he L-1A Executive Company Transfer Visa is a nonimmigrant work visa that allows international companies to transfer an executive or manager from an overseas office to an affiliated U.S. office. It’s often called an “intracompany transfer” visa. This is an excellent option for business owners or high-level employees of a foreign company who want to establish or expand their business presence in the United States. Who is it for? It’s for executives and managers of a company outside the U.S.
who are being transferred to a U.S. branch, parent, subsidiary, or affiliate company in an executive or managerial role. It’s commonly used by entrepreneurs who have a foreign company and want to open a U.S. operation (they transfer themselves as the executive) and by multinational companies shifting leadership talent around. Unlike E visas, L-1A has no nationality requirement (any country’s citizen can qualify) – it’s purely based on the corporate relationship and the individual’s role.
Parent-Subsidiary, Head Office-Branch, or Affiliates under same parent ownership. Essentially, the foreign and U.S. entities must have common ownership or control.
The beneficiary (the person being transferred) must have worked for the foreign company for at least 1 continuous year within the past 3 years before coming to the U.S.
The position the person held abroad must have been executive or managerial OR the position they will hold in the U.S.
L-1A executives can bring their spouse and kids under 21 (L-2 dependents). Spouses can get work authorization incident to status now (similar to E visas), and kids can study. This is a great selling point akin to E visas.
Sineva’s team (sales + attorney) will first thoroughly evaluate if the client qualifies for L-1A. Key questions: “Do you have a foreign business that’s been active for at least a year? Do you hold a managerial/executive role there? Are you setting up or do you have a U.S
If the U.S. entity isn’t formed yet, we help create it (LLC, Corp, etc.) and ensure it’s properly owned by or affiliated with the foreign company or owner. For example, if it’s a subsidiary, the foreign company might own >50% of the U.S. company’s shares.
L-1s are filed with USCIS via Form I-129 (Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker) plus the L Supplement. Sineva’s immigration attorneys take lead here.
Once the petition packet is assembled, we file it with the appropriate USCIS service center (there are only two that handle Ls). We usually advise Premium Processing for L-1A, given executives often want decisions fast – and USCIS offers 15-business-day processing for a fee. Many of our clients opt for this to get an answer within 2-3 weeks.
If all goes well, USCIS approves the I-129 petition. We get an Approval Notice (which we forward to the client). If the client is outside the U.S., after approval they’ll use that notice to apply for the L-1A Executive Company Transfer Visa stamp at a U.S. consulate.
If it’s a new office scenario, remember the initial approval is for 1 year only. So right after approval, we mark our calendars for about 9 months later to start preparing the extension.
Once the client is in the U.S. in L-1A status, Sineva assists with any remaining setup tasks (similar to E-2 concierge).
A big reason many choose L-1A is to later go for EB-1C Multinational Manager green card. Sineva will typically discuss this with clients early (without overselling guaranteed outcomes).
Our internal preparation process—which includes consultation, document collection, and drafting—depends largely on how quickly the client provides the necessary information. On average, preparing a complete and well-documented application can take a few weeks.
Once the petition is submitted, the wait time for an interview varies based on the specific consulate and the time of year. Some consulates may offer relatively quick appointments, while others could experience longer delays depending on demand and backlog.
Decisions are often made at the time of the interview or shortly thereafter. Once approved, the visa is typically issued and the passport returned within a reasonable timeframe, depending on the consulate’s internal processing capacity.
While uncommon in consular cases—since the full application is presented in advance—RFEs may occur more frequently in change of status cases filed with USCIS. If issued, an RFE can introduce additional processing time. Our goal is to reduce this risk through thorough and strategic preparation.
For clients renewing from within the United States, processing times for status extensions through USCIS can vary. Average timelines tend to span several months under standard processing, depending on USCIS workload and service center.
I recommend their full relocation package for anyone serious about moving to the U.S.
I had zero experience in U. SI startups, but They guided me from day one.
Gracias a su asesoría mi familia y yo pudimos a emigrar con tranquilidad y confianza
Gracias a su asesoría nuestra familia pudo emigrar con tranquilidad y confianza
We outline actionable steps to scale your business effectively, including marketing, operational milestones and customer acquisition strategies.
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At Grupo Sineva, we provide comprehensive support to simplify the Business Immigration process, ensuring your business meets all requirements and submits a strong application.
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