Opening a New Office

• An L-1 visa is the appropriate visa classification for a qualified employee of an international company who is coming to the United States to establish a parent, branch, affiliate or subsidiary in the United States.

• When filing the petition, the international company will be required to show that sufficient physical premises to house the new office have been secured and that within one year of the approval of the petition, the intended U.S. operation will support an executive or managerial position.

• In the case of a person with specialized knowledge, the petitioner will be required to show that it has the financial ability to remunerate the beneficiary and to commence doing business in the United States.

• A petition for a qualified employee of a new office will be approved for a period not to exceed one year, after which the petitioner must demonstrate that it is doing business as described above in order for the petition and applicant's stay to be extended beyond one year.