L-1 and L-2 visas in the USA for executives, employees, and families
L-1 and L-2 visas are designed for international companies that transfer executives and employees between a foreign office and a branch or subsidiary in the United States. The L-1 visa allows managers, executives, and key specialists to legally work for a U.S. company, while the L-2 visa allows their spouses and children to live in the U.S., with the spouse receiving the right to work without a separate permit. We support the process from reviewing the business structure to visa approval and entry into the United States.
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What is the L-1 visa and who is it for
The U.S. L-1 visa is intended for international companies that carry out intracompany transfers to the United States – transferring executives, managers, and key specialists from a foreign office to a U.S. branch, subsidiary, or affiliated entity.
The L-1 visa for employees is suitable when a business needs to strengthen its team in the U.S. and legally arrange an employee transfer to the United States through a group of companies.
As part of the filing, an L-1 petition is submitted to USCIS using Form I-129, confirming the relationship between the companies, the employee’s position, and the bona fide nature of the work in the United States.
Who the L-1 visa is for:
Key requirements for the L-1 visa
To obtain a U.S. L-1 visa, the applicant and the company must meet a number of requirements that are reviewed by USCIS when filing an L-1 petition. Unlike investment programs, the L-1 visa for employees is built on proving a bona fide business, the relationship between the companies, and the need for an intracompany transfer to the United States.
Key conditions for the L-1 visa:
The corporate structure must be documented: the foreign company and the U.S. company must be a branch, a subsidiary, or part of the same corporate group.
USCIS evaluates whether the companies are actively operating and not merely existing “on paper”.
The employee must be employed by the foreign company and transferred to the U.S. into a specific role that fits under L-1A or L-1B (an important point when understanding L-1A vs L-1B).
The company must show why an employee transfer to the U.S. is needed and why this role is critical for the U.S. entity.
The process begins with filing Form I-129 (the employer’s petition). This is the core step in obtaining the U.S. L-1 visa.
If the company uses blanket approval, Form I-129S may be filed – this streamlines the process for certain transfer categories.
When applying outside the United States, Form DS-160 is completed and then the case is reviewed by a U.S. consulate.
How to get an L-1 and L-2 visa – step by step
Obtaining a U.S. L-1 visa is a sequential process where not only the employee’s documents matter, but also the corporate business structure, compliance with USCIS requirements, and the right strategy for an intracompany transfer to the United States. Below is a roadmap showing how companies obtain an L-1 visa for employees and how the U.S. L-2 visa for the family is prepared in parallel.
Following these steps carefully allows the company to lawfully arrange an intracompany transfer to the United States and obtain a U.S. L-1 visa for an executive or employee. At the same time, the U.S. L-2 visa provides the family with a lawful relocation option – with the right to live in the U.S. and the possibility of work for the spouse. A well-prepared strategy and documents reduce the risk of USCIS requests and increase the chance of approval on the first filing.
Main forms and applications for the L-1 and L-2 visa
The process of obtaining a U.S. L-1 visa includes mandatory preparation of immigration and consular forms, as well as the company’s corporate documents. For a successful intracompany transfer to the United States, it is important to properly prepare not only the employee’s package, but also the family’s documents through the U.S. L-2 visa. The company takes full control of this stage – from strategy to filing and ongoing support.
Each document is prepared taking into account the practice of the specific consulate and USCIS requirements, so that the employee transfer to the U.S. under the L-1 visa is well-grounded, and the family receives status through the U.S. L-2 visa without unnecessary delays..
L-1 and L-2 visa – a lawful transfer to the U.S. and stable status
The U.S. L-1 visa is one of the clearest ways to arrange an intracompany transfer to the United States for executives, managers, and key specialists. This format fits international companies that need not just to relocate an employee, but to do it in a legally clean way: with the right corporate structure, a justified position, and filing through an USCIS L-1 petition.
An additional advantage is the option to obtain a U.S. L-2 visa for the family of the L-1 holder. This makes business-based immigration to the United States more predictable: the employee works in the U.S. entity, and the family receives the right to live in the United States.
What L-1 / L-2 provides in practice:
The L-1 visa for employees allows a company to transfer employees to the United States without searching for a candidate on the U.S. market – through an internal transfer between offices.
The process goes through the USCIS L-1 petition (Form I-129), where the key factor is not a “desire to relocate”, but the real business structure and the justification of the employee’s role.
The L-2 family visa allows the spouse and children under 21 to live in the United States together with the L-1 holder. The spouse also receives work authorization, which makes adaptation in the U.S. easier and faster.
Why immigration attorney support matters
The U.S. L-1 visa is not a formal “template filing”. USCIS reviews the case comprehensively: the relationship between the companies, bona fide business operations, the employee’s position, the justification of the intracompany transfer to the United States, and compliance with the L-1A or L-1B category. Mistakes in the business structure, job duties description, or documentation package often lead to requests (RFE) and delays, even if the company itself meets the requirements.
Professional support helps structure the employee transfer to the United States (L-1 visa) so that the USCIS L-1 petition looks logical, well-documented, and aligned with adjudication practice.
We will:
Support allows you to go from reviewing the business structure to obtaining approval of the U.S. L-1 visa, and also to secure the U.S. L-2 visa for the family – with the right to live in the United States and the possibility of work for the spouse.
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Answers to frequently asked questions
– I-129 – the primary form for the USCIS L-1 petition
– I-129S – if blanket approval is used (when applicable)
– DS-160 – the consular application form when filing outside the U.S.