A foreign startup pays me well and wants to transfer me to its U.S. branch. Should I go EB-1C or L-1A first?

In practice, the most common path is to start with the L-1A and later pursue the EB-1C. The L-1A is a temporary intracompany transfer visa that brings executives and managers from an overseas company to a branch, subsidiary, or affiliate in the United States. It is the natural route when the transfer needs to happen right away.

The EB-1C is the permanent version of that same concept: a green card for executives and managers of multinational companies. It typically requires a more established track record within the corporate group and a clear corporate structure between the parent company and the U.S. operation. For that reason, many people enter on the L-1A to begin working at the branch and, once the relationship has matured, move toward the EB-1C when permanent residence becomes the goal.

• L-1A: temporary entry, more agile, allowing you to work at the U.S. branch right away.
• EB-1C: green card for the same profile, with stronger requirements around history and corporate structure.
• One can set the stage for the other, but it is not a fixed rule.

The best sequence depends on your profile, the company’s structure, and your timeline. It is worth mapping out the strategy with a specialist and checking the updated requirements at the official source (USCIS) before deciding.

About the author

Victoria Harper

Editor-in-Chief

Meet the author

As a journalist and lead editor at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps ensure that immigration topics are covered in a clear, trustworthy, and easy-to-understand way. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.