Do I need a specific job offer to get an L-1?

No. The L-1 does not work like a traditional job offer, where a candidate receives a proposal from an outside employer. It is an intracompany transfer visa: it assumes you already work for the organization and will be transferred from a unit abroad to a unit in the United States.

Instead of an open position on the job market, what supports the petition is the qualifying relationship between the foreign company and the U.S. entity (parent, subsidiary, affiliate, or branch) and a qualifying period of prior employment with that company abroad before the transfer.

• There is no external job offer or labor certification as required in other categories.
• Prior employment with a company in the same corporate group outside the U.S. is required.
• The role in the U.S. must fall under one of the subcategories: L-1A, for executives and managers, or L-1B, for specialized knowledge workers.

Requirements are evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the competent authority. Before filing a petition, it is worth confirming the current criteria with the USCIS or with an immigration specialist.

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.