Helping Businesses Obtain Work Visas for their Employees
Over 10 years assisting businesses and individuals with their immigration needs
Ames Immigration can help US or foreign-based businesses obtain L1 visas for their eligible employees. The L-1 visa is a temporary, non-immigrant visa that allows companies to transfer certain classes of employee from its foreign operations to the United States, for a period of up to seven years depending on the type of L-1 visa.
To be eligible for the L-1 visa, the foreign-based employee must:
- have been employed outside the U.S. with the company for at least one out of the past three years
- have been employed as a Manager, Executive, or as Specialized Knowledge Staff
- be coming to work for a qualifying employer
Managers and executives are defined as employees that have a supervisory position over professional staff, or who oversee a key function, department or subdivision of the business. Managers and Executives are issued the L-1A visa. The L1-B visa is issued to employees in a position that requires specialized knowledge or skill in relation to the company's operations.
A qualifying employer is one that is doing business in the U.S. and at least one other country during the period of the transfer. The U.S. company must be related to the overseas company in the proper way, for example, as a subsidiary or affiliate, or generally, as long as one entity has control of the other company.
The requirements can be very specific, and there are exceptions to every rule. USCIS has recently taken a harder look at the L-1 visa, especially as it applies to "specialized knowledge" workers. There are also special requirements for "start up" companies.
Contact our offices in Syracuse, New York, to learn more about our complete range of immigration services.
