L Visas – Non Immigrant Intracompany Transfers

L-1A Intracompany Transferee Executive or Manager

The L-1A visa enables a U.S. employer to transfer an executive or manager from one of its foreign offices – to one of its offices in the United States.

This classification also enables a foreign company that does not yet have a U.S. office – to send an executive or manager to the United States with the purpose of establishing an office.

L Visas 2017 Fiscal Year Statistics

The U.S. State Department has generated the 2017 Fiscal Year Statistics for L Non Immigrant Visas.

The numbers reflect a continued interest in U.S. companies seeking to transfer intracompany employees from overseas locations into the U.S. The data shows that Asia is the top region that generates L visa beneficiaries.

India leads all countries in L Visas issued; Mexico follows in a distant second place.

The following data summarizes the statistics for the top L Visa countries by region:

Region/County	Total L Visas
Africa	2,767
South Africa	1,342

Asia	85,979
India	51,289
Japan	10,561
China	10,224

Europe	43,118
Great Britain and N. Ireland	10,006

North America	13,034
Mexico	11,127

South America	15,127
Brazil	10,008

L-1A Intracompany Transferee Executive or Manager

From USCIS, L-1A Intracompany Transferee Executive or Manager

The L-1A nonimmigrant classification enables 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 with the purpose of establishing one. The employer must file a Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker [http://www.uscis.gov/I-129], with fee, on behalf of the employee.

The following information describes some of the features and requirements of the L-1 nonimmigrant visa program.

General Qualifications of the Employer and Employee

To qualify for L-1 classification in this category, the employer must:

Have a qualifying relationship with a foreign company (parent company, branch, subsidiary, or affiliate, collectively referred to as qualifying organizations); and
Currently be, or will be, doing business as an employer in the United States and in at least one other country directly or through a qualifying organization for the duration of the beneficiary’s stay in the United States as an L-1. While the business must be viable, there is no requirement that it be engaged in international trade.

Doing business means the regular, systematic, and continuous provision of goods and/or services by a qualifying organization and does not include the mere presence of an agent or office of the qualifying organization in the United States and abroad.

To qualify, the named employee must also:

Generally have been working for a qualifying organization abroad for one continuous year within the three years immediately preceding his or her admission to the United States; and
Be seeking to enter the United States to provide service in an executive or managerial capacity for a branch of the same employer or one of its qualifying organizations.

Executive capacity generally refers to the employee’s ability to make decisions of wide latitude without much oversight.

Managerial capacity generally refers to the ability of the employee to supervise and control the work of professional employees and to manage the organization, or a department, subdivision, function, or component of the organization. It may also refer to the employee’s ability to manage an essential function of the organization at a high level, without direct supervision of others. See section 101(a)(44) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended, and 8 CFR 214.2(l)(1)(ii) for complete definitions.

Visa or Immigration Questions? Please Contact VERDIN Law

VERDIN Dallas, TX

Isaul Verdin, DFW Immigration Lawyer — Isaul Verdin, VERDIN Law, Dallas Immigration Lawyer

Isaul Verdin has extensive experience advising multinational companies and entrepreneurs on complex US immigration matters involving investments.

Mr. Verdin focuses on advising companies on structuring entities, acquisitions, and strategic expansion to satisfy US immigration E-1, E2, L1A, L1B, or EB-1 objectives in a variety of fields. These business opportunities include real estate, aviation, technology, manufacturing, retail, luxury goods, and professional services. Additionally, he litigates deportation defense matters throughout the US.

VERDIN boasts a combined 70 years of experience in immigration law. Since its inception, VERDIN has gained a reputation for prevailing in even the most complicated immigration matters.

“As a Board Certified, Immigration Lawyer (Texas Board of Legal Specialization) with over 17 years of experience, my passion is immigration law. We will listen to your concerns, answer all your questions, and expertly guide you through your immigration process.” ~ Isaul Verdin, Founder and Managing Attorney