Managers and executives of foreign-based companies needing to perform their job duties in New Jersey or anywhere else in the country may become eligible to do so through the L-1A visa process. This non-immigrant visa also allows foreign companies without a U.S. location to send an executive manager to the country to establish a presence.
Visa requirements
Applicants for an L-1A visa must work for their sponsoring company for at least one year over the prior three years before initiating the application process. Immigration law requires applicants to work as managers or executives for the company. To satisfy the executive requirements, the applicant must be responsible for making decisions vital to company operations.
L-1A visa recipients may reside in the country for as long as they work as executives at the U.S. branch of their company. Visa recipients must return home when their job duties are complete. Their L-1A visa privileges also become void if their employer shuts down the office at which they work and do not transfer them to another branch of the company located in the United States.
Visa specifics
L-1A visas allow executives to work in the United States for three years. Two-year extensions are possible after the three-year period expires. Managers and executives are limited to a total of seven years in the country as L-1A visa holders. These professionals can only remain in the country after seven years through residency or status change.
Spouses and children of L-1A visa holders may enter the United States as L-2 visa recipients. These immediate family members usually enjoy visas that last as long as the L-1A visas received by the employee family member. These family members can petition for work rights or extended stays once they are in the country.
Employers can also sponsor L-1A visa holders for green cards. There is no conflict with immigration services regarding applicants with temporary work privileges petitioning for the right to permanent residency.
The statutes and policies that comprise U.S. immigration law are both extensive and complex. Families with questions about the immigration process or their own statuses may find the answers they need by speaking with an immigration attorney.
