Can a consulting firm sponsor L-1?

Yes, a consulting firm can sponsor an L-1, as long as it meets the same criteria required of any company: the visa is for intracompany transfers within a multinational group, not for open-market hiring.

The decisive factor is the corporate relationship. The consulting firm must demonstrate a qualifying connection (parent, branch, subsidiary, or affiliate) between the foreign entity and the U.S. entity, and must show that the transferred professional holds an executive, managerial, or specialized knowledge role.

What typically creates obstacles is not the consulting industry itself, but rather the corporate structure: not every consulting firm has the multinational character and inter-entity relationship that the visa requires. That is why the analysis of the corporate structure is just as important as the analysis of the position.

• What matters is the relationship between the entities, not the industry sector.
• The qualifying corporate relationship must be documented.
• The role must be executive, managerial, or specialized.

Since each structure has its own particularities, it is worth reviewing the current requirements with USCIS and assessing eligibility with a specialist before starting the process.

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.