What are L-1 Visas?
L-1 Visa is a non-immigrant visa document issued by the United States government that allows companies that are in the US and abroad to relocate their employees from their offices abroad to work for their company in the USA. The employee must have been working for the same company, whether for a subsidiary or branch, for at least a year or the past three years.
There are two types of L-visas. One is the L-1A visa for managers and executives and is valid up to seven years. The other one is the L-1B visa for employees with specialized knowledge and is valid for five years. After the expiration period, the alien can only reapply for an L-1 visa only after a year of leaving the United States. However, a person holding an L visa can eventually apply for a Green Card under the dual content guidelines.
The first requirement that needs to be sent to the USCIS centre is the Form I-129 and the L-supplement form. Employers filing for L-1 visas must have valid proof that the credentials of a certain employee being petitioned for the L visa are of greater value and that the qualification of the employee is significant to the need of the company.
The filing fee for the L visa form I-129 is $190 and $500 for Fraud Prevention and Detection fee. The usual processing time of the L-1 visa is about two to four months, though employers can request a Premium Processing for an extra fee of $1,000, the processing time then will take only about 15 days.