L-1A/L-1B Visas

Intracompany Transferees

L-1A and L-1B visas allow foreign companies to transfer certain foreign employees to the United States for the purpose of expanding their business operations.

The L-1A nonimmigrant classification allows a U.S. employer to transfer an executive or manager from one of its affiliated foreign offices to one of its offices in the United States. This classification also enables a foreign company, which does not yet have an affiliated U.S. office, to send an executive or manager to the United States to establish U.S. business operations.

The L-1B nonimmigrant classification enables a U.S. employer to transfer an employee with specialized knowledge of the organization’s interests to the United States from one of its affiliated foreign offices. This classification also enables a foreign company which does not yet have an affiliated U.S. office to send a specialized-knowledge employee to the United States with the purpose of establishing one.