{"id":894,"date":"2025-09-13T11:57:14","date_gmt":"2025-09-13T11:57:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esta-officiel-usa.com\/l1-visa-for-executive-transfer-to-usa\/"},"modified":"2025-09-13T11:57:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T11:57:14","slug":"l1-visa-for-executive-transfer-to-usa","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.esta-officiel-usa.com\/en\/l1-visa-for-executive-transfer-to-usa\/","title":{"rendered":"l1 visa for executive transfer to USA"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

L1 Visa presentation<\/h1>\n\n

French nationals are accustomed to obtaining an ESTA<\/a> for their stays in the United States. Not all stays are covered, however, and it is sometimes necessary to opt for a visa issued by the American embassy. In this article, we focus on the L1 visa, also known as the L1 transfer visa. <\/p>\n\n

What is the L1 transfer visa?<\/h2>\n\n

As its name suggests, the L1 transfer visa allows \neligible companies to transfer managers, executives and highly qualified \npersonnel from a foreign company to a \nsubsidiary or branch in the USA.<\/p>\n\n

The application for an L1 visa, which is a non-immigrant visa, must be made\n by the US company itself. If the applicant is abroad,\n the application is processed by the US embassy ( \nconsular services) in the country of origin. If the applicant is already in the USA,\n an application for a change of status must be sent to \nimmigration services. <\/p>\n\n

Managers and executives are covered by the L1a visa, while employees \nwith specialized knowledge are covered by the L1b visa. The \nvisa is valid for three years (one year for newly \nestablished companies). It can be renewed for up to 7 years for \nexecutives and managers, and for up to 5 years for highly skilled \nemployees. It is of course possible for a \nL1b visa holder to obtain an L1a visa in the event of promotion. <\/p>\n\n

The spouse and minor children (under 21) of a \nL1 transfer visa holder can obtain an L2 visa authorizing them to \nwork and study on American soil.<\/p>\n\n

Last but not least, the L1 transfer visa enables you to apply for a simplified green card for professional reasons<\/a>; thegreen<\/a> card is the permanent resident card.<\/p>\n\n

L1 visa eligibility requirements<\/h2>\n\n

The L1 visa imposes conditions on both the U.S.-based company and the employee applying for the visa.<\/p>\n\n

Conditions to be met by the U.S. company<\/h3>\n\n

The L1 visa is requested by the company itself. It is \nsubject to certain criteria. The US-based company must have a \n“qualifying” relationship with the foreign company, i.e. \nbe the parent company, one of its agencies, branches, subsidiaries or \naffiliates. <\/p>\n\n

The U.S. company must also do business as \nan employer in both the U.S. and the foreign company. The\n legal form of the company is not important in itself, as is \nthe activity carried out. <\/p>\n\n

Note that the L1 visa can also be applied for by \nstart-up companies, i.e. the establishment of a \nnew subsidiary or branch in the USA. In this case, the L1 visa can be \ngranted for a renewable 12-month period, provided that the company \nproduces proof of the arrangements made for the establishment of \nnew offices on US territory. <\/p>\n\n

Conditions to be met by the transferred employee<\/h3>\n\n

To be eligible, L1 visa applicants must hold a managerial, executive or specialized position in the \nUnited States. The\n candidate must have held this same position, within the foreign \ncompany, for at least 12 months over the last three years. It is \nimportant to specify that to obtain the L1 visa, the applicant must \nexactly match the positions as defined by the American immigration services \n. <\/p>\n\n

Because of the simplified access to the green card, the American authorities study L1 visa applications with great care, and all conditions must be scrupulously met or the application will be refused. In the event of refusal, it may be possible to apply for an H1B visa. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

L1 Visa presentation French nationals are accustomed to obtaining an ESTA for their stays in the United States. Not all stays are covered, however, and it is sometimes necessary to opt for a visa issued by the American embassy. In this article, we focus on the L1 visa, also known as the L1 transfer visa. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-894","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nl1 visa for executive transfer to USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Everything you need to know about the L1 visa: eligibility criteria, validity period, how to obtain it, how to renew it, and much more.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esta-officiel-usa.com\/en\/l1-visa-for-executive-transfer-to-usa\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"l1 visa for executive transfer to USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Everything you need to know about the L1 visa: eligibility criteria, validity period, how to obtain it, how to renew it, and much more.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.esta-officiel-usa.com\/en\/l1-visa-for-executive-transfer-to-usa\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"ESTA - 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