L-1A Visa
The L‑1A visa allows a U.S. employer to transfer an executive or manager from one of its affiliated foreign offices to one of its U.S. offices. It also permits a foreign company to send an executive or manager to the U.S. to establish a new affiliated office, provided the employer files Form I‑129 on behalf of the employee.
Who is the Visa for?
Corporate Executives
Senior-level Managers
Organizational Leaders establishing or overseeing U.S. operations
Eligibility Requirements
Employed continuously for one year in the preceding three years by a qualifying foreign organization (e.g., parent, branch, subsidiary, affiliate)
Coming to the U.S. to serve in a managerial or executive capacity
Executive capacity means the individual has authority for broad decision-making with little oversight; managerial capacity includes primarily supervising professional employees or managing major functions/units of the organization
Visa Duration
Up to 7 years for L‑1A classification under eligibility extensions (per congressional authorization); initial and extension periods are granted in increments through Form I‑129 process
Processing Time:
Requires filing Form I‑129 with USCIS
Premium Processing available (typically 15 calendar days, though USCIS uses business days for recent service categories)
Standard processing times vary by service center (check USCIS Processing Times tool)
OpenSphere Services:
Petition drafting & supporting evidence compilation
RFE response preparation and strategy
Guidance on new office L-1 petitions
End-to-end legal support through USCIS and consular stages
