The non-immigrant US visas known as L visas are often available to employers that have overseas offices and want to either open an affiliated office or bring a foreign worker to the United States. L visas are dual intent, as with the H-1B work visas, meaning that people with L status can put in an application for permanent residence.
Spouses of those who hold the L visa can also obtain authorization for employment, and there is no annual cap on the number of L visas available. A number of holders of L visas will be able to put in their application for permanent residence the moment they arrive in the United States, as they do not have to wait to receive labor certification.
This means that managers, employees with specialist knowledge and executives can easily move between domestic and foreign offices. This is why international firms with a habit of frequently transferring employees between offices at home and abroad should think about adding blanket advance approval of petitions for L visas to their list of immigration demands.
Such blanket approval would enable any employee from a company affiliate, branch or subsidiary to put in a direct application for 1B and L classification at a port of entry or consulate rather than having to go through US Citizenship and Immigration Services, where lengthy procedures can be rather laborious. This option also gives employees the benefits of faster processing time and increased flexibility.