A free PDF guide — no investment threshold
A guide to the L-1A visafor the United States
The transfer of an owner or an executive to their company’s American office. There is no investment threshold, the passport is irrelevant, and after 1 year of the office trading the EB-1C green card opens. We set out what USCIS examines and where these cases stumble.
- PDF in English
- Free of charge
- Verified on 12.08.2026
- Sent by email, WhatsApp or Telegram
Preliminary information is not a guarantee of approval. The decision on the petition is the USCIS’s.
01 / The essentials first
What to know about the visa before you file
Four things that decide the petition’s chances and the path to a green card.
- There is no investment threshold
The law names no sum. The ground is the transfer of an executive to the American arm of their own company. The money goes on launching the office, not on any «contribution».
- Nationality does not matter
Unlike the E-2 visa, there is no requirement as to the country of nationality: any passport will do, provided the structure of the company meets the requirements.
- A working company abroad is needed
The foreign company has to be genuinely trading and to stay in business for the whole life of the status, and the applicant has to have worked there for at least a year out of the last three.
- A road to the green card
After 1 year of the American office trading, the executive may apply for a green card in the EB-1C category — with no lottery and no investment threshold.
02 / The budget
What the launch will cost
Choose the scenario and the family: we will show the budget for the office, the fees and the costs that go with them.
03 / Two scenarios
A new office or an existing company
The scenario decides the term of the first visa and what exactly you prove to USCIS.
The values were checked against the official material on 12.08.2026. Only the rows for which there is no official wording are marked separately.
| Criterion | A new officeYou are opening an arm in the United States | An existing officeThe US company is already trading |
|---|---|---|
| The first visa | for 1 year | up to 3 years |
| What you show | the premises, the hiring plan, the budget | the turnover, the staff, the accounts |
| The practical budgetA BRIDGES estimate | from $100,000 to launch | as the company actually trades |
| Renewal | after a year, on the results | every 3 years |
| The total term of the status | up to 7 years | up to 7 years |
| The path to the EB-1C | after 1 year of the office trading | where the category’s conditions are met |
| Who it usually suitsA BRIDGES estimate | You are entering the US market for the first time | You already have an American company |
- The first visa
- for 1 year
- up to 3 years
- What you show
- the premises, the hiring plan, the budget
- the turnover, the staff, the accounts
- The practical budgetA BRIDGES estimate
- from $100,000 to launch
- as the company actually trades
- Renewal
- after a year, on the results
- every 3 years
- The total term of the status
- up to 7 years
- up to 7 years
- The path to the EB-1C
- after 1 year of the office trading
- where the category’s conditions are met
- Who it usually suitsA BRIDGES estimate
- You are entering the US market for the first time
- You already have an American company
In both cases the foreign company has to keep trading throughout the life of the status, and the total term is capped at 7 years.
04 / The country
What the country looks like
Briefly about the country and about what sets the terms of the L category.
- The essentials firstThe key facts of the programme: what decides the matter.
- A comparisonThe options and the terms of the programme in one table.
- How the work runsThe process step by step — from the check to the documents.
- The analysisWhat is checked before the status is granted.
- The limitsWhat affects the timings, the costs and keeping the status.
- Your teamWho runs the case and what each specialist answers for.
05 / The order of work
How the process runs
The case is built around the structure of the companies: that first, then the office and the petition.
- The structure is checked
The link between the foreign and the American company, your post and your service. Without the right structure the case cannot be built.
- The American arm
Registering the company, the premises, a bank account, a hiring plan and a financial model.
- The pack for USCIS
The L-1A petition with evidence that both companies trade, of the executive role and of the reality of the business.
- The USCIS decision
The petition is considered and any requests answered. Premium processing is available for an extra fee.
- The visa and the entry
The interview at the consulate, the visa, the entry and the office starting work.
- Renewals and the EB-1C
Renewal on the results of the year, then up to 7 years. Where the conditions are met, the EB-1C is filed.
07 / The check
What USCIS examines
The link between the companies, your service and your role, the reality of the business and the plan for the American office.
- The link between the companies
A parent, subsidiary or affiliate structure evidenced by the ownership documents.
- Service and the role
At least a year with the foreign company out of the last three, in an executive or managerial post.
- That the business is real
Turnover, contracts, staff and accounts: USCIS checks that the companies really do trade.
- The plan for the American office
The premises, the budget and the hiring: for a new office this is the key part of the petition.
Refusals turn more often on the structure and the post than on the money: the managerial role has to be proved with documents.
08 / The limits
What to take into account in advance
Five limits that bear on renewal and on the long-term plan.
The first year is a testThe new-office visa runs 12 months
After a year you have to show the result: the office, the staff and the trading. Otherwise there is no renewal.
The status is finite7 years at most
The L-1A does not run for ever. The long-term answer is moving to an EB-1C green card.
The foreign company has to stay aliveClose the business and you lose the ground
The company abroad has to keep trading throughout the life of the status.
The status is tied to the employerYou may not change company
The visa is issued for a particular structure and post: moving to another employer needs a different visa.
Refusals turn on the structureNot on the sums invested
The weak point of these cases is proving the link between the companies and the managerial role, not the money.
09 / Your team
Who runs your case
The work is led by specialists who build corporate structures to the USCIS requirements.
The editorial record
The material was prepared and checked by
- First published
- 12 August 2026
- Last updated
- 12 August 2026
The official sources
- USCIS: L-1A Intracompany Transferee Executive or ManagerU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services · checked 12.08.2026The requirements on the applicant, on the structure of the companies and on the term of the status.
- The Immigration and Nationality Act, section 101(a)(15)(L)U.S. Government Publishing Office · checked 12.08.2026The legal basis of the L category and the definition of a managerial post.
- USCIS: EB-1C Multinational Manager or ExecutiveU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services · checked 12.08.2026The green card category that opens to an executive once the American office has been trading.
10 / Common questions
Questions about the L-1A visa
How much has to be invested?
There is no required threshold. In practice from $100,000 is allowed for launching a new office: the premises, the staff, the working capital.
Does my nationality matter?
No. Unlike the E-2 visa, there is no requirement as to the country of nationality.
Do I need a company abroad?
Yes, a trading company where you have worked at least a year out of the last three in an executive post. It has to stay in business.
How long is the visa granted for?
A new office — 1 year; an existing one — up to 3 years. With renewals the total runs up to 7 years.
What about the family?
A spouse and children under 21 take L-2 status. The spouse may work in the United States.
How do I get a green card?
After 1 year of the American office trading, the EB-1C category for executives opens — with no lottery and no investment threshold.
How long does the process take?
3-6 months with the structure in place; premium processing of the petition is available for an extra fee.
Why are petitions refused?
Most often because the link between the companies is not proved, the plan for the office is weak, or the post is not accepted as managerial.
Free of charge
Take the guide and an assessment of your structure
We will send the PDF with the USCIS requirements and a preliminary assessment of your company and your post.
- What structure of companies qualifies
- What has to be shown a year after the office opens
- The budget for the launch and the fees
- How the EB-1C green card opens