L-1 visa: expand your company to the United States
The L-1 lets a foreign company transfer executives, managers or employees with specialized knowledge to a related U.S. company, including a new office.
General requirements
- Related companies: parent, branch, subsidiary or affiliate abroad and in the U.S.
- Experience: at least one continuous year working for the foreign company within the last three years.
- Role: executive or managerial (L-1A) or specialized knowledge (L-1B).
- Active operations: the foreign company must keep operating during L-1 status.
Official sources: USCIS – L-1A Intracompany Transferee
L-1A and L-1B
L-1A
Executives and managers
Maximum stay of up to 7 years. In some cases it can lead to permanent residency.
L-1B
Specialized knowledge
Maximum stay of up to 5 years.
New office
New office
If the U.S. company is new, initial approval is usually for one year, after which growth must be shown.
L-1 and franchises
The L-1 can fit when an entrepreneur with an active company in their home country opens a U.S. franchise through a related company. You must show the corporate relationship, the transferee’s role and that the new operation will have the structure to grow.
The L-1 visa and franchises: what you should know
The L-1 visa allows a company with operations outside the United States to transfer executives and managers (L-1A) or employees with specialized knowledge (L-1B) to a subsidiary, branch or affiliate in the U.S. The employee must have worked for the foreign company for at least one continuous year within the three years before the petition.
For business owners who want to open new operations, there is the new office option, with a shorter initial approval and the obligation to show later that the U.S. business has grown and can support the executive or managerial position. A franchise can be part of an L-1 visa plan if the foreign company owns, fully or partly, the U.S. entity that operates the unit and the qualifying corporate relationship is maintained.
The L-1 visa does not require a minimum investment amount, but it does require an active company in the home country and a real structure in the United States. Decisions belong to USCIS and the consulates; no broker or franchisor can guarantee approval. That is why it is wise to design the structure with an immigration attorney and to compare brands with an FBA certified franchise broker before signing.
Sources consulted
Data checked in October 2026. Rules and requirements may change: always confirm current information with the official sources.
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