L1 Visa India

How to get L1 Visa for usa from india

To obtain an L1 visa to work in the United States, your employer outside the US must first have a qualifying relationship with a U.S.-based employer based on ownership and control. The qualifying relationship can be parent-subsidiary, affiliate or branch relationship. You must also prove qualifying employment, which means that you have to an executive, manager, or specialized knowledge employee of a multinational company for at least one full year in the past three years. Your employer must also file a petition on your behalf with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Here are the general steps to apply for an L1 visa from India:

1. Check your eligibility: Ensure that you meet the eligibility criteria for the L1 visa category. You must have worked for a qualifying multinational company for at least one continuous year within the past three years.

2. Obtain a job offer: You must have a job offer from a U.S.-based employer with a qualifying relationship with your current employer.

3. File a petition: Your employer must file Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, with USCIS on your behalf. This includes providing evidence of the qualifying relationship between the two companies, as well as your qualifications and job duties.

4. Attend an interview: Once the petition is approved, you will need to attend an interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in India. You will need to bring all relevant documentation, such as your passport, visa application, and supporting evidence.

5. Wait for a decision: After the interview, you will need to wait for a decision on your L1 visa application. If approved, you will receive your visa and be able to travel to the United States.

It’s important to note that the L1 visa application process can be complex and may require the assistance of an experienced immigration attorney.


Lay-offs at Twitter – Impact on Immigration Status of Foreign Employees

By Zeenat Phophalia Immigration Attorney, D&A

In a move that sent shockwaves, Twitter laid off half of its workforce on Friday, November 4, according to a Reuter’s report.  Hundreds of these employees who are in H-1B, L-1 or O-1 status would be put on a deadline to get another job or leave the country.  As reported by Forbes, an estimated 8% of Twitter’s employees are on an H-1B visa, based on a National Foundation for American Policy analysis of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data.

The L-1, H-1B and O-1 visa each have a different set of rules.  For the H-1B, the rules provide a 60-day grace period after termination and during this grace period, it’s important that the employee has either: another employer to file the H-1B, switches status to another non-immigrant visa category (F-1, B-1, H-4) or leaves the US.  In the absence of the occurrence of any of these, the person would be deemed to have violated his immigration status upon exceeding the grace period.

Generally, H-1B employees are able to have their employment petition transferred from one employer to another.  That’s no so in the case of L-1 intra company transferee employees; they typically have a more difficult time in situations of termination and lay-offs, often resulting in them having to leave the country. An L-1 employee’s employment is premised on a qualifying relationship between the US employer and its related foreign entity abroad as well as the employee’s prior qualifying employment at the foreign entity abroad.  Hence, L-1 employment cannot be transferred to another employer, unlike the H-1B.

Employers are required to notify the USCIS upon termination of an H-1B employee and are liable for reasonable costs of the employee’s return transportation (if the employment is terminated prior to the end of the authorized period).

If you would like to disucss any of the issues raised in this article, please contact us


This article is published for clients, friends and other interested visitors for information purposes only. The contents of the article do not constitute legal advice and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Davies & Associates or any of its attorneys, staff or clients. External links are not an endorsement of the content..


Employment-Based Green Card Quotas

US Releases 100,000 New Visa Appointments in India

The US embassy in India has announced that it is releasing 100,000 new appointments for H visa and L visa applicants. The move will go some way towards clearing the backlog caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The US embassy in New Delhi and the five satellite consulates suffered long closures that have caused delays to visa processing. This is a particular problem in a country that tops the list for a number of different US visas categories.

Over the past year we have had to get creative for our clients facing long waits. For example, we have helped clients obtain quicker appointments by booking slots at the US consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam instead. This requires careful planning between our India teams and our Vietnam team. Our Vietnam team has been on the ground to provide in-country support once our Indian clients arrive. Indians require a visa for Vietnam, which can be applied for online.

However, many do not have the time or means to get the Vietnam, so the news of new slots for H and L visa appointments is welcome.

The H-1B visa for highly skilled professionals is the most popular visas in India. In fact, Indians account for around three quarters of all H-1B applicants globally. D&A assists H-1B clients with exploring options for staying in the United States before their six years time limit is reached. For example, it is possible to file and Adjustment of Status from H-1B to EB-5 through the Investor Visa program.

The L Visa is for intracompany transfer to the related US office of the Indian firm. The L-1A is for managers & executives and the L-1B is for specialized knowledge employees. Under the L visa rules, it is possible to establish a new US office of your company and transfer yourself as the owner, or other qualifying employees. You must establish a qualifying relationship between the Indian business and the new US business that is being created.

The US has five consulates in India in addition to the embassy in Delhi. They are located in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata. If you are booking an appointment for EB-5, you can only do so in Mumbai. Watch our how-to video:

Applying for an EB5 Visa appointment in India

See also

L Visa Appointment Guide: Chennai

L Visa Appointment Guide: Mumbai

L Visa Appointment Guide: New Delhi

L Visa Appointment Guide: Hyderabad

L Visa Appointment Guide: Kolkata


This article is published for clients, friends and other interested visitors for information purposes only. The contents of the article do not constitute legal advice and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Davies & Associates or any of its attorneys, staff or clients. External links are not an endorsement of the content.


US Immigration Lawyer

Numerous Recent Visa Approvals for D&A Clients

The clients of our firm have been granted a number of different visa approvals over the past week, with the feeling that the Covid pandemic is increasingly behind us. Here are some examples:

E2 Visa for Singapore National Setting Up Advisory Firm in California

We are happy to share that we have secured an approval for another E2 Treaty Investor Visa applicant from Singapore. The applicant will operate as an advisory firm in California. The Company will raise money from qualified investors who will acquire limited partnership interests in a limited partnership fund, and then advise the fund to make minority equity investments in selected startups. The Company will receive advisory fees from the fund and a profit in the form of carried interest when the equity held by the fund in a startup is acquired by an acquirer, or when the startup goes for an initial public offering. 

The E2 company will be committed to partnering with frontier tech entrepreneurs as they start out, becoming their trusted advisor and providing them with the necessary advice to succeed. The Company’s investment philosophy will be to patiently identify and invest in highly-qualified entrepreneurs and accelerate growth through its network of executives in the IT Industry. It will coach frontier tech startups on initial customer selection and how to create compelling marketing pitches. The Company will facilitate meetings with lighthouse customers to help startups achieve success fast. Lighthouse customers are consumers who embrace a product soon after its launch. They will provide considerable and critical feedback to help startups develop and refine their products. Identifying and developing strong relationships with these customers is crucial for startups’ future success.

E2 Treaty Investor Visa for a Swiss National

The E2 Treaty Investor invested in a farm management company based in California. The company will provide custom harvesting and farm management services. The Company purchased selected farming equipment to provide local farmers with harvesting services that will maximize their output and profitability. Additionally, the company will hire agricultural advisory who will help farmers select crops for planting and organize their entire annual cycles to increase their operations’ cost-effectiveness. 

The company will provide its services to farmers from Fresno, Woodland, and Lodi, Californian cities known for their disproportionately high agricultural output and excellent products. The Company will focus on nut tree farmers, primarily those that cultivate almonds and pistachios. 

L1 Visa Extension for a Polish Shipping and Logistics Executive

We have helped a US company secure an extension of status for its current President on L-1A visa. Established on January 8, 1992, the US company was founded with the purpose of securing proper representation of a state-owned shiping company in Poland in North America and to conduct business in the lucrative North American market.  The US Company represents the Polish company’s  interests in all aspects and matters concerning North and Central America and the Caribbean markets; providing the closest and most effective link between Poland’s largest ship owner and all current and future business partners and customers.

As General Agent for the PZM Group in North American and Caribbean ports, the US company provides the following services:

  • Serving as financial center (treasury department/cash manager) for various financial transactions involving United States currency
  • Serving in a similar capacity for North American and Caribbean operational activities 
  • Serving as Chartering Broker for the Polish company’s vessels
  • Supervising execution of shipments performed by vessels within North and Central America
  • Arranging port operations through local Agents’ network, dealing with contractors and sub-contractors, including tugs, pilots, stevedores, terminal operations, holds/tanks cleaners, slop disposal services, ship chandlers, etc.
  • Arranging bunkers and spare parts supplies for vessels, including dealing with suppliers and bunker brokers
  • Controlling all costs and expenses regarding ship’s call to North American market
  • Arranging and coordinating crew changes
  • Arranging cargo, ship, draft, bunker, class, technical surveys and all necessary reports

H-1B for an Indian Developer

The US Company was set up in 2016 and it aims to empower enterprises to unleash the power of cloud on their terms by helping them rapidly achieve continuous and autonomous cloud governance at scale. The company enables enterprises to realize outcomes across FinOps, SecOps and CloudOps such as 40% decrease in cloud costs and 50% increase in operational efficiencies by governing operations, security, cost, access, and resources. CoreStack also assures 100%compliance with standards such as ISO, FedRAMP, NIST, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, AWS CIS & Well Architected Framework (WAF).

Enterprises face significant cloud challenges including unpredictable and unabated cloud costs, ever growing security risks, stringent regulatory compliance needs and operational complexities as they navigate the digital transformation journey. The company helps enterprises overcome these challenges by offering deeper cloud visibility, preventative governance

guardrails, and automatic remediation. With a unique Cloud-as-Code approach that uses deep AI/ML, declarative definitions, connector-less model, and a patented cloud service-chaining technology, CoreStack continually innovates to harness the real power of cloud. The company works with many large global customers across multiple industries including Financial Services, Healthcare, Retail, Education, Telecommunications, Technology and Government.

The H-1B beneficiary will assume the position of a Developer who will perform highly specialized duties in the occupation of application development and analysis with a focus on software application design and development and engineering support.

By Verdie Atienza, Head of E2 & L1 Visa Practice Group


L-1 Visa for SMEs

Thị thực L-1 luân chuyển nhân viên của các doanh nghiệp vừa và nhỏ (SME) sang Hoa Kỳ

Thị thực L-1 luân chuyển nhân viên của các doanh nghiệp vừa và nhỏ (SME) sang Hoa Kỳ

Thị thực Luân chuyển Nội bộ L-1 là thị thực không nhập cư phù hợp cho các chủ doanh nghiệp muốn mở rộng và phát triển kinh doanh của họ tại Hoa Kỳ, đồng thời cử giám đốc điều hành và nhân viên chuyên trách đi cùng để giám sát quy trình hoạt động kinh doanh.
Mặc dù L-1 có vẻ là một lựa chọn phù hợp chỉ dành riêng cho các tập đoàn và chuỗi nhượng quyền thương mại lớn – những cá nhân đã có kinh nghiệm và kỹ năng để mở rộng kinh doanh ở nước ngoài. Davies & Associates đã giúp một số doanh nghiệp vừa và nhỏ thành lập và mở rộng doanh nghiệp của họ ở Hoa Kỳ trong tháng trước.

Một trong những doanh nghiệp như vậy là một doanh nghiệp sản xuất đồ trang sức có trụ sở tại Jaipur đã hoạt động trong ngành trong nhiều năm. Họ chuyên về đồ trang sức bằng vàng, đồ trang sức bằng bạc, nhẫn, vòng đeo tay, dây chuyền và vì họ không phải là một tập đoàn lớn nên họ có thể tập trung vào chất lượng cao nhất của sản phẩm với độ tinh khiết và chi tiết tốt nhất.

Một doanh nghiệp điển hình khác là doanh nghiệp trong ngành công nghệ, cung cấp một loạt các dịch vụ như điện toán đám mây, dịch vụ đám mây, di động của doanh nghiệp và các giải pháp thành phố thông minh với cơ sở khách hàng hơn 800 khách hàng và là cá nhân nhận được một số giải thưởng công nghệ, doanh nghiệp này là một ứng viên mạnh mẽ cho thị thực L-1.

Tại Việt Nam, chúng tôi đã tư vấn thành công cho doanh nghiệp Sản xuất đồ gỗ, trang trí nội thất. Doanh nghiệp chuyên sản xuất và cung cấp nội thất, trang thiết bị cho chuỗi nhà hàng, khách sạn và các quán café, quán bar. Với lợi thế cơ sở sản xuất lớn, nhiều chi nhánh và kinh nghiệm lâu năm trong ngành, đây là một lợi thế tiềm năng để doanh nghiệp mở rộng sang thị trường nặng động như Hoa Kỳ.

Một doanh nghiệp cung cấp giải pháp lấy khách hàng làm trọng tâm và hướng công nghệ khác mà Davies & Associates đã giúp cung cấp một loạt các giải pháp phần mềm tài liệu và hình ảnh y tế, và họ đã thể hiện như một ứng cử viên sáng giá cho đơn xin thị thực vì các sản phẩm và dịch vụ của họ đã được sử dụng tại hơn 50 quốc gia, và họ cung cấp các sản phẩm độc đáo, chuyên biệt.

Tuy nhiên, doanh nghiệp của bạn không phải lúc nào cũng phải cung cấp một sản phẩm hoặc dịch vụ cực kỳ độc đáo – Davies & Associates gần đây cũng đã giúp đỡ một doanh nghiệp có trụ sở chính hiện đặt tại Santa Clara, California – họ là một công ty tư vấn chuyên nghiệp với các nhà quản lý từ khắp nơi trên thế giới , và một trung tâm giao hàng nước ngoài ấn tượng ở Noida, Ấn Độ. Họ cung cấp một loạt các dịch vụ bao gồm Tư vấn Phần mềm, Phát triển Phần mềm, hỗ trợ quy trình Tuyển dụng và tổ chức các buổi tập huấn chuyên nghiệp.

Một doanh nghiệp nữa đã đủ điều kiện để được cấp thị thực L-1 với sự giúp đỡ của Davies & Associates vào tháng trước là một công ty sản xuất và cung cấp thiết bị cấy ghép chỉnh hình và răng hàm mặt. Sử dụng một số công nghệ tiên tiến nhất, công ty tin tưởng sẽ cung cấp các lựa chọn tốt nhất như mong muốn của bác sĩ nha khoa và khách hàng, cải thiện chất lượng cuộc sống, tất cả đều ở mức giá cả phải chăng.

Danh sách các Doanh nghiệp L-1 gần đây được Davies & Associates hỗ trợ gần đây

Kinh doanh đồ trang sức

Điện toán đám mây

Phần mềm y tế

Gia công phần mềm kinh doanh

Cấy ghép y tế

Với sự giúp đỡ của chúng tôi, thật dễ dàng để thành lập một văn phòng mới cho doanh nghiệp của bạn tại Hoa Kỳ và sau đó bạn hoặc nhân viên quản lý có thể di chuyển đến Hoa Kỳ bằng thị thực L-1. Công ty luật trọn gói của chúng tôi hỗ trợ cả việc thành lập công ty và thủ tục giấy tờ nhập cư. Nhấp vào đây để đọc thêm về Thị thực Văn phòng L-1 Mới.

Có nhiều lợi ích đối với thị thực L-1, chẳng hạn như không có giới hạn số lượng thị thưc được cấp hàng năm và không có hạn chế về quốc tịch của đương đơn. Vợ / chồng của những người có thị thực L-1 có thể xin phép làm việc và trẻ vị thành niên phụ thuộc có thể đi cùng với bạn. Thị thực có thể gia hạn tối đa là năm đến bảy năm, nhưng tin tốt là Thị thực L-1 cho phép “mục đích kép” có nghĩa là bạn có thể chủ động tìm kiếm thường trú nhân khi bạn ở Hoa Kỳ (hầu hết các thị thực yêu cầu bạn chứng minh rằng cuối cùng bạn có ý định rời khỏi Hoa Kỳ khi bạn làm đơn đăng ký). Con đường phù hợp để nhận được thẻ xanh thông qua thị thực L-1A là thị thực EB-1C cung cấp quyền thường trú cho các nhà quản lý và giám đốc điều hành. Do đó, L-1 là một lựa chọn khả thi, và đôi khi phù hợp hơn cho các chủ doanh nghiệp vừa và nhỏ muốn luân chuyển nhân viên của họ hoặc chính họ đến Hoa Kỳ.

Bài viết này được viết dành cho khách hàng, bạn bè và khách hàng đang quan tâm khác với mục đích cung cấp thêm thông tin. Nội dung của bài viết không được xem như tư vấn pháp lý và không nhất thiết phản ánh ý kiến của tôi hoặc ý kiến của Davies & Associates hoặc bất kỳ luật sư hoặc khách hàng nào của bài viết.


This article is published for clients, friends and other interested visitors for information purposes only. The contents of the article do not constitute legal advice and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Davies & Associates or any of its attorneys, staff or clients. External links are not an endorsement of the content.


L-1 Visa for SMEs

L-1 Visas for Transferring Employees of Small & Medium-Sized Businesses (SMEs) to the United States

Our team has has a number of successes in obtaining L-1 Visas for clients in India last month. Read below to discover the broad range of industries eligible for the L-1 Visa.

By Tishita Agarwal.

The L-1 Intracompany Transfer Visa is a non-immigrant visa that is a good fit for business owners who wish to expand and develop their business in the US, and send executives and specialized employees along to oversee the process. While the L-1 may seem a suitable option only for large corporations and franchises who already have the experience and skills for an overseas business expansion Davies & Associates has helped several small and medium sized businesses set up and expand their enterprises in the US in the past month.

One such business is a Jaipur based jewellery manufacturing business that has been in the industry for many years. They specialise in gold jewellery, silver jewellery, rings, bangles, chains, and since they are not a large corporation, are able to focus on the highest quality of products with the finest purity and details. 

Another such business is one in the tech industry, providing a range of services such as end computing, cloud commuting, enterprise mobility, and smart city solutions with a client base of more than 800 clients, and the winner of several tech awards, this business was a strong applicant for the L-1 visa. 

Another technology driven and customer centric solutions provider business that Davies & Associates has helped offer an array of medical imaging and documentation software solutions, and they presented as a strong candidate for the visa application as their products and services were employed in over 50 countries, and they provide unique, specialised products. 

However, your business does not always have to be providing an extremely unique product or service –  Davies & Associates has also recently helped a business whose headquarters are now in Santa Clara, California – they are a professional consulting firm with applicants from all over the globe, and an impressive offshore delivery centre in Noida, India. They offer a range of services including Software Consulting, Software Development, Recruitment Process Outsourcing, and Knowledge Process Outsourcing. 

One more business that has qualified for the L-1 visa with the help of Davies & Associates last month is a company that manufactures and supplies orthopaedic and maxillofacial implants. Employing some of the most cutting-edge technology, the company believes in providing the best options as desired by surgeons and customers, improving the quality of life, all at an affordable rate. 

List of recent L-1 Business Recently Assisted by Davies & Associates

– Jewellery business

– Cloud Computing

– Medical Software

– Outsourcing business

– Medical implants

With our help it is easy to establish a new office of your business in the US and then send yourself or employees there on an L-1 visa. Our full-service law firm helps with both the corporate formation and the immigration paperwork. Click here to read more about New Office L-1 Visas.

There are many benefits to the L-1 visa, such as no annual limits to the number of visas available, and no restrictions on which countries can apply. Spouses of L-1 visa holders can apply for work authorization and dependent minors can accompany you. The visa is renewable up to a maximum of five to seven years, but the good news is that the L-1 Visa allows for “dual intent” meaning you can actively seek permanent residency while you are in the US (most visas require you to demonstrate that you have an intention to ultimately depart the US when you make your application). The natural fit for the L-1A visa is the EB-1c visa which offers permanent residency to managers and executives. Thus, the L-1 is a feasible, and sometimes more suitable, option for small and medium sized business owners who wish to send their employees to the US. 


This article is published for clients, friends and other interested visitors for information purposes only. The contents of the article do not constitute legal advice and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Davies & Associates or any of its attorneys, staff or clients. External links are not an endorsement of the content.


L-1 Visa for Manager of Small Business

L-1 Visa: Are Managers of Small Businesses Eligible?

In our latest video, our Senior Immigration Attorney Verdie Atienza dispels the myth that managers and executives or small businesses are not eligible for the L-1 Visa. The L-1 Visa allows for the transfer of management-level employees from the overseas office to the US office of the same company.

D&A Immigration Lawyer Verdie Atienza discusses L-1 Visas for Small Businesses

There is a widely held preconception that only big multinational firms are eligible for this visa because many of the recipients of L-1 visa work for large multinational companies. But that does not mean small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are not eligible. In fact, you do not yet need to have established the US entity in order to pursue the L-1 route.

Davies & Associates helps a growing number of businesses pursuing the New Office L-1 route. This is where our team of corporate lawyers assist you with setting up the US office and then our immigration attorneys assist you with the employee transfer under L-1 Visa category.

As Verdie explains in the video, the company must have a relevant relationship with the new US office. That could be parent, subsidiary, affiliate or branch. The important thing to look for in a law practice is one where the corporate and immigration teams work closely together because it is vital to ensure the US office is structured in a way that complies with the immigration regulations.

The L-1A Visa targets managers and executives and is valid for up to seven years. The L-1B targets employees in the company that hold specialized knowledge and is valid for upto five years. The initial validity period of an L-1 Visa (i.e. before renewal is required) depends on your country of origin and can be found in the State Department’s Reciprocity Schedule. New Office L-1 Visas are initially granted for one year so the authorities can check on the progress of the business sooner.

Contact Verdie the L-1 Visa Lawyer to discuss your specific interests and circumstances. In addition to L-1 Visa, Verdie also manages our firm’s E-2 Treaty Investor Visa practice.


This article is published for clients, friends and other interested visitors for information purposes only. The contents of the article do not constitute legal advice and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Davies & Associates or any of its attorneys, staff or clients. External links are not an endorsement of the content.


L-1 Visa petition for Indian

L-1 Visa Client from India Approved in Just 9 Days

In a matter of just nine days, the US authorities approved an L-1 Visa petition for one of our clients. Whilst the client had a strong case, the careful preparation of the application by the D&A team meant there were no Requests for Evidence that are common for L-1 visas.

Requests for Evidence from Visa Applicants

Our client is a Chief Technology Officer of an Indian cargo security and IoT (internet of things) solution development company. We prepared and filed his  Visa L1 USA application. The L-1 Visa permits the transfer of managers, executives, and specialized knowledge employees to the US office of the same company.

The petitioning US company opted for premium processing which requires an additional payment of $2,500 to USCIS. While premium processing is expected to expedite the process, the US Citizenship & Immigration Services has been issuing Requests for Evidence (RFE) on most L-1 Visa petitions.

Depending on how massive the RFE is, the process could still be delayed for an additional period of 30-60 days even with premium processing.  D&A’s strategy has been to anticipate each and every single document that USCIS could potentially request for and prepare the strongest petition possible. With this approach, we minimize the possibility of getting RFEs or eliminate that possibility altogether.

L-1 Visa for Innovation and Tech Companies

The Indian parent company, where the L-1 Visa beneficiary is currently employed, has developed and patented an electro-mechanical locking system which consists of security lock and can be installed inside container vehicles. The subsidiary company in the US was set up to aggressively establish, develop and grow its business in the United States. The L-1 Visa beneficiary will serve as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the US company. In the said capacity, he will play a vital and leadership role in the accomplishment of the parent company’s expansion strategy.

The L-1 Visa beneficiary’s comprehensive knowledge of the solutions developed by the Indian parent will enable him to fully direct the US company’s efforts to enhance product insertion among companies throughout the United States. He will be fully responsible for all crucial executive functions, such as the company’s strategic positioning, financial management and sales operations. He will lead the company in developing and implementing strategic plans to achieve overall business objectives. His executive responsibilities will further entail cultivating business relationships with important U.S. clients.

What is an L-1 Visa

The L-1 Visa permits the transfer of an employee to the US office of your company. The L-1A visa targets management-level employees and the L-1B is aimed at employees with “Specialized Knowledge”. As the C.T.O of the firm, this particular L-1 Visa from India client was eligible for the L-1A visa, which is renewable upto a maximum of seven years. The L-1B is renewable upto a maximum of five years.

This client obtained what is known as a “New Office L-1 Visa”. This is where a new US office is established as part of the L-1 Visa process. The majority of L-1 visas are issued to employees of firms who already have established US entities. Yet, applications for New Office L-1 Visas are a growing fast. By setting up a new US entity, it is then possible to move a manager to the US to oversee the establishment and growth of that firm. New Office L-1 Visas are initially granted for upto one year so the USCIS can review progress, but ultimately have the same maximum validity period as any other L-1A or L-1B visa.

*** UPDATE ONE WEEK LATER ****

D&A has once again successfully prepared an L-1A petition for an executive of a foreign affiliate company. The L-1A petition was approved in 10 days without a Request for Evidence. The affiliate company in Greece is a software company which provides fully integrated, end-to-end business solutions, tailored to each customer’s needs and requirements. It specializes in building High Performance Software based on client driven specifications, aiming to act as business enablers rather than as simple IT product developers. The US Company was established to sell the foreign affiliate company’s set of fully integrated, end-to-end software and systems solutions services that will be tailored to each client’s needs and preferences and thus allow clients to achieve better financial returns, new sources of revenue, and reduced costs. The Company will work with clients to both activate data and optimize teams to analytically power their organizations. 

The L-1A beneficiary is a seasoned professional recognized in the corporate scenario as an innovator and leader in the software and systems solutions product and services industry in Greece. He has built a top-ranked software and systems solutions company with innovative software products to clients in a variety of industries, such as media, automotive, financial, governmental, real estate, shipping, healthcare, and education. 

Contact us to discuss the L-1 Visa or any other global immigration and business goal.

CONNECT WITH VERDIE ATIENZA Verdie heads up our firm’s L-1 & E2 Visa Practices


This article is published for clients, friends and other interested visitors for information purposes only. The contents of the article do not constitute legal advice and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Davies & Associates or any of its attorneys, staff or clients. External links are not an endorsement of the content.


L-1 Visa approvals on Visa Ban during Covid-19

L-1 Visa Approvals as Trump’s Covid-Related Ban on the Visa Expires

As President Trump’s temporary ban on the L-1 Visa lifts, our firm is seeing a rise in L-1 visa approvals.

By advocating for our clients, they have been able to overcome the challenges and difficulties created by governmental policies and the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are the stories of two of our clients who secured their respective L-1A visas, as well as L-2 visas for their dependents.


The L-1 Visa Employee Transfer Visa route to the US was shut down by President Trump as part of measures to fight Coronavirus introduced in June 2020. The L-1 visa is used to transfer employees between the overseas office and the US office of the same multinational company. However, our firm also specializes in “New Office” L-1 Visas, which allow overseas business owners and managers to move to the US to establish and grow a new US office of their existing business.

Reopening of the L-1 Visa Route to the United States

The ban on the L-1 Visa (together with the H-1B visa) elapsed naturally on March 31, 2021 and President Biden chose not to renew it. While some L-1 visa issuances were permitted during Covid, the end of the ban means the L-1 Visa category has reopened without restriction. That said, Covid-related challenges still persist: Applicants continue to face COVID-related travel bans/restrictions as well as reduced Embassy operations.

Here are the stories of two of our clients.

L-1 Intracompany Transfer Visa Approval: Travel & Tourism Sector

One of the clients is a full-time as Managing Manager of a travel and tourism company. The company is engaged in in the online B2B hotel booking market, which offers over 300,000 hotels and 50,000 apartments globally, with facilities to book transfers and sightseeing tours. With their innovative software products, with over 25,000 registered agents in 35 countries, they have decided to expand the concept to the US market.  With the L-1A visa in hand, he can now enter the US to manage the US company and take advantage of the opportunity in the travel and tourism sector as the world slowly reopens.

L-1 Intracompany Transfer Visa Approval: Fashion & Wholesale Sectors

The other client is a Market Research Manager of a wholesaler and exporter of singular jewelry and stylish evening bags of the finest quality as well as beautifully hand-constructed pillows, cushions and table mats. The foreign company has enjoyed success in terms of both revenue and opportunity. Given the international nature of the market in which the foreign company conducts its business, together with its growing roster of U.S. based clients, they have decided to establish presence in the US through an affiliate company and transfer the client to the US as Business Development Manager.

The range of handcrafted home furnishings, handbags, jewelry, scarfs and other merchandise are truly uniquely designed, differentiating themselves from others engaged in the accessories’ marketplace. These timeless pieces are created by artisans with a history of crafting products not ordinarily found online or being mass-produced. The L-1A beneficiary will incorporate management of essentially all substantive areas, functions and processes to be followed by the U.S. affiliated company. She will also serve as the ultimate director and manager of all U.S. employees.

What is the L-1 Intracompany Transfer Visa?

The L-1A visa allows international managers and executives to move to work in the US office of the same company for up to a maximum of seven years. If there is not yet a US office, our firm can help set one up and ensure it is L-1 compliant. The L-1B visa allows an employee with specialized knowledge to move to the US office for a maximum of five years. The initial visa validity will not be granted for the full five or seven years. The initial validity for a New Office L-1 is up to one year, and for all other L-1s depends upon your country of origin. After this it is possible to renew in installments up to 7 years, or switch to another visa which offers permanent residency (Green Card) – see EB1(c) visas. Spouses and children under the age of 21 can move to the US with you and spouses can apply for work authorization.

Watch Another one of our L-1 Clients Explain how we Helped him Obtain an L-1 Visa During Covid.

This article is published for clients, friends and other interested visitors for information purposes only. The contents of the article do not constitute legal advice and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Davies & Associates or any of its attorneys, staff or clients. External links are not an endorsement of the content.


L-1A Intracompany Transfer Visa Client Testimonial

India L-1 Visa Client Testimonial

Davies & Associates helped a client from India obtain an L-1A Intracompany Transfer Visa despite the pandemic. The L-1A Visa allows for the transfer of a management or executive-level employee from the overseas office to the US office of the same company. The L-1B Visa allows the same for an employee with specialized knowledge.

It is possible to set-up a new US office and transfer yourself or a member of staff to the U.S. to grow the U.S. operation. L-1 Visa applicants can take a spouse and children under the age of 21 with them. Spouses can apply for work authorization.

The L-1A Visa is limited to a maximum of 7 years and the L-1B visa is limited for a maximum of 5 years. The validity of the initial visa will be less than the maximum and initial validity depends upon country of origin and whether or not the applicant is applying for a New Office L1.

The L-1 has no annual quotas. It is possible to transition to a Green Card. Typically this is through the EB-1C visa but the EB-3 visa is also an applicable option.

Learn more about the L-1 Visa by clicking here.

View our latest L-1 Visa Client Testimonial Here

In the words of the client:

“I am pleased to say that with the help of Davies and associates actually significant amount of help from them we have made a successful application and in the next few weeks i will start my new role with my uh existing uh organization uh nowhere was i felt that you know this is out of depth very very clear expectations in terms of uh personal documents that are needed workplace documents that are needed subsidiary company documents that are needed you know and this is the first attempt from my organization site to uh transfer uh indian workers uh or indian managers i would say uh to the us uh for uh managerial and senior managerial roles it took us some time there were a few road uh roadblocks along the way where um suddenly due to cove 19 the u.s immigration services made a temporary ban on issuance of visa but the organization which is u.s immigration services division associates were very very clear in communicating to me that this is a temporary hurdle and there are uh options available to us right so yes it took us nine months uh with certain changes uh significant changes in the u.s immigration policy and yet nine months later we’ve had a successful application converted to a visa for three years and uh i myself am going to be going back to them uh for a eb1c um later this year so yes overall they’re 10 on 10 in terms of feedback in terms of transparency of the process documentation was up to mark in fact there was a point where i was kind of wondering the amount of documentation that we have generated would somebody actually read through it and they actually read through everything they designed a business plan around the documents that were submitted uh and we moved forward very very quickly uh once everything was you know as per expectation so they kept going back to the drawing board until they were satisfied that the us immigration services will be satisfied with the uh our case application that we have provided and you know that’s the type of people you want in your team uh when you’re making uh an application uh visa application in a challenging uh immigration policy environment that we faced in 2020 so overall i i just want to say thank you and i appreciate all the hard work that uh Davies and associates and their consultants and their lawyers did on my behalf so thank you very much Davies and associates we’re a full service immigration law firm we have a core team of immigration specialists that will guide you through every step of the visa process in addition to that we have a core corporate team our corporate lawyers assist our foreign clients such as investors entrepreneurs foreign businesses seeking to expand or invest into the united states with a full suite of corporate services this can involve company formation and the drafting of key corporate documents establishing the u.s bank accounts and getting the necessary tax id numbers reviewing a commercial lease amongst many other items that our clients find necessary and useful for their business in their early stage operations in the united states”


This article is published for clients, friends and other interested visitors for information purposes only. The contents of the article do not constitute legal advice and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Davies & Associates or any of its attorneys, staff or clients. External links are not an endorsement of the content.