The L-1 is the visa multinational companies use to move their own staff into a US office — no lottery, no annual cap, and no requirement to prove the role couldn’t be filled by a US worker. That makes it one of the more predictable US work visa routes, but it lives or dies on one strict requirement: a genuine, documented employment relationship abroad. This guide covers L-1A and L-1B eligibility, costs, and timelines for 2026.
L-1A vs L-1B: which one you need
The L-1 category splits into two subtypes based on the role you’ll do in the US:
- L-1A (executive or manager): for employees who will direct an organisation, a major function, or a team of professionals in the US role — the classic “manager relocating to run the US office” case.
- L-1B (specialized knowledge): for employees with special knowledge of the company’s product, service, research, equipment, or processes, or an advanced level of expertise in how the organisation itself operates — usually technical or highly process-specific roles that are hard to replicate by hiring locally.
L-1A is the stronger long-term route because it also qualifies for the EB-1C green card category (no labor certification required); L-1B has no equivalent fast-track and typically transitions through EB-2 or EB-3 instead.
Core eligibility: the one-year rule
Whichever subtype applies, USCIS requires:
- At least one continuous year of employment abroad in a managerial, executive, or specialized-knowledge capacity with the petitioning employer (or a qualifying affiliate) within the three years before the transfer.
- A qualifying corporate relationship between the foreign entity and the US entity — parent, subsidiary, branch, or affiliate — with evidence both sides are actively doing business.
- A genuinely managerial/executive or specialized-knowledge US role, not a title change with the same day-to-day duties as a line employee.
There’s no minimum company size, but very small or newly formed US entities face heavier scrutiny under the “new office” rules below.
New office L-1 petitions
If the US entity has been doing business for less than one year, USCIS treats the petition as a “new office” L-1 and applies extra conditions:
- Initial approval is capped at one year (instead of the usual three), specifically to let USCIS check the office is actually operating before granting a longer stay.
- The petition must show sufficient physical premises and a credible business plan showing the US office will support an executive/managerial (or specialized-knowledge) position within that first year.
Validity periods and maximum stay
- Existing US office: initial approval up to three years.
- New US office: initial approval capped at one year, then eligible for two-year extensions once established.
- Maximum total stay: seven years for L-1A, five years for L-1B, after which the employee must leave the US (time on H-1B counts toward neither cap separately, but time spent mostly outside the US can sometimes be “recaptured” — a case-specific calculation worth getting professional advice on).
What it costs in 2026
L-1 costs split between the sponsoring employer and the employee:
- Form I-129 base filing fee: $1,385, paid by the employer for the petition.
- Fraud Prevention and Detection Fee and Asylum Program Fee: additional employer-side charges that vary by petitioner type and size.
- Premium processing (optional): $2,965 as of March 1, 2026 — guarantees a 15-business-day USCIS response.
- DS-160 visa application (MRV) fee: $205, paid by the employee when scheduling the consular interview.
- Visa issuance (reciprocity) fee: varies by nationality, charged only on approval.
See our full US visa fee breakdown for how this compares to H-1B and other categories.
Blanket L petitions
Large, established multinationals with a track record of L-1 approvals can apply for blanket L certification, which pre-qualifies the corporate relationship so individual employees skip the full I-129 petition and instead apply directly at the consulate with Form I-129S. This can cut months off the process for companies that transfer staff regularly — worth asking your employer’s immigration counsel whether the company already holds one.
Family: the L-2 visa
Spouses and unmarried children under 21 can accompany an L-1 holder on an L-2 visa. L-2 spouses are authorised to work in the US incident to status — no separate work permit application needed, a meaningfully better position than most dependent visa categories. See our dependant and family visa guide for how this compares across visa types.
Process at a glance
- Employer files Form I-129 (with the L supplement) with USCIS, or Form I-129S at post for blanket petitions.
- USCIS approves and issues Form I-797 (or the blanket certificate is used directly).
- Employee completes DS-160, pays the MRV fee, and attends a consular interview.
- On approval, the employee enters the US and begins work — spouses can start working immediately under L-2 status.
FAQ
Can I self-petition for an L-1? No — only the US employer can file the petition; it isn’t a route open to individuals without a sponsoring company on both sides of the transfer.
Does L-1 have an annual cap like H-1B? No — there’s no lottery and no yearly numerical limit, which is the main practical advantage over H-1B for companies that qualify.
Can L-1A lead to a green card without labor certification? Yes, through the EB-1C multinational manager/executive category, which skips PERM labor certification — see our H-1B to green card guide for how employment-based green card categories generally compare.
This is preparation guidance, not legal advice — L-1 eligibility turns on fact-specific corporate and role evidence, so confirm your case with your employer’s immigration counsel and the official USCIS L-1 pages before filing. When VisaMet launches, our document screening will check your evidence pack against what L-1 adjudicators actually look for. Join the waitlist for early access.