Intra-Company Transfer (L-1 Visa)

The L nonimmigrant visa category is an extremely useful tool for businesses looking to employ foreign workers in the US. An alien admitted under L-1 status can stay up to a maximum initial period of three years. The total period of stay may reach seven years for executives (L-1A) and five years for specialists (L-1B). In order to qualify for either L-1 visa, the foreign national must have worked for the company abroad for a period of time before applying to come to the US. Then, the emp0loyee must qualify as either an executive of the US company, or as someone who has specialized knowledge that couldn’t be replaced by an American employee.