What is an L-1 Visa?
The L-1 visa allows for the transfer of certain employees to a business in the United States which is related to the Indian business. The US business can be an existing US office or we can set a new US
office up for your Indian business.
There are three types of L1 Visa:
1. The L1 Visa for Managers and Executives
2. The L1B Visa for Specialist Workers
3. The L1 visa for dependents
Click here to find out more about the L-1 Visa.
What is the L1 Visa Issuance Process in New Delhi, India?
This page briefly outlines the L-1 visa application process at the US
consulate in New Delhi, India.
You can apply for the L-1 visa from any country where you are lawfully resident. Some US consulates will also allow third country processing. Procedures and visa issuance processes do vary by consulate. Sometimes our Indian clients process their L visas in Singapore and Vietnam, this avoids what can be excessive waits in India. The procedures described on this page are for Delhi, India.
Our team is happy to consult with you and you may
click here to contact us to arrange a free consultation
to discuss your business’ needs, personal circumstances and plans.
In order to obtain an L-1 visa an applicant must complete the following
steps detailed on this page.
| Steps |
Notes/Remarks |
|
1.
Obtain an approval of the L-1 petition (filed with the USCIS
(United States Citizenship & Immigration Services)
|
This page addresses the post-L1 petition process of applying for
the L1 Visa.
For guidance on processing an L1 visa petition for an Indian
business please follow this link.
|
|
2.
Complete the Online Non-Immigrant Visa Application, Form
DS-160.
|
Follow this link to complete Form D- 160:
http://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/in-niv-ds160complete.asp
For any inquiries on completing the DS-160, you may visit this
website:
DS-160 Faqs.
|
| 3. Pay the visa application fee of $190. |
Although fees are listed in U.S. dollars, payment must be made
using local currency.
Follow this link to check the visa fee for L visa:
http://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/in-niv-visafeeinfo.asp
Learn about bank and payment options through this link:
http://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/in-niv-paymentinfo.asp
|
|
4.
Schedule your personal interview with the U.S. Embassy in New
Delhi, India.
|
You may schedule your interview at any U.S. Embassy or
Consulate, however, it may be difficult to qualify for a visa
outside of your place of permanent residence. In general, you
must schedule an appointment for your visa interview at the U.S.
Embassy or Consulate in the country where you live.
You will need to provide the receipt number that is printed on
your approved L-1 petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Form
I-129, or Notice of Action, Form I-797, to schedule an
interview.
You may make an appointment through the call center:
Callers
in India: Call +91 120 4844644 or +91 40 46258222.
Callers
in the United States: Call +1 703 520 2239.
You may also schedule your appointment online through this
link:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas.html/appointment
The approximate wait time for a Dropbox appointment (visa
interview waiver) tis a few weeks to a few months and the wait
time for interview appointments is anywhere between 7 months to
1 year at this time (Dec 2022) (owing to backlog as a result of
Covid
|
|
5.
Sit down with our team to prepare for your visa interview.
|
We, at Davies and Associates, are ideally positioned to assist
you in your preparation for the interview though our team in
India. We can answer all your questions about the interview
process, give you valuable tips and conduct mock interviews.
For over 15 years, we have worked with many Indian nationals and
gained a deep understanding of their needs and culture. We
tailor our services to meet our clients’ needs and produce the
very best immigration solutions possible.
While there can be no guarantees, none of the visa applications
we have prepared has ever been denied given our personalized
approach and close interaction with our clients.
|
|
6.
Attend your visa interview and bring all required
documentation.
|
Required documentation includes:
- Your passport (and your old passports)
- Your passport photo
-
The DS-160 barcode page (you will not need the full
application)
- The HDFC visa application fee receipts
PLUS
- I-797 - the original notice of approval
- The complete I-129 and I-129L petition (3 copies)
- Evidence employment with the Indian entity
-
Offer Letter from the US entity the petitioning company.
The Embassy will not accept documents received directly from the
company by mail or fax.
|
|
7.
After your visa interview, you will be informed how your
passport with visa will be returned to you.
|
The approximate processing time visa issuance is 7 to 14
working days (as of November, 2022).
In some cases, the consular officer will inform you if further
administrative processing is necessary for your application.
|
*For individual petitions only.
All Blanket L Visas are processed at the U.S. Consulate General in
Chennai.
The U.S. Consulate General in Chennai is the sole acceptance center in
India for all applications for intra-company transfers under the blanket
L category. The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi and U.S. Consulates in Mumbai,
Kolkata and Hyderabad no longer accept or process applications for this
visa category. The blanket L category includes specialized knowledge
professionals, executives and managers.
What if the Visa Processing Time is Excessively Long in Delhi?
Visa processing times can be excessively long in all of the consulates in India.
Davies & Associates has staffed offices in Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Visa processing times in these consulates are generally much shorter. In the past these consulates have allowed non-resident Indian Nationals to process their L1 visas.
Indian clients are met by our staff in Singapore or Ho Chi Minh City, prepped and taken to the consulate for their visa interview. In Singapore our lawyers have been allowed to accompany clients at the visa interview, in Ho Chi Minh City that has typically not been the case.
Our clients have generally had a good experience in Singapore and in Ho Chi Minh City where to date no Indian applicant form our firm has been refused a visa.
Please note that spouse and children visas (L2) and individual L
visas (L1B and L1A individuals) may be processed at all posts in
India-Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and New Delhi.
Address/Location:
U.S. Embassy
Shantipath,
Chanakyapuri
New Delhi - 110021
Tel: 011-91-11-2419-8000
Fax:
011-91-11-2419-0017
U.S. Embassy New Delhi - U.S. Embassy & Consulates in India
(usembassy.gov)
Email addresses:
Nonimmigrant visas
[email protected]
Call Center:
Callers in India: Call +91 120 4844644 or +91 40 46258222.
Callers
in the United States: Call +1 703 520 2239.
Skype: To use Skype to speak to a customer service representative
Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., India Standard Time (IST),
and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., IST, please add a new contact to
your Skype account with the Skype name ustraveldocsindia.
About the Authors
Mark I Davies, Esq.
Chairman of Davies & Associates; focused on E visa strategy and complex consular filings.
Mark I Davies, Esq. JD, University of Pennsylvania Law School, Licensed with the SRA (SRA ID: 384468) in the UK, Member Law Society of England & Wales, MBA, Wharton School of Business. Top 10 Investment Visa Lawyer, Licensed (USA), Georgia State Bar. AILA Member.
| Area |
Details |
|
Education
|
JD, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School | MBA (Finance), The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania | Chartered Accountant (ICAEW) |
|
Financial Training
|
Completed Analyst Training Program at a major international bank | Chartered Accountant background with professional training in financial analysis and reporting |
|
Legal Practice
|
Admitted to practice in Georgia (USA) | Registered Solicitor with the Law Society of England & Wales | Former CMBS lawyer at one of the world’s largest international law firms |
|
Immigration Track Record
|
15+ years advising HNW investors |
Zero denials for clients advised on source-of-funds compliance in EB-5 | Hundreds of successful EB-5 cases globally
|
|
Recognition
|
Named a
Top 25 EB-5 Immigration Attorney by EB5 Investors Magazine (2018–2023)
|
|
Professional Engagements
|
Lecturer/trainer for other lawyers at AILA, ACA, University of Pennsylvania Law School | Frequent speaker at global investment immigration conferences |
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