Does the company need to attend the L-1 interview?

As a general rule, no. The company does not need to be present at the L-1 interview. The focus of the meeting is the applicant, who typically appears alone at the consulate or embassy to answer questions about their role, the company’s structure, and the relationship between the parent and the subsidiary or affiliate.

That does not mean the company’s role is secondary. Its most important contribution happens beforehand: preparing and organizing the documentation that supports the intracompany transfer. This material typically includes:

• Letters describing the position and the movement within the corporate group.
• Organizational charts that illustrate the structure and the applicant’s position within it.
• Evidence of the qualifying relationship between the entities.

Even though the consular officer will usually direct questions solely to the applicant, the review of the documents may require contacting the company for clarification. Keeping the company informed and aligned therefore makes a real difference.

Since each case has its own specifics, it is worth preparing the documentation carefully and confirming the requirements with official sources before the interview.

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.