L1
Visa for Canadians
Introduction
to L1 Visa
An L1 Visa is a Visa Document used to enter the United States for the
purpose of work. It is a nonimmigrant visa, and is valid for a relatively
short amount of time - generally two years. L1 visas are available to
employees of an international company with offices in both a home country
and the United States, or which intend to open a new office in the United
States while maintaining their home country interests.
Types of L1 Visas
There are two main types of L1 visas. Normal L1 visas, which must be
applied for and approved for each individual by the U.S._Citizenship_and_Immigration_Services
(USCIS), and Blanket L1s which are available to larger and more complicated
organizations.
For
a normal L1 visa, the company must file a petition with the USCIS. The
petition contains a great deal of detail and is beyond the scope of
this entry. Once an individual - and the company submitting the petition
- have been screened, the applicant is issued form I-797 which grants
an Embassy authority to grant a Visa.
In
the case of a blanket visa, the company in question has already been
screened themselves, so they only need to file a much more limited set
of documents proving the applicant's qualifications. These documents
must be taken by the applicant directly to the United States Embassy
along with the company's form I-797 Blanket, so that they can be approved
and granted a visa.
Application Process for L1 Visa
In most cases, an L1 must be applied for in the applicant's home country
at the local United States Embassy. An I-797, either regular or blanket
however does not guarantee that a visa will be issued. The individual
applicant must now attend an interview with a United States Embassy
and will be screened personally by a consular officer. For the most
part, L1 visas are approved if the individual is qualified and the company
they are working for is legitimate. However in cases where the consular
officer determines that the applicant may have an ulterior motive for
wanting to move to the United States, or the company who filed the petition
may not be qualified (for example if they do not intend to maintain
their Non-US interests) the consular officer may deny the visa, or refer
it to another section of the Embassy for further investigation. Applicants
may also be denied a visa or referred for further investigation if they
have a personal history, or other trait which the Consular Officer deems
dangerous. As with all United States Visas, if an applicant has the
same name as someone on a Terrorist Watch_list, or has a criminal background
they are likely to be referred. Also certain diseases or mental disorders
may be cause for rejection if the Consular Officer deems it necessary.
Renewals of L1 Visa
In order for an L1 to be renewed or extended, a new petition must be
filed, except in the case of L1 Blankets. As with the original application,
renewals must be applied for in person before a Consular Officer, and
the application must be made in the country for which the applicant
holds citizenship. This often leads to difficulties for applicants,
because it means leaving their adopted home in the United States for
as long as it takes the Embassy to issue their new visa. In particularly
busy times of year, this has been known to take several weeks or more.
Source Wikipedia
: L1
Visa
Global Transit
: L1
Visa USA Visa
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