Read the general business expansion overview
A Petit-Saguenay company proposing more than one transferee should explain individual duties and the real allocation of supporting resources. A first review should test the proposed office against a hiring sequence, premises evidence, financial capacity, and each transferee’s distinct qualifying role. Hypothetical example: A dental-device calibration company wants to send two leaders to open its U.S. operation. The decision is whether one has the managerial or executive case a new office requires and whether the second person’s specialized knowledge is separately documented.
Describe shared and separate responsibilities
L-1A needs primarily managerial or executive work, not duplicated descriptions of every team decision. Explain what each applicant directs and who handles routine delivery. First-line supervision of nonprofessional staff is insufficient by title alone, and the same support team should not be represented as independently dedicated to each applicant without a true explanation. Assign routine operating tasks, supervision, budgets, and decision rights to named people before drafting duty descriptions. A useful first review produces an organization chart that explains how the proposed manager will be relieved from day-to-day production as the office grows. It also identifies unsupported duplication, such as two applicants each claiming sole authority over the same small team.
Check each foreign history and the new-office conditions
General foreign L-1 capacity may be managerial, executive or specialized knowledge; new-office L-1A specifically requires foreign managerial or executive employment. Establish the continuous qualifying foreign year in the relevant three years, excluding US days without treating every trip as a break. Qualifying entities need regular, systematic, continuous US and foreign business and the proper relationship. US doing business under one year requires sufficient premises; L-1A must support the role within a year, while L-1B needs qualifying knowledge and financial ability to pay and commence business. Initial approval is limited to one year. Document the qualifying overseas employment year with payroll, role, and entity records, then measure prior L time before committing to a schedule. L-1A cannot extend beyond seven years and L-1B beyond five years, subject to applicable recapture rules. The new-office submission must show secured premises and a plan that can support the claimed role within the initial one-year approval period.
What else is on your mind?
Does being a business owner or director qualify me for L-1A?What employment history should an L-1 transfer review cover?What makes a new-office L-1A case different?Why does an L-2 spouse’s admission record matter for work?Editorial source review: 2026-09-07. General preparation guidance, not an individual assessment.