Applying for L1 Visa for USA from India

The ‘American Dream’ has always captivated and drawn people from all over the world. Most people dream of working in the United States of America at some point in their lives. Individuals must first obtain an opportunity to work in the United States, and once they do, then think of obtaining L1 visa for USA from India. The individual’s needs determine the type of visa to be obtained. Therefore, the blog guides individuals in obtaining an L1 visa for the USA, including L1 visa requirements for Indians.

L1 Visa USA from India

L1 is a non immigrant visa category for employees or workers with skills and specialized knowledge to transfer them to US  for their company work. To apply for an L1 visa, the employee must have worked for at least one year in the previous three years for an overseas subsidiary, parent, affiliate, or branch office of the US company to which they are transferring. For this time, the employee must have worked as a manager, executive, or specialized skill worker.

Types of L1 Visas:

The L-1 visa is divided into two categories: 

• L1A visa: Allows executives, managers, and business owners to stay in the United States for up to five years.
• L1B visa: Allows employees with specialized knowledge to stay in the United States for up to five years.

There are two types of procedures to apply for L1 visa:

• Regular L-1 Visa: To obtain a regular L-1 visa, an individual must apply and receive approval from the USCIS by filing a petition,
• Blanket L-1 Visa: Candidates eligible for a blanket L-1 visa can simply provide a copy of the pre-approved blanket petition along with the necessary documents, as the USCIS has already determined the company’s eligibility.

The L1 visa for USA process could be quite complicated be it an L1A Visa or L1B Visa. To avoid any hassle in future you can consult us. Our experts are always there to help you all way through.

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L1 visa USA Requirements from India

Both the employer and the employees must meet the eligibility requirements for the L1-B Visa. The requirements are listed below:

For Employer

The qualifying employers must meet the following L1-B visa requirements:

1. Qualifying Relationship with a foreign affiliate, company, or branch that is acceptable.
2. The employer currently owns a business or may own a business in the United States.
3. If the employer intends to transfer an employee with the goal of establishing a new business in the United States, the following requirements must be met by the employer:

• To start a business, you must have a physical location.

• The ability to pay for the employee is a requirement.

For employee

1. He/she must have worked for a qualifying organization board for at least one continuous year within the last three years (before entering the US).
2. To be eligible, the employee must have held a managerial or executive position
3. The employee must travel to the United States to work in a managerial or executive capacity for a qualifying organization, such as a branch of the employer.
4. The holder of this visa must intend to leave the country once their stay is over.

For business owner

1. Companies with a global presence.
2. Local authorities have approved firms.
3. Companies with a bright future.

The requirements for L1 visa for USA may be a hassle full for you because the requirements are different for the employee, the employer, and the owner of the business. So if you do it on your own it may be puzzling you.

How to apply for L1 visa for USA from India?

To apply for an L1 visa for the USA, the following steps must be followed:

1. A petition on Form I-129 must be filed with USCIS or United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
2. Supporting documentation attesting to the compliance of the American company and the foreign subsidiary, parent, or branch.
3. USCIS will provide approval of Form I-129 on Form I-797, Notice of Action, which can be used as a basis of an application by the alien who will be allowed to apply for visa issuance at a US consulate or embassy.
4. Applicants who are already in the United States at the time they file Form I-129 may request a change of status from non-immigrant to immigrant.
5. The applicant’s partner and children may be granted L-2 visas.

Documents required for L1 visa for USA

1. Complete the DS-160 visa application form.
2. Form DS-160 and L-Supplement copy
3. Form I-797, Notice of Action for Employees

Documents from the American company:-

1. Lease of the Office Space
2. Certificates of Stock
3. Account statements
4. Accountancy reports
5. Employer’s Income Tax Return (Form 1120) (if applicable).
6. Form 941 – Quarterly Employer Report (if applicable).
7. Explanation of the Company’s Operations.
8. Invoices, Bills of Lading, commercial contracts, letters of credit, and other similar documents
9. Letterheads for businesses.
10. Statements from the bank.

Foreign company documents:-

1. The Articles of Incorporation
2. The previous three years’ Income tax returns.
3. License for business.
4. So hurry and place your order. Organization chart, transferee’s position, the total number of employees
5. Company brochure or product description
6. Documents pertaining to commercial transactions.
7. Transactional data.
8. Letterheads that include the company logo, name, and address.

Documents provided by the Transferee:-

1. Payment Receipts for Diplomas
2. Resume
3. Reports on income taxes
4. Company charts that depict your position within the organization
5. Reference letters from coworkers and supervisors
6. Your managerial/executive roles and responsibilities
7. Letters of verification from the foreign company
8. Documents pertaining to appointments or Board resolutions
9. Other documents that demonstrate your ability to conduct business in an executive position.
10. If you have specialized knowledge, you must provide registrations for your company.

US L1 visa validity

Holders of L1 visas who have completed their stay in the US while they are L1 visa holders may be approved extensions. Based on their L1 visa category, L1 employees can stay and work in the United States for up to five years or seven years with extensions.

L1 visa extensions of up to two years may be granted to applicants until they have been in the US for seven years for L1A employees and five years for L1B employees. If you want to extend your L1 visa for USA. So you can check the official website for L1 visa or you can contact us for the expert’s help.

L1 visa fees for USA from India

Filing Fee: Basic filing fee: $460

Processing Fee (Optional): For expedited processing, individuals can choose premium processing for an additional fee of $1,225.

Detection and Fraud Prevention Fee: A fee of $500 is required for detection and fraud prevention.

Additional Fee (Based on Circumstances): Depending on specific circumstances, an extra fee of $2,250 may be applicable.

L1 visa processing time:

The L1 visa processing time is generally 3 to 4 months from the submission of the application. Individual petitions take slightly longer than blanket petitions, but the difference is minimal. There’s an option for premium processing, where employers paying for it can receive a response on their petition’s approval or denial within 1 to 3 weeks.

L1 visa agent for the USA

Visa agents can help you in whole application process of L1 visa. So If you have any questions, please contact  –Itzeazy. We will provide you with all the info and guidance on the L1 visa for the USA.

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