My foreign company opened an LLC in the U.S. just to bring me over. Does EB-1C apply?

Not necessarily. In the EB-1C category, opening an LLC in the United States solely to facilitate your transfer is rarely sufficient. This category presupposes a genuine multinational structure, with a legitimate corporate relationship between the foreign company and the U.S. entity (parent, branch, subsidiary, or affiliate).

What the analysis looks for goes beyond the paperwork filed to open the company. Two blocks of evidence carry weight:

• Relationship and operations: a clear ownership connection and substantial, ongoing operations on both sides, not a shell created solely for the visa.
• Your profile: qualified managerial or executive experience abroad and the relevance of your role within that corporate network.

If the LLC exists only on paper, without robust and independent economic activity, it is difficult to sustain the case. The more the structure demonstrates a real business and your genuine authority over it, the stronger the petition. Because each case is unique and requirements can change, it is worth confirming updated requirements with USCIS and assessing your situation with a specialist before filing.

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.