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BÉGIN · L-1B FIELD GUIDE

Does a Bégin company’s costly software subscription establish specialized knowledge?

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THE DIRECT ANSWER

The subscription price does not establish the employee’s knowledge.

Keep procurement and eligibility evidence distinct

A vendor invoice explains a commercial purchase. The immigration account needs the actual learning, experience and knowledge applied in the US role; paying more for access does not automatically improve that evidence.

Divide the budget from the eligibility proof. Subscription invoices, implementation charges and training fees show what the company purchased; they do not show what this employee knows, how unusual that knowledge is within the organization or why the US assignment needs it. Collect project records, internal configurations, learning history and comparisons with other staff. L-1B requires special knowledge of company products or advanced knowledge of company processes, plus one continuous qualifying foreign employment year in the preceding three and an active qualifying corporate relationship. Offsite work must remain controlled by the petitioner and cannot be a labour-for-hire placement. Current filing charges should be checked separately, while the employee's five-year L-1B maximum belongs on the immigration timeline rather than the procurement ledger.

Hypothetical example: A Bégin packaging-automation developer buys a costly design suite before transferring its commissioning specialist. The company should explain his mastery of its proprietary packaging tolerances and deployment sequence, supported by past projects and training he delivered. The licence price may support the operating budget, but it cannot transform ordinary vendor competence into qualifying knowledge.