Is a minimum employment period required at the company to qualify for the L-1?

Yes. One of the core requirements of the L-1 visa is having a prior employment history with the same organization abroad before the transfer. The intent is to demonstrate a genuine connection and experience within the corporate group, not merely a recent hire arranged to facilitate the move.

In practice, the applicant must have worked on a continuous basis for the same company (or an affiliate, subsidiary, or parent company) outside the United States, within a recent period prior to the petition. This applies to both the L-1A (executives and managers) and the L-1B (specialized knowledge workers).

The exact length of this qualifying period and the window within which it must have occurred are criteria set by the competent authority and may involve specific details of your case. For that reason, this text describes the concept without stating fixed timeframes.

To determine the period required in your specific situation, confirm the current requirements directly with the official source (USCIS) or with a qualified specialist before filing.

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.