L-1 Visa Attorneys for Intracompany Transfers
Expand Your Company Into the U.S. — and Move Your Key People With It.
The L-1 visa transfers executives, managers, and specialized-knowledge employees from your foreign company to a U.S. office — including a brand-new one. Faragalla Law builds petitions that survive USCIS scrutiny.
- Executives and managers (L-1A) and specialized-knowledge staff (L-1B)
- New-office L-1s for companies opening their first U.S. location
- Canadian applicants can file directly at the border
Request Your L-1 Case Review
Tell us about your company and the transfer. We'll flag the risks and reply with next steps.
What decides these cases
L-1 petitions fail on structure, not on intentions
The corporate relationship must be provable
USCIS requires a qualifying relationship — parent, subsidiary, branch, or affiliate — shown through ownership and control documents. Sloppy cap tables and undocumented share transfers are a leading cause of denials.
"Manager" means what USCIS says it means
Managing a function or a team of professionals qualifies; being a hands-on doer with a manager title does not. The petition must prove what the transferee will actually manage in the U.S. — org charts, staffing plans, and duty breakdowns.
New-office L-1s get one year to prove out
First-year approvals for new U.S. offices are granted for 12 months, and the extension is where cases die: USCIS expects real premises, hiring, and revenue trajectory. We build the business plan and evidence with the extension in mind from day one.
Qualify yourself in 30 seconds
Is the L-1 the right vehicle?
This service is likely a fit if…
- Your company has operated abroad and will keep operating there after the transfer
- The transferee worked for the foreign entity at least one continuous year in the last three
- The U.S. and foreign entities share qualifying ownership/control (parent, subsidiary, affiliate, branch)
- The U.S. role is executive, managerial, or requires specialized knowledge
- You're opening a first U.S. office and can show premises and a credible plan
It's probably not the right fit if…
- You're an individual investor without a foreign operating company — the E-2 likely fits better
- The transferee hasn't completed one year with the foreign entity yet
- The foreign company will shut down after the move — the relationship must continue
Why Faragalla Law
Counsel that pressure-tests your case before the government does
Business immigration is our core practice
The firm's practice centers on entrepreneurs and companies moving into the U.S. — E-2, L-1, and TN matters — including cross-border Canadian businesses.
Big-firm training, boutique attention
Founding attorney Sam Faragalla trained at Fragomen, one of the world's largest corporate immigration firms, where intracompany transfer petitions are the daily bread.
We build for the extension, not just the approval
New-office cases are structured so the one-year extension — the real test — is winnable: staffing plans, financial projections, and duties that graduate from doing to managing.
Flat-fee clarity
One flat fee per petition, quoted after your case review. You'll know the full cost before we start.
How it works
A defined process — you always know the next step
Case review
Submit the form. We review the corporate relationship, the role, and your timeline, then reply within one business day with consultation options.
Strategy consultation
We confirm the qualifying relationship, choose L-1A vs L-1B, solve new-office questions (premises, capitalization, staffing), and set the filing route — USCIS, or the border for Canadians.
Petition build
We assemble corporate documents, org charts, duty statements, and the business plan, and draft a support letter that proves the managerial or specialized-knowledge standard.
Filing and follow-through
We file (premium processing available), prepare the transferee for consular or border processing, respond to any RFE, and calendar the extension strategy.
Costs, addressed head-on
What does an L-1 case cost?
L-1 legal fees are flat and depend on whether the U.S. entity is established or new-office, and how much corporate documentation needs to be built. Government costs include the I-129 fee, the fraud-prevention fee, and optional premium processing. We quote your exact flat fee during the consultation — before you commit.
Client reviews
What clients say
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Your attorney
Sam Faragalla
Founder & Lead Immigration Attorney
Sam Faragalla trained at Fragomen, one of the world's largest corporate immigration firms, before founding Faragalla Law. The firm represents entrepreneurs, investors, professionals, and families in U.S. immigration matters nationwide.
Licensed to practice law in New York. Immigration is federal law, which allows the firm to represent clients in all 50 states and abroad.
Common questions
Questions we answer every week
What's the difference between L-1A and L-1B?
L-1A covers executives and managers — people who direct the organization, a function, or professional staff — with a seven-year maximum stay and a direct line to the EB-1C green card. L-1B covers employees with specialized knowledge of the company's products, processes, or methods, with a five-year maximum. Category choice shapes both approval odds and your green card path.
Can I get an L-1 for a brand-new U.S. office?
Yes. New-office L-1 petitions are approved for one year initially and require secured premises, adequate capitalization, and a credible business plan showing the U.S. entity will support a managerial role within a year. The extension at month 12 is the real hurdle — USCIS expects hiring and operations, not just plans. We structure cases for that from the start.
Can the owner of the company transfer themselves on an L-1?
Owner-beneficiaries are allowed but scrutinized: USCIS looks hard at whether a real employer-employee relationship and a genuinely managerial U.S. role exist. Clean corporate governance and a staffing plan matter more than in ordinary cases. For solo Canadian owner-operators, we often compare L-1 against E-2 and recommend the stronger route.
How fast can an L-1 be approved?
With premium processing, USCIS decides within 15 business days. Canadian citizens have a faster option: presenting the L-1 petition directly at a port of entry or pre-clearance airport for same-day adjudication. Preparation — corporate documents and the business plan — typically takes three to six weeks.
Does the L-1 lead to a green card?
L-1A is the classic path: it maps onto the EB-1C multinational manager green card, which requires no PERM labor certification. L-1B holders typically pursue PERM-based EB-2/EB-3 or reposition into managerial roles. L-1 allows dual intent, so pursuing the green card doesn't jeopardize your status.
Can my spouse work in the U.S.?
Yes — L-2 spouses are considered employment-authorized incident to status and can work for any employer without applying for a separate work permit. Children under 21 can attend school. This makes the L-1 one of the most family-friendly work visas.
Ready when you are
Get your transfer structure reviewed before you file
One form. One business day. A clear read on your corporate setup and the right category.
Request Your L-1 Case Review
Tell us about your company and the transfer. We'll flag the risks and reply with next steps.
Prefer to talk? Call (866) 655-3729 — tell us you're calling about the L-1 Intracompany Transfer Visa page.