Visto n' Visa
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers to the most common questions about the L-1 visa.
No. The L-1 is a work visa, not a tax instrument: it does not exempt you from taxes in your home country. Taxation depends on your tax residency status and local rules, and you may even have obligations in both countries.
Read full answer →The L-1 has no suspension mechanism for personal reasons: status depends on your employment relationship and qualifying duties, and extended absences may affect it. Align any leave with your employer and confirm the rules with the official source.
Read full answer →As a general rule, yes. If the L-1 extension petition is filed on time, before your status expires, and with the same employer, you can generally keep working during the authorized period while USCIS reviews your case. Confirm deadlines with the official source.
Read full answer →A Marketing Director can qualify for the L-1A by acting as a genuine executive or manager, with authority over strategic decisions and team leadership. What matters are the actual responsibilities, not the title; purely operational roles may not qualify.
Read full answer →Yes: with a valid L-1 visa and documents in order, you can travel to Europe for tourism and reenter the United States on the same visa, as long as you can demonstrate, upon reentry, that your employment relationship with the sponsoring company remains active.
Read full answer →Yes. The L-1 is not tied to your nationality: what matters is the qualified corporate relationship between the foreign company and the U.S. entity, together with the qualifying period of work in a managerial, executive, or specialized-knowledge role.
Read full answer →Yes. With a valid L-1, you can travel to your home country and return to the U.S., provided you keep your documentation current (passport, visa, and employer letters). Final re-entry always depends on the officer's inspection at the port of entry.
Read full answer →No. The L-1 does not require an exit visa from your home country. It is a U.S. entry visa, generally applied for at a U.S. consulate or embassy. Any exit formalities your country may require follow local law, separate from the L-1 process.
Read full answer →Generally, no. The L-1 requires a formal employment relationship within the same multinational, transferring the professional from an overseas unit to the U.S. entity. Freelancers and self-employed individuals typically do not fit this model; other pathways may be more suitable.
Read full answer →Yes. A tax haven headquarters does not block an L-1 petition, provided there is a qualifying corporate relationship and genuine business activity between the foreign company and the U.S. unit. Such companies may, however, attract greater USCIS scrutiny.
Read full answer →On the L-1, overtime depends on labor law classification, not the visa. Executive and managerial roles are typically 'exempt' (no overtime); technical or operational roles may be 'non-exempt'. Confirm your role's classification through official sources.
Read full answer →Not automatically. A lack of profits alone does not deny an L-1 renewal: what is evaluated is whether the company continues to operate legitimately and supports the transfer. Even so, reinforce viability with solid documentation (financial reports, business plan).
Read full answer →Generally, no. A U.S. company bank statement is not typically required for the L-1, which focuses on proving the corporate relationship and the professional's role. Supplementary financial documents may still be requested depending on the case.
Read full answer →There is no automatic answer: the L-1 depends on an active tie to the sponsoring employer, so extended unpaid leave can put your status at risk. Coordinate with your employer first, document everything, and consult an immigration specialist.
Read full answer →There is no fixed number. The L-1 does not impose a cap on how many visas the same company can have approved simultaneously; each petition is assessed individually by USCIS based on whether the employee and company meet the requirements.
Read full answer →The L-1 sets no minimum hours, but requires you to actually perform the executive, managerial, or specialized role approved in the petition. A significantly reduced commitment may cast doubt on compliance with visa conditions and affect your status.
Read full answer →The Transfer Letter is the document in which the company demonstrates L-1 eligibility: it identifies the parties, proves the relationship between the foreign entity and the U.S. unit, and describes the managerial role (L-1A) or specialized knowledge (L-1B).
Read full answer →As a general rule, the L-1 does not automatically require a criminal background check. Even so, the consular officer may request that document in specific situations, when something in the review raises questions.
Read full answer →No, proof of health insurance is not required at the L-1 visa interview. The consular review focuses on the company relationship and the applicant's qualifications. That said, having medical coverage is strongly advisable given U.S. healthcare costs.
Read full answer →Bring your passport with the L-1 visa, the petition approval notice (Form I-797), and an employer letter describing your role in the U.S. The officer may also request the petition (Form I-129), evidence of your position, and dependents' documents.
Read full answer →Yes. Being a minority shareholder does not prevent L-1A: what matters is the role. You must have served as a manager or executive abroad during the qualifying period and continue in a management role in the U.S., with real decision-making authority.
Read full answer →The main advantage of the L-1B over the H-1B is bypassing the lottery: as an intracompany transfer for employees with specialized knowledge, the process tends to be more direct and predictable.
Read full answer →No. The L-1 is a temporary work visa and does not allow you to sponsor your parents for a Green Card. Only U.S. citizens can petition for parents: neither an L-1 holder nor a permanent resident alone can file that petition.
Read full answer →Generally, no. The L-1 authorizes work only for the company that sponsored the transfer, so a paid internship or training at another company falls outside its scope. Internal programs or strictly academic courses tend to be compatible.
Read full answer →The description must go beyond a task list: it should concretely show that the role is executive, managerial, or specialized knowledge. Detail the decision-making scope and responsibilities, and connect the duties to the company's actual business needs.
Read full answer →In principle, yes, but it is not automatic: the new affiliate must preserve the corporate relationship that supported the visa and your role must remain compatible. The change may require a petition update with USCIS.
Read full answer →Generally, the L-1A offers a smoother path to a green card than the L-1B: it typically opens the executive and managerial route (EB-1C), which waives the labor certification (PERM) required on the most common L-1B paths.
Read full answer →Likely not. For the 'New Office L-1', a virtual business address is generally insufficient: immigration authorities expect proof of dedicated physical space, infrastructure, and actual operational capacity in the U.S., not just a mailing address.
Read full answer →Without a managerial role, the usual path from L-1B to a green card is employer sponsorship: PERM labor certification and an EB-2 or EB-3 petition. For standout profiles, the EB-2 NIW waives the job offer and PERM requirements.
Read full answer →There is no fixed minimum salary defined for the L-1A. Even so, compensation must be consistent with the executive role and market standards, and the employer must comply with U.S. labor laws. When in doubt, confirm requirements with a specialist.
Read full answer →Yes. The L-1 does not require you to give up assets abroad, so keeping a home in another country is possible. The key concern is tax: depending on your length of stay and ties, tax residency rules in both countries may apply.
Read full answer →No. The L-1 ties the professional to the sponsoring employer and does not authorize a second job, even part-time, without formal authorization. Working for another employer outside those terms can jeopardize immigration status.
Read full answer →For the L-1, the relationship between the foreign company and the U.S. company is demonstrated with documents proving they belong to the same corporate group, such as corporate records, organizational charts, financial statements, and inter-company agreements.
Read full answer →It is not advisable. Each L-1 petition is reviewed individually by USCIS and must accurately reflect the relationship between the company and the employee. Keeping two active at once can create inconsistencies and scrutiny. One well-supported petition is the ideal approach.
Read full answer →No. The law does not require the U.S. company to be profitable to sponsor an L-1. What matters is proving the link between the foreign and U.S. entities and that both are genuinely conducting business, backed by a solid plan.
Read full answer →A travel ban on specific countries does not automatically cancel or deny an L-1: the petition is assessed based on the beneficiary's qualifications and ties to the company. Active restrictions may trigger extra scrutiny at the admission stage.
Read full answer →Yes, depending on the actual duties. L-1A requires managerial or executive responsibilities, with decision-making authority and team direction. If the supervisor only executes and monitors tasks without decision-making power, the role likely does not qualify.
Read full answer →In the U.S., there is no concept of a 'sworn translation' as in some other countries. For the L-1, documents in a language other than English must include a complete English translation and a translator's statement certifying competence and fidelity to the original.
Read full answer →The 'New Office L-1' is the L-1 visa category used when a foreign company opens a new office in the US and transfers an executive, manager, or specialist to establish and run that newly created operation.
Read full answer →If your L-1 petition expires while you are abroad, act through official channels: confirm with your sponsoring employer whether the USCIS renewal is underway and, before re-entering the U.S., seek guidance from the U.S. consulate.
Read full answer →No. Unemployment insurance is not part of the L-1 requirements. The review focuses on the intracompany transfer, the qualifying position, and the link between the foreign entity and the U.S. operation, not on employment benefits.
Read full answer →Yes, in some cases. The L-1 reciprocity fee varies according to reciprocity agreements between the U.S. and each country, so it can sometimes exceed other visa charges. There is no fixed amount; check the official tables.
Read full answer →Yes. Your SSN is permanent: the number issued during a previous exchange program is yours for life and you reuse it on the L-1. What changes is the work authorization, which now comes from the L-1 status itself, not from your previous student status.
Read full answer →It does not lose validity automatically. The L-1 depends on the qualifying relationship between the foreign company and the U.S. entity; if the sale preserves that ownership and control link, the visa tends to remain valid, but each case is analyzed individually.
Read full answer →No, the L-1 does not convert directly into citizenship. Citizenship comes through naturalization, and permanent residence (Green Card) must be obtained first, which some L-1 holders reach through adjustment of status in employment-based categories.
Read full answer →Yes, you can withdraw from the L-1 and choose not to travel. Since the petition is typically filed by the company, the key step is to notify the sponsoring employer and follow official procedures if the process is already underway.
Read full answer →No. The L-1 has no per-country cap and no annual numerical limit on approvals, unlike other categories. What decides the petition is whether the case meets the visa profile (corporate relationship and role performed), not competition for a limited number of slots.
Read full answer →Reciprocity fees vary by visa category and the applicant's country, are set by the Department of State, and can change over time. To find out what applies to the L-1 in your case, check the official U.S. reciprocity schedule.
Read full answer →Yes, it can happen. USCIS sometimes conducts site visits (inspections or 'surprise visits') in L-1 cases to confirm the relationship between the companies and actual operations. They are not systematic: they tend to occur when red flags or doubts arise.
Read full answer →It can. The L-1 depends on a continuous and qualifying relationship between the foreign company and the U.S. operation. If the move alters that link or control between entities, immigration authorities may reassess whether requirements are still met.
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