Can I work for another foreign company while on L-1?

No. The L-1 is a intracompany transfer visa, and your work authorization is exclusively tied to the sponsoring company in the United States. It does not function as an open work permit.

In practice, this means that while in L-1 status, you cannot provide services to another company, whether foreign or American, outside the relationship that supported the visa. Doing so constitutes unauthorized work and may:

• violate the conditions of the visa;
• jeopardize your status and future immigration applications.

If you intend to change employers or take on a new role, the correct path typically involves filing an appropriate petition for the new situation, not simply beginning to work. It is worth confirming the current rules with USCIS and reviewing your options with qualified legal counsel before making any change.

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.