L-1 Visa for Intra-company Transfers

You are working for a Canadian company and you wish to go to the U.S. to provide services to a U.S. company that is a parent, a subsidiary, a sister or joint venture of the Canadian company. You may need a L1 work permit for an intra-company transfer.

Am I eligible?

The L-1 work permit is designed for Canadian workers wishing to be transferred (full-time or part-time) to the United States to work for a U. S. subsiduary of their Canadian employer. To be eligible, workers will need to meet the following criterias :

• One year of uninterrupted and full-time employment with the Canadian company within the last three years of your application.
• Have managerial/executive functions (L1A)
• Functions requiring specialized knowledge (L1B) of the products, services, equipment of your company
• Thorough knowledge of the company’s procedures and processes.
• Your U.S. functions also have to be of a managerial/executive or specialized knowledge nature.
• Both American and Canadian companies must continue to do business in their respective countries.

The transfer could only be part-time as there is no need to be full-time in the U.S. Thus, you may obtain a L-1 even if you go to the U.S. sporadically while being remunerated by the Canadian company.

What is the procedure and how long does it take to obtain a L-1 Work Permit?

We need to show to the U.S. immigration services that you comply with all of the necessary requirements by submitting several documents and forms. We are able to prepare an L-1 application within a matter of weeks. For a Canadian citizen, the L-1 application is presented at a U.S. port of entry. A U.S. Immigration Officer will review the documents and ask you a few questions. Upon approval of your application, the officer will stamp an I-94 white card in your passport. This document will ease your entry in the U.S. and therefore will enable you to work legally in the United States.

What is the validity period of a L-1 Visa?

The L-1 Visas are valid for an initial period of three (3) years in the case of an existing U.S. company. If it’s a new company, the L-1 visa will only be valid for one (1) year. In both cases, the visa can be renewed for increments of two (2) years and for up to seven (7) years (for the L1A) or five (5) years (for the L1B).

This article is not, in any way, a legal opinion but serves as general information provided by Veilleux Immigration. It should not in any case serve as legal advice for day to day cases.