What is the ‘New Office L-1’?

The ‘New Office L-1’ is the scenario in which a foreign company is still opening a new office in the United States and transfers, through the L-1 visa, a qualified employee to establish and run that newly created operation.

It is worth noting that the L-1 serves multinational companies transferring executives, managers, or professionals with specialized knowledge. In the new office category, the added challenge is that the US operation is just getting started, so the focus falls on the viability of the project.

• It requires a legitimate corporate relationship between the foreign company and the new US entity.
• The transferred professional typically holds a managerial, executive, or specialized knowledge role.
• A solid business plan and the organizational structure to sustain the operation are expected.

Because this is a more sensitive scenario (a company in its early stage), the review tends to be thorough. It is advisable to confirm the current requirements with USCIS or a 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.