives, Managers & Specialized Employees
- The L-1 visa allows multinational companies to transfer qualifying employees from a foreign office to a related U.S. office — whether a parent company, subsidiary, affiliate, or branch. It's also one of the few visa categories that allows a foreign company to send an executive or manager to the United States specifically to establish a new U.S. office. Our firm helps multinational businesses and their employees throughout Jacksonville and St. Augustine structure and file L-1 petitions that meet USCIS's evidentiary standards.
L-1A vs. L-1B: Which Category Applies
The L-1 visa is divided into two subcategories:
- L-1A — For executives and managers being transferred to a U.S. office in a managerial or executive capacity. L-1A status can lead directly to a green card through the EB-1C multinational manager/executive category, without requiring PERM labor certification.
- L-1B — For employees with specialized knowledge of the company's products, services, processes, or procedures that is not readily available in the U.S. labor market.
- Correctly classifying the position — and documenting the qualifying relationship between the foreign and U.S. entities — is often the difference between an approval and a request for evidence.
Who Qualifies for an L-1 Visa
To qualify, an applicant generally must show that they:
- Worked for the qualifying foreign company for at least one continuous year within the past three years
- Are being transferred to a position that is managerial, executive, or involves specialized knowledge
- Are transferring to a U.S. entity that has a qualifying relationship (parent, subsidiary, affiliate, or branch) with the foreign employer
- For new office petitions, additional evidence is required showing sufficient physical premises and a viable business plan to support the proposed operations within one year.
Evaluating Eligibility and Strategy
- Every case depends on the corporate structure, the employee's role abroad, and — for new offices — the strength of the business plan supporting future growth. As part of our evaluation, we review the qualifying relationship between entities, the employee's job duties, and supporting documentation to build a petition that clearly meets USCIS's standards for managerial, executive, or specialized knowledge classification.
Benefits of L-1 Visa Status
Approved L-1 beneficiaries receive:
- Authorization to work in the U.S. for the sponsoring company
- Initial approval for up to three years (one year for new offices), with extensions up to a maximum of seven years (L-1A) or five years (L-1B)
- Spouses may apply for unrestricted work authorization under L-2 status
- A direct path to permanent residency for L-1A executives and managers through the EB-1C category, without labor certification
Why Work With an Experienced L-1 Visa Attorney
- L-1 petitions require detailed evidence of corporate structure, job duties, and — for new offices — a credible business plan, all under increasing USCIS scrutiny. An experienced immigration attorney can help structure the petition, document the qualifying relationship between entities, and position the case for both initial approval and future extensions or green card sponsorship.
- Our firm represents multinational companies and transferring employees throughout the Jacksonville and St. Augustine area in L-1A and L-1B petitions, from initial strategy through approval, extension, and green card sponsorship. If you believe your company or role may qualify, contact our office to schedule a consultation and discuss your options.
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