Intra-Company Transferees

What is an L visa?

An L visa is for certain people who wish to live and work temporarily in the United States. Employees of an international company who are being temporarily transferred to a parent, branch, affiliate, or subsidiary of the same company in the United States require L-1 visas. The international company may be either a U.S. or foreign organization. To begin the application process, the future employer must file a Form I-129 (Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker) in the United States with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) of the Department of Homeland Security. If approved, the USCIS will mail the petitioner a Form I-797 (Notice of Action). The beneficiary may then apply for an L visa at the United States Embassy in Bogotá.

To qualify for an L-1 visa, the employee must be at the managerial or executive level, or have specialized knowledge, and must be destined to a position within the U.S. company at either of these levels. In addition, the employee must have been employed outside the United States with the international company continuously for at least one year within the three years preceding the application for admission into the United States. An L-1 visa is also the appropriate visa classification for the qualified employee of an international company who is coming to the United States to establish a parent, branch, affiliate, or subsidiary in the United States (in other words, to start the business in the United States).

Companies seeking to classify multiple aliens as intra-company transferees may qualify to file a blanket petition. The blanket petition provision is meant to serve relatively large, established companies having multi-layered structures and numerous related business entities. Blanket petitions are only available to managers, executives, and specialized knowledge professionals who are coming to the United States to work in an established office.

L-2 Visa (Spouse and Children of an L-1 visa holder)

Spouses and children under the age of 21 can receive L-2 visas to travel with or follow-to-join the principal alien in the United States.

For a more complete explanation of these and other permissible L activities, please see 9 FAM 41.54 (PDF 254 KB)

How do I apply for an L visa?

Please see our How to Apply for a Visa page

Which documents are required to apply for an L visa?

Please see our Documents Required for Visa Application page.